The fact that Syracuse schedules games at MetLife Stadium wasn’t the deciding factor for Wayne Williams.

But it certainly made the Brooklyn, New York, native’s decision to pick Syracuse easier, the junior nose tackle said Tuesday night. He attended the first two games SU hosted at MetLife Stadium and will suit up for the first time as a player when the Orange (2-1) battles No. 8 Notre Dame (3-0) on Saturday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

That’s the recruiting influence Scott Shafer and Syracuse hope to achieve with these games. By scheduling games against powerhouse opponents close to New York City and the New Jersey area, Syracuse’s MetLife Stadium trips are as much for future teams as they are for the present one.

“I think it’s a recruiting opportunity and an area that we want to continue to upgrade, especially right there in New Jersey and New York City,” head coach Scott Shafer said during his weekly teleconference on Tuesday. “I think the kids will be excited to play at MetLife Stadium with that environment and the NFL venue.”

As of his Tuesday teleconference, Shafer did not know exactly how many verbally committed or potential recruits are planning to be at the game. He and the SU coaches were going to make phone calls on Tuesday and Wednesday nights to figure out those details, and Scout.com published a list on Friday including “many of the recruits” that will be in attendance.

That list includes eight 2015 prospects — two of which have verbally pledged to Syracuse — and five from the Class of 2016, including four-star offensive tackle Liam Smith.