sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Bagpipe Appreciation Day!
Today we celebrate the bagpipes! The instruments have long been associated with the Scottish Highlands, although they have come from many different places, and there are many variations of them. They have also been used in many different contexts.
The main components of the bagpipe are the bag, chanter, and drones. The bag is usually made of animal skin or rubberized cloth. It is inflated either by having air breathed into it through a blowpipe or by using a bellows. Air can then be fed throughout the instrument to make the sound, by placing arm pressure on the bag. The bag allows sound to be continuous while giving players the chance to take breaths, as well as for several tones to be played at the same time.
SU News
Syracuse Football Preview: Special Teams (waer.org; Sklar)
As Syracuse football's season opener draws near, WAER Sports will release articles previewing position groups during the summer. A list of published articles can be found at the conclusion of this piece.
Football is a three-dimensional game, but the offensive and defensive portions usually outshine the importance of special teams. That is far from the case for Syracuse football, which posted one of the best special teams units in the country in 2022. First-year special teams coordinator, Bob Ligashesky, oversaw a resurgence in the SU special teams department, which finished third in kickoff return yard average in the FBS and 36th in blocked kicks. Ligashesky spent the year grooming a unit that was a far cry from reaching these ranks in 2021. However, with a full year under his belt in Central New York, head coach Dino Babers and company expect to rejoin the ranks of the best special teams units in the nation once again in 2023. Whether it is a continuation of last season’s dominance in the return game or a cast of new faces competing for the starting kicker position, the Orange have a lot to look forward to this upcoming season.
Kicking
For the first since the 2018, Syracuse has to start a kicker not named Andre Szmyt. The 2018 Lou Groza Award winner exits as the program's all-time leader in points (454), extra points made (199), and field goals made (85). His 81% field goal rate also ranks second among SU’s all-time kicker rankings. The ‘Cuse’s kicking situation heading into this season is not cut and dry like it was when Szmyt was in the picture. The coaching staff turned to sophomore Brady Denaburg for the scrimmage and here’s how the Florida native performed:
Punting
The Orange snagged some much-needed reinforcements in the transfer portal after a disappointing season from their punters in 2022. Max Von Marburg, a sophomore from Australia, served as the team’s primary punter last season and finished dead last in the ACC in average yards per punt at 39.83. That’s where Missouri transfer Jack Stonehouse enters the bigger picture. Serving as the Tigers' starter in 2022, the redshirt sophomore averaged 42.41 yards per punt (46th nationally) and pinned 15 of his 46 kicks inside the 20-yard line. Had Stonehouse been with the Orange a season ago, his marks would have easily been the best on the team, so expect him to immediately take over starting punting duties in his first season in the 315. Von Marburg, along with the aforementioned James Williams are expected to battle for backup duties throughout the summer.
Kick Return
It is far more obvious who SU’s primary return man will be in the 2023 campaign than it is for other special teams' positions. Syracuse returns All-ACC contender Trebor Pena. The incoming junior received over 80% of the team’s opportunities and was the only player to take double-digit returns. His kickoff numbers are even more impressive, as the Ocean Township, New Jersey receiver led the ACC in average kickoff return yardage (27.2). Before departing Central New York via the transfer portal, the only other steady return man the Orange rostered in 2022 was Courtney Jackson. Now, Pena’s role with the team stands relatively unchallenged.
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The next Oronde Gadsden making his mark at Syracuse (hcugameday.com; Williams)
Everyone knew that Oronde Gadsden, at 6-2, 215 pounds, was a tall and talented wide receiver when he starred in the CIAA for Winston-Salem State from 1992 to 1994. His penchant for making clutch catches particularly in jump ball situations in the corner of end zones was legendary. He was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2006.
What most didn’t know was that after going undrafted in 1995, he would go on in 1998 to craft an outstanding six-year pro career catching passes from Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino and others with the Miami Dolphins.
The same profile is not projected for Gadsden’s son, Oronde Gadsden II, a hybrid tight end/wide receiver entering just his third season playing for Syracuse University in the ACC.
The younger Gadsden, one of the showcase players at Tuesday’s 2023 ACC Kickoff in Charlotte, is already projected as one of the nation’s best and a surefire NFL prospect.
He hauled in 61 catches for 969 yards and six touchdowns, shattering Syracuse’s single-season receptions and receiving yards records by a tight end. He posted four 100-yard games and led all tight ends nationally in receiving yardage. He was elected first-team all ACC, made the AP first team all-ACC and was on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List.
“I expected to have that kind of season,” the young Gadsden said of his 2022 campaign. “I think everyone should expect to a have good season, a better season than they’ve ever had before. And I expect to have a good season in this upcoming season too.”
Experts agree. Gadsden is projected as a third team preseason all-American in Phil Steele’s 2023 College Football Preview. He was a first team all-ACC selection in Athlon Sports’ preseason magazine. USA Today has him first in its ranking of tight ends in the ACC and second overall among tight ends in the nation.
“I’d imagine that I may not have ever brought a sophomore to this event,” Babers said of bringing the young Gadsden to the Kickoff. “Oronde’s different. He’s older than his years. He was well-tutored before he got to us. His dad played for the Dolphins. And, he’s very mature about his work.
“I think about young men that came in the program who were older than their years, extremely focused, locked-in academically and know exactly what they want.”
Babers said when thinks about Gadsden he thinks about other former Orange players like (second round NFL pick) tight end Matthew Bergeron of the Atlanta Falcons and Zaire Franklin, a linebacker and captain of the Indianpolis Colts for the past three years.
As to his position going forward, he says he’s still a work in progress.
“I consider myself a hybrid type of player,” Gadsden said. “I don’t really have a position right now. The biggest thing that’s grown is probably my weight. Coming in at 185-190 (pounds), I’m now probably (6-5) 225, 230. I think I’ve just gotten better at running routes, catching the ball. I’m still working on blocking.”
The young Gadsden could do a lot worse than emulating what his dad accomplished though he might not have to traverse the same circuitous route.
In his first year on the gridiron he had 31 receptions for 810 yards, averaging a healthy 26.1 yards per reception and scored 13 touchdowns. In his junior season, he matched the 31 receptions but for 836 yards and 14 TDs.
In his final year with the Rams, he led the CIAA with 56 catches for 1,111 yards and 16 scores. His career stats were 118 receptions for 2,757 yards and 42 TDs.
“We don’t usually talk about it that much, because if I went a school like that we probably would talk about it more,” Gadsden said about his father’s HBCU experience at WSSU. “We talk about it some – how fun it is, how good it is, the culture, everything like that, but not as much as we could if I was at a school like that.”
He was signed as an undrafted free agent by Dallas, waived before the season started and signed to the team’s practice squad. He was promoted to the team’s active roster just in time for the Cowboys’ NFC Championship Game appearance but suffered a severe ankle sprain that landed him on injured reserve.
The Cowboys ultimately won Super Bowl XXX earning Gadsden a Super Bowl ring. He fractured an orbital bone below his right eye and was waived before the start of the 1996 regular season. Gadsen credits Cowboys’ legend Michael Irvin with teaching how to play the position.
He was signed and cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1997 and then signed to the Frankfurt Galaxy of the World League of American Football. An injury to his shoulder ended that season. Perhaps it was his stint in the Arena Football League in 1998 with the Portland Forest Dragons that opened the eyes of NFL brass.
He hauled in 93 passes for 1,335 yards and 37 touchdowns in 14 AFL games.
In 1999, he had 48 receptions for a career-high 803 yards and six TDs. The 2000 season saw Gadsden post a career-high 56 receptions for 786 yards and a team-leading six TD receptions. He had another 51 receptions in 2001 for 674 yards and three scores.
In 2002, injuries limited him to just 20 receptions and no TDs. He was waived injured in 2003. He started all but six of the 74 games he played in a Dolphins’ uniform. He finished his career ranking in the top five in the franchise’s history for total receptions, yards and touchdowns in his first three seasons. He had the distinction of catching Marino’s last touchdown pass.
Oronde II was born in his father’s last year with the Dolphins.
As for his future plans, he’s got options. “I can get into that field when I’m through with football,” Gadsden said.
That may take a while.
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Gadsden says he turned down huge money to transfer: ‘I wanna make a name for myself at Syracuse’ (PS; $; Leiker)
One of Syracuse football’s biggest stars said he turned down huge sums of money to transfer out of the program this offseason.
