Fran Brown admitted last season was a disappointment for the Syracuse Orange. They went just 3-9, and Brown admitted that it wasn’t up to the standard.
He made several changes to his coaching staff. One of the changes Brown didn’t make has paid off on the 2027 recruiting trail, though: his decision to retain wide receivers coach Josh Gattis.
Brown and Gattis both played a huge role in the recent commitment of 3-star wideout Chanin Harris from Duncan, South Carolina.
Harris, ranked as the No. 71 wideout in the 2027 class, according to the 247Sports Composite, committed to Syracuse on Thursday over Virginia Tech and Wisconsin.
Building relationship is key to recruitment
“They offered me at the end of April, and ever since then, they’ve been trying their hardest to build a relationship with me,” Harris told Rivals regarding his decision. “I’ve built that relationship with Coach Fran and Coach Gattis.”
Brown is seen as a rising star in the coaching world, but Gattis is no slouch himself. He broke out as the offensive coordinator for the Michigan Wolverines, winning the Broyles Award in 2021 as the top assistant coach in college football. He also had offensive coordinator stints at Miami and Maryland after that.
“When I first met him, it was just like wow,” Harris said of Gattis. “His development with receivers and the position that I play is great. He’s a great person overall as well.”
Harris took an official visit to Syracuse this past weekend, and time spent watching film with Gattis really sealed the deal for the Orange.
“It hit me 100% when I was with Coach Gattis watching film. Just seeing how he took the time to analyze everything and show me what I needed to work on meant a lot.”
Harris caught 44 passes for 648 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior for Byrnes High School in 2025, averaging 14.7 yards per catch.
He’s the 15th commitment to a Syracuse class that’s ranked No. 29 in the country.
