Syracuse Offers Henderson Receiver Trestan Ebner

Trestan Ebner is verbally committed to SMU, but that has not stopped a handful of schools from trying to pry him loose in recent days.

Syracuse became the latest Wednesday by offering the junior Henderson receiver a college football scholarship opportunity. The Orange program is the first from the Atlantic Coast Conference to take an interest in the prospect. 

Ebner (5-11, 180), who reported the news via his personal Twitter account, is the second local player to hear from an ACC-affiliated school. Notre Dame is recruiting Hooks athlete Montrell Estell and has an annual scheduling agreement with the conference.

The Orange posted a 4-8 record last season with conference wins against Wake Forest and Boston College. The team lost eight straight games between facing those two opponents, which cost former head coach Scott Shafer his job at the end of the season.

Syracuse will be guided by Dino Babers going forward. He just wrapped up a successful two-year stint at Bowling Green.

Babers has not missed the postseason in his four total years as a head coach. He guided Bowling Green to two straight bowl games and, before that, led Eastern Illinois to the FCS playoffs twice in two years.

The Orange claim the 1959 national championship. Two years later, Syracuse running back Ernie Davis became the program's only Heisman Trophy winner to date.

Davis was the subject of the 2008 film "The Express."

Dwight Freeny, Marvin Harrison, Daryl "Moose" Johnston and Donovan McNabb are other notable players that called Syracuse, N.Y., home.

Ebner helped Henderson to a 7-3 finish in 2015. The team missed the playoffs despite tying for the final playoff berth out of District 9-4A Division I, but ended the regular season with a 30-10 win over the league’s first-place finisher, Kilgore.

Henderson will once again compete in 9-4A D-I in 2016 along with Bullard, Carthage, Center, Chapel HIll, Kilgore and Palestine.

Ebner, like all current junior prospects, can officially sign with the college of his choosing on Feb. 1, 2017.

2017 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers

• Judah Bell, Tyler Bishop Gorman, WR, 6-3, 180 — offers from Bowling Green, Houston, Kansas, Navy, SMU, ULL, UTSA (7)
• Lagaryonn Carson, Liberty-Eylau, DE, 6-4, 261 — committed to Texas; additional offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, North Texas, Oklahoma, TCU, Tennessee, Texas A&M (9)
• Trestan Ebner, Henderson, WR, 5-11, 180 — committed to SMU; additional offers from Arkansas, Kansas, Illinois, Syracuse (5)
• Montrell Estell, Hooks, WR/DB, 6-2, 180 — offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Baylor, Kansas, Notre Dame, SMU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State, Texas Tech, Tulane (12)
• Octavius Evans, Center, WR, 6-2, 186 — offers from Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Texas State, ULL (6)
• Jordan Johnson, Hooks, ATH, 6-0, 195 — committed to Air Force (1)
• Kayce Medlock, Arp, ATH, 5-9, 186 — offers from SMU, Tulane, ULL (3)
• Damion Miller, John Tyler, WR, 6-1, 189 — committed to Texas; additional offers from Houston, Kansas, North Texas, Oklahoma State; Ole Miss; SMU, Texas A&M, Texas Tech (9)
• LaMarcus Morton, Gilmer, WR, 6-2, 175 — offer from Arkansas State, Tulsa, ULL, ULM (4)
• Javontavius Mosley, John Tyler, CB, 6-1, 170 — offers from Houston, SMU, Texas State, ULL, UTSA (5)
• Dhailon Phillips, Lufkin, WR, 6-3, 195 — offer from Texas State (1)
• Kordell Rodgers, Lufkin, QB/ATH, 5-10, 165 — offer from Texas State (1)
• Bryson Smith, John Tyler, QB/ATH, 5-11, 160 — offers from Bowling Green, Houston, New Mexico, North Texas, SMU, Texas State, Tulane, ULL, UTSA (9)
• Major Tennison, Bullard, TE, 6-6, 248 — committed to Texas; additional offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, SMU, Texas Tech (9)
• Josh Thompson, Nacogdoches, CB, 6-0, 180 — offered by SMU (1)