Oronde Gadsden II, a 2023 preseason All-American, told syracuse.com at ACC Kickoff on Tuesday that other programs were “promising six figures and up” in payments if he transferred.
He declined to say which programs attempted to strike a deal with him, though the inducements show what SU is up against as it tries to retain its best players year to year.
Gadsden said it was the “love” he’s received at the school, both from fans and his coaches, that made him want to stick around.
“I wanna make a name for myself at Syracuse,” Gadsden said.
Gadsden also said transferring would introduce risk at a time his career is on stable ground.
He’s Orange quarterback Garrett Shrader’s favorite target. He’s one of the top returning receivers in the conference. And, with potentially one season left playing college ball, Gadsden is an NFL-bound receiver whenever he decides to declare for the draft.
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Babers talks NIL, transfer portal losses in exclusive interview (PS; $; Leiker)
Dino Babers knows better than anyone that Syracuse football lost high-caliber players in the 2022-23 transfer portal cycle.
First it was defensive lineman Steve Linton, safety Ja’Had Carter and cornerback Duce Chestnut in early December. All three were four-star transfers and key contributors to SU’s defense.
Then at the end of spring camp, in the second transfer portal window, there were two more blows: defensive lineman Jatius Geer and quarterback Justin Lamson.
“JT I think is an NFL player,” Babers said Tuesday. “We lost an NFL player. And Lamson, I thought Lamson was good. And he’s gone.”
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https://www.si.com/college/syracuse...tin-rowe-gets-feel-for-role-on-syracuse-visit (SI; McAllister)
Originally from Ottawa...
Class of 2025 Ashville (NC) School defensive back Justin Rowe recently took an unofficial visit to Syracuse. In addition to the Orange, the Canadian native holds offers from Boston College, Duke, Michigan, Missouri, NC State, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and others. His recent trip to Central New York was a positive one.
“It was great,” Rowe said. “Spent most of the day there with my family. We got a tour, photoshoot and had an in depth meeting with coach Perkins the safeties coach.”
That meeting was one of the most impactful aspects of the visit.
“We talked about my experience at school in NC while living in Canada,” Rowe said. “He also introduced me to their style of defense running a 3-3-5. He told me what qualities are vital to being a good safety. He then showed some practice clips from camp of what the defense looks like live.
“I liked the look. The safeties have lots of responsibilities. We’re expected to be leaders through our actions and also verbally. We work a lot of different techniques. I can definitely see myself playing the role.”
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Syracuse Football: 44 reasons why I’m excited for the 2023 Orange season (itlh; Fiello)
When it comes to Syracuse football and other Orange sports, I like lists sometimes. I especially like lists that aren’t in any kind of order. Sometimes there isn’t an order so much as just a “shopping list” that’s fun to talk about.
And as my Twitter feed seems excited as we grow closer to the season starting, I wanted to share some things I’m excited about this season.
And along the way, I’ll share a few tweets as well about what others are excited about themselves. I actually like sharing the input of others so as to share various viewpoints and ideas.
So here are 44 (of course it’s 44 since it’s Syracuse football related and 100 seemed like too much) reasons we’re excited for the start of the season. Reminder, this is not in order of importance but numbered only so I can keep track of how many things I’ve listed. Go Orange!
43: The Dome exterior light colors
42: Having a head coach like Dino Babers who doesn’t appear to be insulting and degrading players on the field but actually coaches them up
41: Speaking of coaches, how will the new coaches do especially with new offensive and defensive coordinators
40: The general excitement of fans especially when they win because the community is happier and less “Syracuse sucks” interactions
39: Seeing who will take over for Sean Tucker with the best post-game tweets
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"Keeping Up With The 315" 7-26-23 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Brian leads the show highlighting the NIL bill currently being reviewed and a Syracuse men’s player that turned down other deals for Syracuse. He then pivots to the Bills and Stefon Digg’s thoughts on the team. Finally Brian forecasts tonight’s TBT match up which has Boeheim’s Army taking on the Nerd Team in a rematch from last years tournament.
Amanda Christovich "The 315" 7-26-23 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Amanda Christovich of Front Office Sports comes on to chat about the latest NIL bills proposed and what they could mean for how college athletes get paid in the future.
Syracuse football: ACC Media Day Notes (TNIAAM; Wall)
The Syracuse Orange were part of the opening day of the ACC Media Days in Charlotte. Head Coach Dino Babers brought Garrett Shrader, Oronde Gadsden and Marlowe Wax with him to make the media rounds.
Here a couple of comments which stood out from the day.
The Orange offense lost Matthew Bergeron and Sean Tucker to the NFL, but the skill positions feature a lot of players looking to make a name for themselves. Syracuse might not see as big of a drop off from the starters through the 3rd unit when it comes to backs and receivers, but we all know that won’t matter if the offensive line isn’t sturdy, and Dino Babers agrees.
We’ll be keeping Steve busy next month with offensive line evaluations because it’s the one spot on the offense that has the most questions. If that group can hold up, we could see the depth on display, but it also gives Shrader the best shot of finding the man without a position.
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The late Joseph O. Lampe, a distinguished alum and ardent supporter of the University, left a remarkable legacy with this significant contribution from his trust.
Fueling Success: Lampe Culinary Hub Nourishes Orange Student-Athletes - Syracuse.edu (syracuse.edu)
As the John A. Lally Athletics Complex takes shape at Syracuse University, Orange student-athletes will benefit from a $1 million gift that will enhance the valuable role of nutrition in their regimen to achieve success. The gift—provided by the trust of the late Joseph O. Lampe ’53, L’55, H’04—will establish the Lampe Culinary Hub, a new kitchen in the Lally Athletics Complex that will serve as the prime source of nourishment for student-athletes in the Olympic sports and football dining halls.
Lampe, a former chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees who passed away in 2018, was a Syracuse native and lifelong Orange sports fan. A successful real estate executive who passionately supported the University and was dedicated to creating opportunities for students, he always fondly recalled the opportunities and life lessons he experienced as a student, including those he gained working in a campus cafeteria when he was a freshman. “I knew what Joe was passionate about,” says his widow, Shawn Lampe. “He had so much energy. Now, his name will live on in a place filled with positive energy.”
ACC News
ACC Kickoff Day 2 Takeaways (orangefizz.net; Griffin)
Hearing opposing ACC coaches speak after Syracuse’s conference yesterday is certainly interesting. Regardless of whether they’re on the Orange’s schedule, one way or another they’re going to impact Dino Babers’ bunch. Five more schools addressed the media on Wednesday, each with a unique perspective on the season.
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How ACC football’s need for speed could pay off with shorter games, more engagement (aol; Decock)
The ACC may never be the greatest conference in college football the way it is in basketball, and that’s fine, but maybe it can be the fastest?
Not only is a tweak to the game clock expected to shorten games by as many as eight or nine plays — it’ll only stop after first downs in the final two minutes of each half, bringing college football closer to the NFL — but the ACC’s new supervisor of officiating has another idea to speed things up, and it’s what almost every fan wants to hear.
Faster replay reviews.
It feels good just to read that.
“Replay,” Alberto Rivaron said, “should not be a deterrent to the flow of the game.”
Hallelujah.
Rivaron, a former college and NFL referee who spent four years as the NFL’s head of officiating, is bringing that league’s approach to replay to the ACC. Take a look, check for egregious errors … and move on.
It’s a fresh take on one of the biggest reasons college football games stretch out over an unacceptable 3½ hours and beyond, dangerous for players and disrespectful of fans’ time. Streamlining the replay process is low-hanging fruit, and the NFL has historically done a much better job of that than any college conference. The ACC has a chance to be a trend-setter here.
“We’ve discussed how we’re officiating the game, how we’re running replay, trying to expedite that and get it right,” ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said. “But also understanding there should be some time constraints in the length of time we’re taking to figure out whether a call was accurate or not.”
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Friedlander: What I learned from Day 2 of the ACC Football Kickoff - Saturday Road (saturdayroad.com; Friedlander)
Day 2 of the ACC’s Football Kickoff event is in the books, with league co-favorite Florida State sharing the stage with several remnants of the former Coastal Division on Wednesday.
As was the case on Day 1, everyone involved is excited, improved and ready to get the season started.
But not everything was on script.
