After settling into his old New York City stomping grounds, Fordham's first year head coach Mike Magpayo is looking to establish a powerful local recruiting presence.

Once an assistant coach at Columbia, on a significant secondary staff which included Florida head coach Todd Golden and newly minted Columbia head coach Kevin Hodge, Magpayo is adapting to the city game after spending the past two seasons at University of California-Riverside.

On Tuesday, the Rams head coach honed in on two of the top-Class of 2026 recruits in the city, offering St. Francis Prep's Ethan Butler (St Francis Prep, NY '26) and Oesoemano Sacko (St Francis Prep, NY ‘26).

As a 6-foot-7 bulldozer with a powerful finishing acumen and a reliable outside touch, Sacko is a workmanlike and high skill set wing/forward. As a featured go to option at SFP, Sacko has already attained the 1,000-point milestone in three years in Queens.

Part of Sacko's appeal is his ability to take games over when the stakes are raised. The Top 100 recruit exploded for 31 points and 13 boards during the Terriers' Brooklyn/Queens title over Nazareth during his sophomore season. He has an ability to go to work in the post, playing bully ball and overpowering foes around the rim. With his length and reliable deep jumper, he has unique mismatch attributes.

A Manhattan native, Butler authored a breakthrough junior campaign. He showed newfound athleticism with his ability to attack the rim and finish furious in-traffic and transition dunks. Similar to legendary Knicks guard John Starks, Butler has a proclivity for getting into the teeth of the defense and dunking with his left hand.

At 6-foot-6, Butler is a floor spreader who can stick shots from NBA 3-point range. He refined his skill set this past season at SFP, becoming a crafty finisher with innovative attacking moves and efficient scoring.

Butler is currently hearing from the likes of Stony Brook, Siena, Quinnipiac, Fairfield, Manhattan, and several others. Butler has been a gritty presence on the glass. His stock has blossomed after adding strength and quickness in a major leap from his sophomore to junior season. This summer, Butler has been making sacrifices by taking long journeys on the AAU circuit playing for BABC.

Located smack in the heart of the Bronx, Fordham has the potential to prosper if they can capitalize on the barrage of local talent. Offering St. Francis Prep's radiant tandem of Butler and Sacko is a step in the right direction for the Rams as they look to establish a strong, commanding local presence.