Hogue stays in-state

Yonkers (N.Y.) Roosevelt running back Doug Hogue concluded his recruitment today by giving a verbal commitment to Syracuse. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder selected the Orangemen over offers from Maryland, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Wisconsin.

"I made my commitment this afternoon to coach Salgado and Robinson," he said. "They were very excited about the whole thing and congratulated me and felt like I made the right decision. They seemed very happy about it.

"After I told them I was committing, Greg Robinson told me I still have to focus on my senior year so that I can get to Syracuse next year. He's trying to keep me focused and I like that."

What made the No. 10 player in the Empire State stay in-state?

"The thing that really made me decide on Syracuse was the coaches," he said. "I really like coach Salgado and Robinson. Salgado made me feel comfortable while I got to see two sides of coach Robinson's personality. He's a nice guy off the field, but serious and focused on it.

"Aside from that, the coaches were very consistent with me the whole time. Some of the other schools didn't see as interested in me, but Syracuse paid a lot of attention and made sure I was doing everything right. I also like how the coaches made me feel comfortable and then I like the campus and dorms a lot. I could definitely see myself playing there in the Dome. That is a really exciting place to play and then I felt like the coaches can get me to the next level."

As far as playing time, the Syracuse staff didn't mention that to Hogue.

"They didn't really discuss it with me, but they did say I should have a chance to compete and they really like to use the big back," he said. "I think I can fit into that system and if I work hard I can make the most of my chances when I get there.

"Over the next year I definitely need to work on my footwork. That's a big thing I need to improve on to prepare for college. I also need to work on the physical aspect of my game and then just work on my body and speed."

Hogue had a final word to say to the Syracuse fans.

"The thing I want to say to them is that I hope they support me while I'm there."