In the midst of a long day of interviews, here is something beyond the obvious and cliché that I learned about each of the 5 of the teams represented – Pittsburgh, Duke, Virginia Tech, Virginia and Florida State:
It’s also an opportunity for some of those young athletes to show off their sartorial splendor.
Among the most memorable fashion statements were the capri pants and pink tie worn by Clemson’s Ben Boulware in 2019, Jaylen Samuels’ NC State red shoes in 2017 and the medallion in the shape of Jesus’ head worn around the neck of Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei last year.
This year’s best conversation starter, at least so far, belongs to Pittsburgh cornerback MJ Devonshire. It’s the enormous diamond-crusted ACC championship ring he was wearing on the pinkie finger of his right hand.
“My mom was like, ‘Wear your ring. It will go nice with the gold (sports jacket),” said Devonshire, who is best known for his game-winning pick-6 in last year’s win against rival West Virginia. “It looks good. I love wearing this ring.”
Devonshire was surprised that he was the only member of Pittsburgh’s traveling party in Charlotte to do so.
“I asked Matt when we came down, ‘What, no ring?’ ” he said, referring to offensive lineman Matt Gonclaves. “He was like, ‘I didn’t even think about that.’ ”
As much as the ring means to him, this is the 1st time he’s worn the prize he and his Panthers teammates earned by winning the ACC title in 2021. He usually keeps it in a glass case next to his bed at home.
“I see it when I wake up in the morning,” he said. “I put it in that case, and I’ve been waiting for somewhere to wear it. Today is the day I got to wear it.”
Of all those proven performers, offensive lineman Jacob Monk is unquestionably the most experienced.
“He’s played more snaps than maybe anybody in this program’s history,” quarterback Riley Leonard said of his center.
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Pat Narduzzi fires jab at talent level in Big Ten (PS; Morrison)
Pitt Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi knows plenty about both the Big Ten and the ACC. Prior to taking over at Pitt in 2015, Narduzzi was the defensive coordinator at Michigan State from 2007 to 2014. Now, he’s made it clear that he thinks the ACC has more talent than the Big Ten overall.
During the 2023 ACC Football Kickoff, Narduzzi explained that he doesn’t want to take a shot at the Big Ten but he feels like the ACC has better players throughout the conference and they don’t get the respect that they’re owed.
“It’s interesting,” Pat Narduzzi said. “I spent eight years in the Big Ten before coming here. Obviously as a defensive coordinator, not a head coach. Now eight years in the ACC. I personally — again, it’s no slam to the Big Ten at all because it’s a heck of a conference as well, but I look at the quality of players in the ACC. Maybe it’s because it stretches down the Atlantic coast from Miami up to Boston, but just the quality of athletes, it’s different.”
Having been a defensive coordinator during his time in the Big Ten, Pat Narduzzi still approaches this question of talent from that perspective. For him, there are more talented players to prepare for in the ACC on the offensive side of the ball than the Big Ten.
“I look at it in the defensive perspective, some of the receivers that we got to defend, I felt like we didn’t have to defend that back in the day in the Big Ten. Then I think when you look at the quarterbacks, I think we had 12 different quarterbacks start in the NFL from the ACC last year. That’s impressive. We have one right next door in Kenny Pickett,” Narduzzi said.
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ACC media days 2023: Pitt's Pat Narduzzi calls for 'lid' on NIL deals amid mounting complaints from coaches (cbssports.com; Straka)
It's been two years since the NCAA lifted its ban on name, image, and likeness [NIL] compensation for student-athletes, but concerns regarding that sector of college sports are still widespread. Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi took aim at that issue Wednesday at ACC Football Kickoff, pitching that schools should have a "lid" on NIL deals -- similar to a salary cap in professional sports -- to curb competitive advantages for schools with larger alumni bases.
Narduzzi made it clear where Pitt stands on size concerns for alumni groups and how that can affect NIL collectives. He also emphasized the impacts of the transfer portal, which undergraduates can use to change institutions once without penalty.
"We're going to have smallclass sizes and we're going to small alumni groups as they matriculate through the University of Pittsburgh," Narduzzi said. "So I think there's got to be a lid on the [NIL deals]. If you're going to leave the transfer portal open, there's got to be a salary cap so people can't go overspend."
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ACC divisional play is gone. That means a different challenge for Pittsburgh (stltoday.com; Beard)
Pittsburgh defensive back M.J. Devonshire made sure Wednesday to wear his 2021 Atlantic Coast Conference championship ring — bulky and hard to miss as it enveloped much of his right pinky finger.
Same goes for Pat Narduzzi.
“Nobody reminded me to bring my ring today,” the Panthers' coach said during the league's “ACC Kickoff” preseason media days.
The Panthers' title run two years ago marked a rare bit of success for the old Coastal Division. Pitt was the only team from that topsy-turvy division to win the ACC title game against the Atlantic Division winner since 2010.
But with the league having eliminated divisions this fall, the path to contention figures to be much different.
“I think it will be because if it's the Coastal compared to (the Atlantic), they had to beat Clemson,” Pitt offensive lineman Matt Goncalves said. “But our (division), it was up for grabs every time. So now I feel like it definitely could be more of a competition getting into that championship game for sure.”
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At ACC Kickoff, Duke football looks to cement its place among the conference elite after successful 2022 season (dukechronicle.com; Jindal & Dudley)
Finally, football season is once again upon us.
The annual ACC Football Kickoff was held this week in Charlotte, where players and coaches from around the conference gathered to hold court about the upcoming season. For the Blue Devils, Head coach Mike Elko was joined at the event by junior quarterback Riley Leonard, graduate offensive lineman Jacob Monk and redshirt senior defensive tackle DeWayne Carter.
Coming off a remarkable turnaround in Elko’s first season, the excitement was palpable to hear about the new era of Duke football heading into year two.
“We didn't come in to have one positive moment and then kind of let it all go away. We wanted to build a program,” Elko said. “We know for us to be the program we want and to get the respect that we really want … we’ve got to be successful year in and year out. I don't think we're there yet.”
Satisfaction is dangerous for teams, especially with the parity of the current college football landscape. The Blue Devils are using the previous season as a stepping stone, without reminiscing too much on the past achievements.
“We have to build that same foundation that we built last year, and obviously an even better one to take that next step,” Carter said. “The coolest part about it is our coaches do not let us get complacent. We don't really reference last year.”
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Takeaways from Duke football coach Mike Elko at ACC football media days (fayobserver.com; Baxley)
Duke football coach Mike Elko wants the Blue Devils to “elevate” in 2023.
After leading Duke to nine victories — the program’s most since 2014 — and being named ACC Coach of the Year in his debut season, Elko received a contract extension through 2029.
The Blue Devils are set to return 17 players from a squad that finished a 9-4 season with a bowl win against Central Florida, putting memories of a 3-9 record in the rearview mirror.
Here are some takeaways from what Elko had to say at ACC Kickoff on Wednesday during the league’s football media days.
Duke football focused on building momentum
Duke won 10 games in the three seasons combined before Elko arrived in Durham. Following its seventh nine-win season since 1922, Elko aims to continue “elevating our product.”
“Everything this offseason has just been about elevation, and we didn't come in to have one good season. We didn't come in to have one positive moment and then kind of let it all go away,” Elko said.
“We wanted to build a program. That goes over time. We know for us to be the program we want and to get the respect that we really want, this is something that has to happen year in and year out. ... I don't think we're there yet.
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Brent Key relishes first ACC Football Kickoff appearance (AJC; Bishop)
Brent Key checked another first off his list Tuesday.
He attended the ACC’s Football Kickoff as a head coach, his debut in that role.
“This has been cool. I like it a lot,” he said toward the end of his day in Charlotte, North Carolina. “I love talking ball. I love talking about Georgia Tech. I love talking about our kids.”
While Key has been the focal point of plenty of media events both as a career assistant and as Tech’s interim coach during the final two-thirds of the 2022 season, and while he said he attended an American Athletic Conference media day toward the end of George O’Leary’s tenure at Central Florida, never before had he been the face of a program like he was Tuesday at the Westin Charlotte. And for roughly seven hours the former Tech lineman went from station to station answering questions about the current, and future, state of his program.
A recurring theme throughout the day was how Brent Key the head coach is different than Brent Key the offensive line coach. He said he hopes that difference is nonexistent.
