4-star WR Amare Gough commits to Syracuse

Richmond (Va.) Thomas Jefferson four-star wide receiver Amare Gough has committed to Syracuse, he announced on Saturday.

He chose head coach Fran Brown and the Orange over offers from the likes of Virginia, Indiana, West Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.

Gough is the No. 269 overall prospect and No. 44 WR in the 2026 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 8 player in Virginia.

The 6-foot-1, 175-pounder picked up an offer from Syracuse back in November. He’s now the highest-ranked commit in the Orange’s 2026 class and commitment No. 16 overall.

As a junior for Thomas Jefferson High, Gough racked up 39 catches for 893 yards and 12 touchdowns, per MaxPreps. He also plays cornerback at the high school level and had 31 total tackles in 2024.

Syracuse pushing for Top-25 recruiting class

Brown and his staff have already built a sizable class this cycle heading into the summer. The addition of Gough is a major one as the ACC program now has three blue-chippers in the mix.

The Orange have cultivated a Florida pipeline, represented by the five Sunshine State natives that are in the class to date. That includes Fleming Island (Fla.) four-star EDGE Jarius Rodgers and Melbourne (Fla.) Central Catholic four-star offensive tackle Javeion Cooper.

Rodgers committed at the end of January and is a top-300 recruit overall. Cooper has been in the mix since December and ranks as the No. 25 tackle nationally.

March brought five commitments for Syracuse, headlined by Miami Southridge three-star EDGE Kamron Wilson and Newark (N.J.) Malcom X Shabazz three-star safety Zaiden McDonald. Eight states are currently represented in the class, including Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, California and Delaware.

Other commits in the class include: State College (Pa.) Harrisburg three-star running back D’Antae Sheffey, Baltimore St. Frances Academy three-star linebacker Maurice Medley, Charlotte Providence Day three-star quarterback Zaid Lott, La Verne (Calif.) Damien three-star cornerback Jaxson Gates and Middletown (Del.) three-star WR BJ Garrett.

The class now ranks No. 25 in the nation, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. That’s good for No. 6 in the ACC, checking in ahead of North Carolina, Boston College, Duke, Cal, Georgia Tech and others.