Nazareth junior wide receiver Landon Morris preferred to trust his judgment.
Rather than waiting to make an official visit after the chaos of the coronavirus pandemic, Morris committed to Syracuse last week.
The 6-foot-5, 210-pound receiver/tight end hybrid selected the Orange over Iowa State and Boston College partly because of how coach Dino Babers plans to utilize him on offense.
“(Syracuse) showed interest in me from day one, and I just got the family vibes,” Morris said. “The coaches are great, and the campus and facilities are amazing. I’m also very excited to be the more split tight end.”
Many programs viewed the three-star recruit as a wide receiver, and Morris wanted to make the most of his size.
The Roadrunners got plenty of catches from receivers named “Morris” last season. Landon Morris quickly carved out a role in his first season at Nazareth as a perfect complement to Tyler Morris.
Landon Morris, a transfer from the Indianapolis area, caught 33 passes for 527 yards and five touchdowns to help Nazareth place second in Class 7A.
“Landon definitely has the makeup to play at the next level,” Nazareth coach Tim Racki said. “When he first came to us, he’s so honest and said he wasn’t asked to do a lot of blocking early in his career. We told him if he didn’t block, we won’t throw him the rock. He understood and bought in. By the end of the year, his blocking really opened things up in our offense.
“I haven’t seen (Landon) in two-and-a-half months, but before that he was really putting on great muscle weight and looking really good. He’s a great kid with a great demeanor and is very poised. He’s got good mental toughness and doesn’t get rattled.”
Morris said he’s glad his recruitment wrapped up before the summer.
“The recruiting process was long, and I’m very happy how Syracuse is my future home,” Morris said.
Eastern on the move: Former Evanston star guard Nojel Eastern wasted little time in finding a new home in the same conference.
Eastern put his name in the transfer portal May 12 after three seasons at Purdue. He surprised many by committing to Michigan two days later.
The 6-foot-7 Eastern played in 104 games in three seasons with the Boilermakers. He started 62 games in the last two seasons and likely will have to sit out a season before becoming eligible to play for the Wolverines in 2021-22.
Eastern joins former Fenwick star point guard Mike Smith in transferring to Michigan. Smith is a graduate transfer from Columbia.
Eastern built a reputation as a defensive standout at Purdue, but he averaged just 4.9 points and 4.0 rebounds last season — a significant dropoff from his sophomore averages of 7.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists.
Peterson picks the Trojans: Libertyville graduate Drew Peterson is heading west.
Peterson, a small forward, endured a nearly six-week recruiting odyssey that started in early April when he elected to transfer from Rice. The 6-foot-8 Peterson settled on Minnesota in late April before shifting course and re-opening his recruitment a few days later.
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Peterson finally put an end to his recruiting by committing to USC coach Andy Enfield on May 11.
“I didn’t narrow anything down with my (second) recruiting, but I was just blown away by USC’s academics,” he said. “I’m looking forward to playing in the Pac-12. I’ve built a great relationship with the coaching staff. I feel USC is the best fit for my playing style.”
Former St. Joseph big man Nick Rakocevic starred for USC for the last four seasons. Peterson said he’s not sure when he will be able to visit the USC campus.
“I’ve been in contact with the coaches,” he said. “We’re hoping mid-July, if not in August. California is a strict state, a bit tougher during the quarantine. I’m hopeful.”
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Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press