“I don’t change the way I go about my day-to-day business. I don’t change the way try to inspire others around me to work. Those are things you learn when you’re little,” he said. “Those are things I learned from my mom. I learned those from my high school coach. I learned those many, many years ago. Those are the types of values that you carry with you.”
Key brought a trio of Yellow Jackets along with him to represent the program, defensive back LaMiles Brooks, offensive lineman Jordan Williams and defensive lineman Sylvain Yondjouen. That trio also was peppered with questions about Key: How is he different than Tech’s former coach Geoff Collins? What makes Key a good coach? Why do you believe in Key? Why is Key the right coach for the job?
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How Jeff Brohm plans to give Louisville immediate return on investment in first season back at alma mater (cbssports.com; Patterson)
On some level, Louisville football has always been lying in wait for the return of Jeff Brohm. The hometown native who played quarterback for the Cardinals and even returned for a stint as an assistant coach has remained close with the community throughout his coaching journey. Head coaching stops at Western Kentucky and Purdue meant he was never too far, and the ground swell of local support always seemed to make a return to lead the Cardinals seem like a matter of time.
As Scott Satterfield's relationship with the program and community eroded following a strong start, it was worth considering whether Louisville might make a move to try and bring Brohm home. But Satterfield made it easy on the Cardinals, choosing to leave his post for the vacancy at Cincinnati. With no buyouts or hard feelings to hinder the move, Louisville delivered what so many fans had been pining for in recent years. Jeff Brohm is home, and now he's got the full support of a school and community hungry to see Louisville compete with the best in the ACC.
The desire for excellence at a place like Louisville can translate to more investment and increased resources, and Brohm has recognized the opportunities to build out a roster for immediate success. Combine the infusion of new talent with a favorable roster, and there's a lot of positivity around Louisville being one of the great success stories in the ACC in 2023.
That's real pressure that Brohm can feel on a deep level, because he feels those people who are investing financially and emotionally deserve a return. Simply put, he doesn't want to disappoint everyone who believes in him.
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ACC football recruiting rankings: Clemson, FSU, Miami headline best 2024 classes entering August (247sports.com; Linton)
The 2024 recruiting cycle has been heating up in recent weeks as many of the top players around the country have announced their respective commitments. With that in mind, we have decided to check in on the Atlantic Coast Conference recruiting classes and how they stack up heading into August.
According to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite Team Rankings, the ACC currently boasts 11 of the top 50 recruiting classes in the country. That includes five teams ranked among the top 25 nationally, headlined by the nation’s No. 8 class.
It should be noted that verbal commitments are non-binding and prospects in the 2024 class will not be able to make it official until the Division I Early Signing Period in December. Those who elect not to sign during the early period will be able to do so on National Signing Day Feb. 7, 2024.
With that in mind, scroll down to take a look at the ACC recruiting classes for the 2024 cycle, as of July 26, according to the 247Sports Composite.
Total commits: 13
Headliners: CB Desman Stephens (No. 102 ATH); WR Josiah Martin (No. 110 WR)
Jeff Hafley’s program has the second-fewest commits for the 2024 cycle with 13, and all but one of those players have joined the class since June 8. But the Eagles’ class took a major hit in June when it lost four-star wide receiver Keonde Henry, who opted to reopen his recruitment and later flipped to Purdue.
Total commits: 12
Headliners: WR Christian Zachary (No. 102 WR); TE John Rogers (No. 39 TE); CB Jaylin Lackey (No. 62 CB)
After signing back-to-back classes that ranked outside the top 60 nationally coupled with a tough 2023 season, Tony Elliott and company are off to a slow start to the 2024 cycle. The Cavaliers are tied for an ACC-low with just 12 commits, and they are one of just four teams in the conference without a four-star prospect in their class.
Total commits: 12
Headliners: 4-star ATH Ronnie Royal III (No. 26 ATH)
NC State is tied for the fewest commits in the ACC with 12, but the Wolfpack’s class does feature a four-star athlete in Royal, a two-way standout who was recruited by Dave Doeren and his staff to play safety in Raleigh. The Gulf Shores (Ala.) product amassed over 2,000 yards from scrimmage with 32 touchdowns on offense and recorded 39 tackles with one sack and two interceptions on defense last season.
Total commits: 14
Headliners: 4-star RB Isaac Brown (No. 18 RB); TE Dylan Mesman (No. 21 TE); RB Duke Watson (No. 31 RB); WR Shaun Boykins Jr. (No. 86 WR)
Louisville has one of the smaller classes in the ACC with 14 commits, but the average rating of those players ranks seventh in the conference. That number would be even higher if not for the fact that the crown jewel of the Cardinals’ class — Top247 edge rusher TJ Capers — recently reclassified from the 2024 class to 2023, joining Jeff Brohm’s program a year earlier than expected. That leaves Brown as the lone four-star in the Cardinals’ 2024 class, and the Sunshine State running back was also the first player to join the class in August 2022.
Total commits: 16
Headliners: 4-star TE Jamie Tremble (No. 236 overall, No. 15 TE)
Syracuse is another program that has had a massive summer in terms of building out their 2024 class as Dino Babers and company landed 13 pledges from June 4 through July 1. The class is headlined by a Top247 tight end prospect in Tremble, who is the younger brother of former Notre Dame standout and current Carolina Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble. The Norcross (Ga.) Wesleyan School product caught 55 passes for 890 yards and 11 touchdowns over 11 games in his junior season.
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Elliott talks things more important than football at the ACC Kickoff (theclemsoninsider.com; video; Staff)
Virginia head coach Tony Elliott hit the stage Wednesday at the ACC Football Kickoff. Coach Elliott talked football, but spoke about more important things like how he and his team have handled the tragedy that occurred last season.
Watch Coach Elliott’s press conference on TCITV:
air.tv
https://www.si.com/college/virginia...views-the-2023-season-at-acc-football-kickoff (SI; Newton)
Virginia football head coach Tony Elliott made his annual appearance at the 2023 ACC Football Kickoff event in Charlotte, North Carolina on Wednesday. Elliott previewed the upcoming UVA football season and discussed transfer quarterback Tony Muskett, the support from the UVA and Charlottesville communities following the tragic shooting last November, the depth and experience on the Virginia defensive line, in-state recruiting, the progress he expects the UVA offense to make this season, and what success looks like for Virginia football in 2023.
See a full transcript of everything Tony Elliott said at the ACC Football Kickoff below:
Q. Coach, you brought in transfer quarterback Tony Muskett this offseason. Can you speak on his game and what stands out about him?
TONY ELLIOTT: Great question. Really excited, and you'll have a chance to hear from him in a minute, and he'll be able to probably express better what I'm about to express. But the thing about Tony Muskett is from day one you saw his confidence. It's not a cockiness. It's not an arrogance, but it's a confidence. From day one he wasn't afraid to go into the locker room and say, you know what, fellas, I'm here to compete. I'm going to do it the right way. I have tremendous amount of respect for everybody in here, but this is the way that I lead.
It quickly galvanized the guys. When you go back and you watch him on film, one, he was very, very productive at Monmouth. He led his team the way that he needed to lead to be successful. You watch him throw the ball in adverse conditions, and you see that the accuracy is there. That's always a challenge when you are evaluating because you do a lot of evaluation on tape, especially when you are dealing with the transfer portal. When you got to see him in spring practice, like, okay, now he does throw an accurate ball. You know what, it's a very catchable ball.
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FSU football: Transfer class blows other ACC teams away (chopchat.com; Hunt)
FSU football coaches have done a masterful job recruiting a blend of high-quality transfer players and quality high school players over the past three years.
It’s a prime reason why FSU has closed the gap with Clemson and been competitive on the field the last two years, with an excellent shot to dethrone the Tigers from atop the ACC in 2023.
Not only that, but the transfer players have allowed the prep players they’ve signed time to acclimate to college and develop enough to where they will look upon as contributors sooner than later.
I know outsiders and rivals hate to recognize or likely don’t keep track of what FSU does on a daily basis, and to hear FSU could dethrone Clemson this year may surprise some folks.
However, there’s a reason why that’s the case. Check it out below:
247Sports lists FSU football with six of the top 10 transfers in the ACC. Fentrell Cypress was an All-ACC player and starter for Virginia last season. Jaheim Bell was a starter for South Carolina last year. Keon Coleman was Michigan State’s best receiver last year.
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Jared Verse's Motivation For Returning To College Football | 2023 ACC Kickoff (youtube.com; video; ACC DN)
At the 2023 ACC Kickoff, Florida State star defensive lineman Jared Verse talks about why he decided against submitting his name for the NFL draft and returned to FSU for another season. Check our Verse's unselfish reasoning brought to you by the ACC Digital Network.
Live from ACC Football Kickoff - Recap First Two Days (youtube; video; The Clemson Insider)
TCI's Cameron Burnett and Ashby Mixon bring you the latest from Charlotte and the first two days of the ACC Football Kickoff.
https://www.si.com/college/virginia...nd-perris-jones-speak-at-acc-football-kickoff (SI; Newton)
Virginia football's delegation of senior quarterback Tony Muskett, graduate defensive end Chico Bennett, and fifth year running back Perris Jones answered questions from the media at the 2023 ACC Football Kickoff event in Charlotte on Thursday. Muskett, Bennett, and Jones spoke on a variety of topics related to the upcoming UVA football season.
Read a full transcript of everything Tony Muskett, Chico Bennett, and Perris Jones said at the ACC Football Kickoff below:
Q. Is there any pressure coming into Virginia from Monmouth to perform at the pace that Virginia needs you to perform at since they're expecting so much from you from an offensive standpoint?
TONY MUSKETT: To be honest with you, I think there's pressure any time you play. I went to Monmouth. I was fortunate to start there for tree three straight years as a true freshman and then sophomore and junior year. Any time you are playing college football, you go out and try to win.
I don't let external factors dictate how I handle my business. Every time I approach a game, I approach it the same way, whether it's a championship game or you are playing the worst team in the division.
Every game is as important as the next. When you have that mentality, it doesn't matter if you are playing in front of 3,000 people or 75,000 people. I go out there. I put internal pressure on myself, and I try to perform my best every single time I take the field.
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Other
Clear Investment Group, of Chicago, bought the Skyline Apartments on James Street in Syracuse. The company is rebranding the property as Lifestyle Apartments at Syracuse.
Records show what new owner paid for Syracuse’s notorious Skyline Apartments (PS; Knauss)
A Chicago company spent $13 million to buy the troubled Skyline Apartments from notorious landlords Tim and Troy Green, and $5.5 million more to acquire the Greens’ equally neglected Vincent Apartments, according to real estate filings.
The buyer, Clear Investment Group, assumed roughly $15.5 million in mortgages on the two properties. That suggests the Greens may have walked away from the transactions with as much as $3 million in cash.
But that doesn’t guarantee they made a profit from the sales.
For one thing, the Greens sold Vincent Apartments for about $800,000 less than they paid for it seven years ago, deeds show. Public records do not show how much the Greens paid for Skyline Apartments when they acquired it in 2016.
For another thing, Clear Investment Group spent an undisclosed sum on the buildings before the sales closed, an amount that was likely deducted from the Greens’ proceeds.
Troy Green did not respond to a request for comment. Amy Rubenstein, the CEO of Clear Investment Group, said she was prevented by a nondisclosure agreement from discussing terms of the sale.
The transactions valued the Skyline, 753 James St., at nearly $37,000 per apartment. The Vincent, located off Jamesville Avenue, brought in less than $21,000 per unit.
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Claire Rosinkranz performs at August Hall on July 14, 2023 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Steve Jennings/Getty Images)
NY State Fair adds TikTok star to free concert lineup (PS; Herbert)
The New York State Fair is adding a breakout singer who first rose to fame on TikTok to its 2023 concert lineup.
Claire Rosinkranz will perform at the NYS Fair’s Suburban Park stage on Saturday, Sept. 2, at 2 p.m. The concert is free with admission to the Fair.
Rosinkranz, who has 1.2 million followers on TikTok, is best known for her 2020 single “Backyard Boy,” which went viral on social media and won the 2021 MTV Video Music Award for “Best Breakthrough Song.” The 19-year-old alternative pop singer has accumulated more than 1 billion streams to date with additional songs like “don’t miss me,” “I h8 that I still feel bad for you” and “Bye, Bye, Bye” (featured in the film “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile”).
The 2023 New York State Fair will run from Aug. 23 through Sept. 4. All concerts are free with admission, which is $6 for adults and free for seniors 65 and older and kids 12 and under.
National acts are expected to perform daily on the fair’s main stages, with 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. shows at Chevy Court and 8 p.m. shows at Suburban Park; on select days, there will also be 2 p.m. concerts at Suburban Park.
Suburban Park, previously known as Chevy Park, is located in the New York Experience area on the west end near Gate 10, in the back of the Midway and past the Expo Center. Chevy Court is located near Gate 1 at the fairgrounds, next to the Center of Progress Building.
New York State Fair 2023 Concert Schedule
Aug. 23 at 1 p.m. - Chubby Checker at Chevy Court
Aug. 23 at 2 p.m. - Steven Page at Suburban Park
Aug. 23 at 6 p.m. - Salt-N-Pepa at Chevy Court
Aug. 23 at 8 p.m. - Lainey Wilson at Suburban Park
Aug. 24 at 1 p.m. - Alex Miller at Chevy Court
Aug. 24 at 2 p.m. - Tonic at Suburban Park
Aug. 24 at 6 p.m. - Quiet Riot at Chevy Court
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Today we celebrate the bagpipes! The instruments have long been associated with the Scottish Highlands, although they have come from many different places, and there are many variations of them. They have also been used in many different contexts.
The main components of the bagpipe are the bag, chanter, and drones. The bag is usually made of animal skin or rubberized cloth. It is inflated either by having air breathed into it through a blowpipe or by using a bellows. Air can then be fed throughout the instrument to make the sound, by placing arm pressure on the bag. The bag allows sound to be continuous while giving players the chance to take breaths, as well as for several tones to be played at the same time.
SU News
Syracuse Football Preview: Special Teams (waer.org; Sklar)
As Syracuse football's season opener draws near, WAER Sports will release articles previewing position groups during the summer. A list of published articles can be found at the conclusion of this piece.
Football is a three-dimensional game, but the offensive and defensive portions usually outshine the importance of special teams. That is far from the case for Syracuse football, which posted one of the best special teams units in the country in 2022. First-year special teams coordinator, Bob Ligashesky, oversaw a resurgence in the SU special teams department, which finished third in kickoff return yard average in the FBS and 36th in blocked kicks. Ligashesky spent the year grooming a unit that was a far cry from reaching these ranks in 2021. However, with a full year under his belt in Central New York, head coach Dino Babers and company expect to rejoin the ranks of the best special teams units in the nation once again in 2023. Whether it is a continuation of last season’s dominance in the return game or a cast of new faces competing for the starting kicker position, the Orange have a lot to look forward to this upcoming season.
Kicking
For the first since the 2018, Syracuse has to start a kicker not named Andre Szmyt. The 2018 Lou Groza Award winner exits as the program's all-time leader in points (454), extra points made (199), and field goals made (85). His 81% field goal rate also ranks second among SU’s all-time kicker rankings. The ‘Cuse’s kicking situation heading into this season is not cut and dry like it was when Szmyt was in the picture. The coaching staff turned to sophomore Brady Denaburg for the scrimmage and here’s how the Florida native performed:
- 4/9 on FGA
- 1/3 from 49-yards
- 1/3 from 46-yards
- 2/3 from 39-yards
Punting
The Orange snagged some much-needed reinforcements in the transfer portal after a disappointing season from their punters in 2022. Max Von Marburg, a sophomore from Australia, served as the team’s primary punter last season and finished dead last in the ACC in average yards per punt at 39.83. That’s where Missouri transfer Jack Stonehouse enters the bigger picture. Serving as the Tigers' starter in 2022, the redshirt sophomore averaged 42.41 yards per punt (46th nationally) and pinned 15 of his 46 kicks inside the 20-yard line. Had Stonehouse been with the Orange a season ago, his marks would have easily been the best on the team, so expect him to immediately take over starting punting duties in his first season in the 315. Von Marburg, along with the aforementioned James Williams are expected to battle for backup duties throughout the summer.
Kick Return
It is far more obvious who SU’s primary return man will be in the 2023 campaign than it is for other special teams' positions. Syracuse returns All-ACC contender Trebor Pena. The incoming junior received over 80% of the team’s opportunities and was the only player to take double-digit returns. His kickoff numbers are even more impressive, as the Ocean Township, New Jersey receiver led the ACC in average kickoff return yardage (27.2). Before departing Central New York via the transfer portal, the only other steady return man the Orange rostered in 2022 was Courtney Jackson. Now, Pena’s role with the team stands relatively unchallenged.
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The next Oronde Gadsden making his mark at Syracuse (hcugameday.com; Williams)
Everyone knew that Oronde Gadsden, at 6-2, 215 pounds, was a tall and talented wide receiver when he starred in the CIAA for Winston-Salem State from 1992 to 1994. His penchant for making clutch catches particularly in jump ball situations in the corner of end zones was legendary. He was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2006.
What most didn’t know was that after going undrafted in 1995, he would go on in 1998 to craft an outstanding six-year pro career catching passes from Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino and others with the Miami Dolphins.
The same profile is not projected for Gadsden’s son, Oronde Gadsden II, a hybrid tight end/wide receiver entering just his third season playing for Syracuse University in the ACC.
The younger Gadsden, one of the showcase players at Tuesday’s 2023 ACC Kickoff in Charlotte, is already projected as one of the nation’s best and a surefire NFL prospect.
ORONDE GADSDEN II IN 2022
As a 185-pound freshman wide receiver in 2021, injuries limited Gadsden II to just two receptions over eight games. As a redshirt freshman in 2022, he put on some pounds, was switched to tight end and exploded.He hauled in 61 catches for 969 yards and six touchdowns, shattering Syracuse’s single-season receptions and receiving yards records by a tight end. He posted four 100-yard games and led all tight ends nationally in receiving yardage. He was elected first-team all ACC, made the AP first team all-ACC and was on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List.
“I expected to have that kind of season,” the young Gadsden said of his 2022 campaign. “I think everyone should expect to a have good season, a better season than they’ve ever had before. And I expect to have a good season in this upcoming season too.”
Experts agree. Gadsden is projected as a third team preseason all-American in Phil Steele’s 2023 College Football Preview. He was a first team all-ACC selection in Athlon Sports’ preseason magazine. USA Today has him first in its ranking of tight ends in the ACC and second overall among tight ends in the nation.
ORONDE GADSDEN II AT THE 2023 ACC KICKOFF
The younger Gadsden was one of three players that accompanied eighth-year Syracuse head coach Dino Babers to Tuesday’s opening day of the ACC Kickoff in Charlotte. The Orange were the first team featured in interviews before the throngs of media present.“I’d imagine that I may not have ever brought a sophomore to this event,” Babers said of bringing the young Gadsden to the Kickoff. “Oronde’s different. He’s older than his years. He was well-tutored before he got to us. His dad played for the Dolphins. And, he’s very mature about his work.
“I think about young men that came in the program who were older than their years, extremely focused, locked-in academically and know exactly what they want.”
Babers said when thinks about Gadsden he thinks about other former Orange players like (second round NFL pick) tight end Matthew Bergeron of the Atlanta Falcons and Zaire Franklin, a linebacker and captain of the Indianpolis Colts for the past three years.
GADSDEN: A MATURE, HYBRID-TYPE PLAYER
“It gives me some boost of confidence,” Gadsden said of Babers’ comments. “I don’t think he means ‘older than his years’ just my age, but how I know how to play the game within the rules and knowing how try to be a leader. I’m usually a leader-by-example kind of guy.”As to his position going forward, he says he’s still a work in progress.
“I consider myself a hybrid type of player,” Gadsden said. “I don’t really have a position right now. The biggest thing that’s grown is probably my weight. Coming in at 185-190 (pounds), I’m now probably (6-5) 225, 230. I think I’ve just gotten better at running routes, catching the ball. I’m still working on blocking.”
ONE-ON-ONE WITH ORONDE II ABOUT THE ORIGINAL ORONDE
“I’d say probably ninety percent (of what I learned) came from him,” Gadsden said from the podium about how his father schooled him on playing the wide receiver position. “The other ten percent came from any other coaches – what I mean is any other coaches he’s played with or played against, or all NFL guys that were teaching me the game.”The young Gadsden could do a lot worse than emulating what his dad accomplished though he might not have to traverse the same circuitous route.
THE ORIGINAL ORONDE AT WSSU
Gadsden was an outstanding football and basketball player at Burke High School in his native Charleston, S. C. He accepted a scholarship and played his freshman year (1991) at WSSU on the basketball team. He switched to football as a sophomore and blossomed.In his first year on the gridiron he had 31 receptions for 810 yards, averaging a healthy 26.1 yards per reception and scored 13 touchdowns. In his junior season, he matched the 31 receptions but for 836 yards and 14 TDs.
In his final year with the Rams, he led the CIAA with 56 catches for 1,111 yards and 16 scores. His career stats were 118 receptions for 2,757 yards and 42 TDs.
“We don’t usually talk about it that much, because if I went a school like that we probably would talk about it more,” Gadsden said about his father’s HBCU experience at WSSU. “We talk about it some – how fun it is, how good it is, the culture, everything like that, but not as much as we could if I was at a school like that.”
ORONDE GASDEN AS A PRO
Despite those gaudy numbers he was bypassed by the NFL suits in the 1995 Draft. The small-school stigma and lack of blazing speed hurt him.He was signed as an undrafted free agent by Dallas, waived before the season started and signed to the team’s practice squad. He was promoted to the team’s active roster just in time for the Cowboys’ NFC Championship Game appearance but suffered a severe ankle sprain that landed him on injured reserve.
The Cowboys ultimately won Super Bowl XXX earning Gadsden a Super Bowl ring. He fractured an orbital bone below his right eye and was waived before the start of the 1996 regular season. Gadsen credits Cowboys’ legend Michael Irvin with teaching how to play the position.
He was signed and cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1997 and then signed to the Frankfurt Galaxy of the World League of American Football. An injury to his shoulder ended that season. Perhaps it was his stint in the Arena Football League in 1998 with the Portland Forest Dragons that opened the eyes of NFL brass.
He hauled in 93 passes for 1,335 yards and 37 touchdowns in 14 AFL games.
GADSDEN IN MIAMI
The Dolphins signed Gadsden as a 27-year old rookie looking to find a complement to star wideout O. J. McDuffie. His first NFL reception was a 44-yard touchdown reception on opening day vs. the Colts. He ended up starting 12 games in 1998 and finished with 48 receptions for 713 yards and seven receiving touchdowns.In 1999, he had 48 receptions for a career-high 803 yards and six TDs. The 2000 season saw Gadsden post a career-high 56 receptions for 786 yards and a team-leading six TD receptions. He had another 51 receptions in 2001 for 674 yards and three scores.
In 2002, injuries limited him to just 20 receptions and no TDs. He was waived injured in 2003. He started all but six of the 74 games he played in a Dolphins’ uniform. He finished his career ranking in the top five in the franchise’s history for total receptions, yards and touchdowns in his first three seasons. He had the distinction of catching Marino’s last touchdown pass.
Oronde II was born in his father’s last year with the Dolphins.
THE FUTURE FOR ORONDE II
The younger Gadsden switched his major at Syracuse from Economics with a minor in Finance to Broadcasting, Digital Journalism, Information Management and Technologies. He has been interning with the Pinnacle Investment firm for the past three summers from 11 (a.m.) to 5 (p.m) on weekdays.As for his future plans, he’s got options. “I can get into that field when I’m through with football,” Gadsden said.
That may take a while.
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Gadsden says he turned down huge money to transfer: ‘I wanna make a name for myself at Syracuse’ (PS; $; Leiker)
One of Syracuse football’s biggest stars said he turned down huge sums of money to transfer out of the program this offseason.
Oronde Gadsden II, a 2023 preseason All-American, told syracuse.com at ACC Kickoff on Tuesday that other programs were “promising six figures and up” in payments if he transferred.
He declined to say which programs attempted to strike a deal with him, though the inducements show what SU is up against as it tries to retain its best players year to year.
Gadsden said it was the “love” he’s received at the school, both from fans and his coaches, that made him want to stick around.
“I wanna make a name for myself at Syracuse,” Gadsden said.
Gadsden also said transferring would introduce risk at a time his career is on stable ground.
He’s Orange quarterback Garrett Shrader’s favorite target. He’s one of the top returning receivers in the conference. And, with potentially one season left playing college ball, Gadsden is an NFL-bound receiver whenever he decides to declare for the draft.
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Babers talks NIL, transfer portal losses in exclusive interview (PS; $; Leiker)
Dino Babers knows better than anyone that Syracuse football lost high-caliber players in the 2022-23 transfer portal cycle.
First it was defensive lineman Steve Linton, safety Ja’Had Carter and cornerback Duce Chestnut in early December. All three were four-star transfers and key contributors to SU’s defense.
Then at the end of spring camp, in the second transfer portal window, there were two more blows: defensive lineman Jatius Geer and quarterback Justin Lamson.
“JT I think is an NFL player,” Babers said Tuesday. “We lost an NFL player. And Lamson, I thought Lamson was good. And he’s gone.”
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https://www.si.com/college/syracuse...tin-rowe-gets-feel-for-role-on-syracuse-visit (SI; McAllister)
Originally from Ottawa...
Class of 2025 Ashville (NC) School defensive back Justin Rowe recently took an unofficial visit to Syracuse. In addition to the Orange, the Canadian native holds offers from Boston College, Duke, Michigan, Missouri, NC State, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and others. His recent trip to Central New York was a positive one.
“It was great,” Rowe said. “Spent most of the day there with my family. We got a tour, photoshoot and had an in depth meeting with coach Perkins the safeties coach.”
That meeting was one of the most impactful aspects of the visit.
“We talked about my experience at school in NC while living in Canada,” Rowe said. “He also introduced me to their style of defense running a 3-3-5. He told me what qualities are vital to being a good safety. He then showed some practice clips from camp of what the defense looks like live.
“I liked the look. The safeties have lots of responsibilities. We’re expected to be leaders through our actions and also verbally. We work a lot of different techniques. I can definitely see myself playing the role.”
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Syracuse Football: 44 reasons why I’m excited for the 2023 Orange season (itlh; Fiello)
When it comes to Syracuse football and other Orange sports, I like lists sometimes. I especially like lists that aren’t in any kind of order. Sometimes there isn’t an order so much as just a “shopping list” that’s fun to talk about.
And as my Twitter feed seems excited as we grow closer to the season starting, I wanted to share some things I’m excited about this season.
And along the way, I’ll share a few tweets as well about what others are excited about themselves. I actually like sharing the input of others so as to share various viewpoints and ideas.
So here are 44 (of course it’s 44 since it’s Syracuse football related and 100 seemed like too much) reasons we’re excited for the start of the season. Reminder, this is not in order of importance but numbered only so I can keep track of how many things I’ve listed. Go Orange!
Here are 44 reasons why I am pumped for the Syracuse football 2023 season.
44: Matt Park and Adam Terry because I like the home team calls so I listen to the radio more than watch it on TV43: The Dome exterior light colors
42: Having a head coach like Dino Babers who doesn’t appear to be insulting and degrading players on the field but actually coaches them up
41: Speaking of coaches, how will the new coaches do especially with new offensive and defensive coordinators
40: The general excitement of fans especially when they win because the community is happier and less “Syracuse sucks” interactions
39: Seeing who will take over for Sean Tucker with the best post-game tweets
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"Keeping Up With The 315" 7-26-23 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Brian leads the show highlighting the NIL bill currently being reviewed and a Syracuse men’s player that turned down other deals for Syracuse. He then pivots to the Bills and Stefon Digg’s thoughts on the team. Finally Brian forecasts tonight’s TBT match up which has Boeheim’s Army taking on the Nerd Team in a rematch from last years tournament.
Amanda Christovich "The 315" 7-26-23 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Amanda Christovich of Front Office Sports comes on to chat about the latest NIL bills proposed and what they could mean for how college athletes get paid in the future.
Syracuse football: ACC Media Day Notes (TNIAAM; Wall)
The Syracuse Orange were part of the opening day of the ACC Media Days in Charlotte. Head Coach Dino Babers brought Garrett Shrader, Oronde Gadsden and Marlowe Wax with him to make the media rounds.
Here a couple of comments which stood out from the day.
The Orange offense lost Matthew Bergeron and Sean Tucker to the NFL, but the skill positions feature a lot of players looking to make a name for themselves. Syracuse might not see as big of a drop off from the starters through the 3rd unit when it comes to backs and receivers, but we all know that won’t matter if the offensive line isn’t sturdy, and Dino Babers agrees.
We’ll be keeping Steve busy next month with offensive line evaluations because it’s the one spot on the offense that has the most questions. If that group can hold up, we could see the depth on display, but it also gives Shrader the best shot of finding the man without a position.
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The late Joseph O. Lampe, a distinguished alum and ardent supporter of the University, left a remarkable legacy with this significant contribution from his trust.
Fueling Success: Lampe Culinary Hub Nourishes Orange Student-Athletes - Syracuse.edu (syracuse.edu)
As the John A. Lally Athletics Complex takes shape at Syracuse University, Orange student-athletes will benefit from a $1 million gift that will enhance the valuable role of nutrition in their regimen to achieve success. The gift—provided by the trust of the late Joseph O. Lampe ’53, L’55, H’04—will establish the Lampe Culinary Hub, a new kitchen in the Lally Athletics Complex that will serve as the prime source of nourishment for student-athletes in the Olympic sports and football dining halls.
Lampe, a former chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees who passed away in 2018, was a Syracuse native and lifelong Orange sports fan. A successful real estate executive who passionately supported the University and was dedicated to creating opportunities for students, he always fondly recalled the opportunities and life lessons he experienced as a student, including those he gained working in a campus cafeteria when he was a freshman. “I knew what Joe was passionate about,” says his widow, Shawn Lampe. “He had so much energy. Now, his name will live on in a place filled with positive energy.”
ACC News
ACC Kickoff Day 2 Takeaways (orangefizz.net; Griffin)
Hearing opposing ACC coaches speak after Syracuse’s conference yesterday is certainly interesting. Regardless of whether they’re on the Orange’s schedule, one way or another they’re going to impact Dino Babers’ bunch. Five more schools addressed the media on Wednesday, each with a unique perspective on the season.
PITTSBURGH
Start spreadin’ the news about the Panthers, because they are excited to play the Orange at Yankee Stadium this November. The game will mark the 100th anniversary of the first-ever college football game played at the House That Ruth Built, which also featured SU and Pitt. All four members of the Panthers’ traveling party raved about the opportunity playing in such a game provides. This won’t be the last time the two schools meet- Pitt is one of Syracuse’s three permanent rivals they’ll see every year under the new ACC scheduling format. As long as the Panthers don’t abandon their blue-collar mentality Pat Narduzzi talked about a lot, it’ll be a tough test.DUKE
The Orange haven’t seen a ton of the Blue Devils in the past, and that will remain the case this season barring a matchup in the ACC Championship. However, it’s not entirely out of the question that Duke finds itself in that game. The Blue Devils experienced somewhat of a renaissance in Mike Elko’s first year at the helm- they won nine games after combining to win 10 over the previous three seasons combined. Syracuse and Duke are scheduled to meet in 2024- if the continued growth Elko preached on Wednesday becomes a reality, the Blue Devils could be a force to be reckoned with in the ACC for years to come.VIRGINIA TECH
After beating the Hokies with Old Dominion in 2022, wide receiver Ali Jennings changed course to Blacksburg this offseason, citing the raucous Lane Stadium environment as part of the reason why. SU will experience that fully come late October, on a Thursday night nonetheless. Syracuse’s traveling party expressed particular excitement for that game Tuesday, and Virginia Tech followed suit. 2022 was an unsettling season for the Hokies- they went 3-8, including four losses to Old Dominion, Miami, NC State, and Georgia Tech by a combined 11 points. If the ball bounces a different way, it could have been a completely different season. Expectations won’t be sky-high for Virginia Tech, but Lane Stadium will always be loud. Especially when the Orange roll in on that Thursday night....
How ACC football’s need for speed could pay off with shorter games, more engagement (aol; Decock)
The ACC may never be the greatest conference in college football the way it is in basketball, and that’s fine, but maybe it can be the fastest?
Not only is a tweak to the game clock expected to shorten games by as many as eight or nine plays — it’ll only stop after first downs in the final two minutes of each half, bringing college football closer to the NFL — but the ACC’s new supervisor of officiating has another idea to speed things up, and it’s what almost every fan wants to hear.
Faster replay reviews.
It feels good just to read that.
“Replay,” Alberto Rivaron said, “should not be a deterrent to the flow of the game.”
Hallelujah.
Rivaron, a former college and NFL referee who spent four years as the NFL’s head of officiating, is bringing that league’s approach to replay to the ACC. Take a look, check for egregious errors … and move on.
It’s a fresh take on one of the biggest reasons college football games stretch out over an unacceptable 3½ hours and beyond, dangerous for players and disrespectful of fans’ time. Streamlining the replay process is low-hanging fruit, and the NFL has historically done a much better job of that than any college conference. The ACC has a chance to be a trend-setter here.
“We’ve discussed how we’re officiating the game, how we’re running replay, trying to expedite that and get it right,” ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said. “But also understanding there should be some time constraints in the length of time we’re taking to figure out whether a call was accurate or not.”
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Friedlander: What I learned from Day 2 of the ACC Football Kickoff - Saturday Road (saturdayroad.com; Friedlander)
Day 2 of the ACC’s Football Kickoff event is in the books, with league co-favorite Florida State sharing the stage with several remnants of the former Coastal Division on Wednesday.
As was the case on Day 1, everyone involved is excited, improved and ready to get the season started.
But not everything was on script.
In the midst of a long day of interviews, here is something beyond the obvious and cliché that I learned about each of the 5 of the teams represented – Pittsburgh, Duke, Virginia Tech, Virginia and Florida State:
MJ Devonshire brings the bling
The ACC Kickoff is a time for players and coaches to discuss the upcoming season with members of the media from around the conference.It’s also an opportunity for some of those young athletes to show off their sartorial splendor.
Among the most memorable fashion statements were the capri pants and pink tie worn by Clemson’s Ben Boulware in 2019, Jaylen Samuels’ NC State red shoes in 2017 and the medallion in the shape of Jesus’ head worn around the neck of Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei last year.
This year’s best conversation starter, at least so far, belongs to Pittsburgh cornerback MJ Devonshire. It’s the enormous diamond-crusted ACC championship ring he was wearing on the pinkie finger of his right hand.
“My mom was like, ‘Wear your ring. It will go nice with the gold (sports jacket),” said Devonshire, who is best known for his game-winning pick-6 in last year’s win against rival West Virginia. “It looks good. I love wearing this ring.”
Devonshire was surprised that he was the only member of Pittsburgh’s traveling party in Charlotte to do so.
“I asked Matt when we came down, ‘What, no ring?’ ” he said, referring to offensive lineman Matt Gonclaves. “He was like, ‘I didn’t even think about that.’ ”
As much as the ring means to him, this is the 1st time he’s worn the prize he and his Panthers teammates earned by winning the ACC title in 2021. He usually keeps it in a glass case next to his bed at home.
“I see it when I wake up in the morning,” he said. “I put it in that case, and I’ve been waiting for somewhere to wear it. Today is the day I got to wear it.”
Duke’s Mr. 3,000
The Blue Devils bring back one of the most experienced teams in the ACC, with 9 starters returning on offense and 8 back on defense from a team that won 9 games in coach Mike Elko’s rookie season.Of all those proven performers, offensive lineman Jacob Monk is unquestionably the most experienced.
“He’s played more snaps than maybe anybody in this program’s history,” quarterback Riley Leonard said of his center.
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Pat Narduzzi fires jab at talent level in Big Ten (PS; Morrison)
Pitt Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi knows plenty about both the Big Ten and the ACC. Prior to taking over at Pitt in 2015, Narduzzi was the defensive coordinator at Michigan State from 2007 to 2014. Now, he’s made it clear that he thinks the ACC has more talent than the Big Ten overall.
During the 2023 ACC Football Kickoff, Narduzzi explained that he doesn’t want to take a shot at the Big Ten but he feels like the ACC has better players throughout the conference and they don’t get the respect that they’re owed.
“It’s interesting,” Pat Narduzzi said. “I spent eight years in the Big Ten before coming here. Obviously as a defensive coordinator, not a head coach. Now eight years in the ACC. I personally — again, it’s no slam to the Big Ten at all because it’s a heck of a conference as well, but I look at the quality of players in the ACC. Maybe it’s because it stretches down the Atlantic coast from Miami up to Boston, but just the quality of athletes, it’s different.”
Having been a defensive coordinator during his time in the Big Ten, Pat Narduzzi still approaches this question of talent from that perspective. For him, there are more talented players to prepare for in the ACC on the offensive side of the ball than the Big Ten.
“I look at it in the defensive perspective, some of the receivers that we got to defend, I felt like we didn’t have to defend that back in the day in the Big Ten. Then I think when you look at the quarterbacks, I think we had 12 different quarterbacks start in the NFL from the ACC last year. That’s impressive. We have one right next door in Kenny Pickett,” Narduzzi said.
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ACC media days 2023: Pitt's Pat Narduzzi calls for 'lid' on NIL deals amid mounting complaints from coaches (cbssports.com; Straka)
It's been two years since the NCAA lifted its ban on name, image, and likeness [NIL] compensation for student-athletes, but concerns regarding that sector of college sports are still widespread. Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi took aim at that issue Wednesday at ACC Football Kickoff, pitching that schools should have a "lid" on NIL deals -- similar to a salary cap in professional sports -- to curb competitive advantages for schools with larger alumni bases.
Narduzzi made it clear where Pitt stands on size concerns for alumni groups and how that can affect NIL collectives. He also emphasized the impacts of the transfer portal, which undergraduates can use to change institutions once without penalty.
"We're going to have smallclass sizes and we're going to small alumni groups as they matriculate through the University of Pittsburgh," Narduzzi said. "So I think there's got to be a lid on the [NIL deals]. If you're going to leave the transfer portal open, there's got to be a salary cap so people can't go overspend."
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ACC divisional play is gone. That means a different challenge for Pittsburgh (stltoday.com; Beard)
Pittsburgh defensive back M.J. Devonshire made sure Wednesday to wear his 2021 Atlantic Coast Conference championship ring — bulky and hard to miss as it enveloped much of his right pinky finger.
Same goes for Pat Narduzzi.
“Nobody reminded me to bring my ring today,” the Panthers' coach said during the league's “ACC Kickoff” preseason media days.
The Panthers' title run two years ago marked a rare bit of success for the old Coastal Division. Pitt was the only team from that topsy-turvy division to win the ACC title game against the Atlantic Division winner since 2010.
But with the league having eliminated divisions this fall, the path to contention figures to be much different.
“I think it will be because if it's the Coastal compared to (the Atlantic), they had to beat Clemson,” Pitt offensive lineman Matt Goncalves said. “But our (division), it was up for grabs every time. So now I feel like it definitely could be more of a competition getting into that championship game for sure.”
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At ACC Kickoff, Duke football looks to cement its place among the conference elite after successful 2022 season (dukechronicle.com; Jindal & Dudley)
Finally, football season is once again upon us.
The annual ACC Football Kickoff was held this week in Charlotte, where players and coaches from around the conference gathered to hold court about the upcoming season. For the Blue Devils, Head coach Mike Elko was joined at the event by junior quarterback Riley Leonard, graduate offensive lineman Jacob Monk and redshirt senior defensive tackle DeWayne Carter.
Coming off a remarkable turnaround in Elko’s first season, the excitement was palpable to hear about the new era of Duke football heading into year two.
No room for complacency
After a 9-4 finish — the seventh nine-win season in Duke football history — the team emphasized the importance of focusing on the season ahead and not looking back.“We didn't come in to have one positive moment and then kind of let it all go away. We wanted to build a program,” Elko said. “We know for us to be the program we want and to get the respect that we really want … we’ve got to be successful year in and year out. I don't think we're there yet.”
Satisfaction is dangerous for teams, especially with the parity of the current college football landscape. The Blue Devils are using the previous season as a stepping stone, without reminiscing too much on the past achievements.
“We have to build that same foundation that we built last year, and obviously an even better one to take that next step,” Carter said. “The coolest part about it is our coaches do not let us get complacent. We don't really reference last year.”
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Takeaways from Duke football coach Mike Elko at ACC football media days (fayobserver.com; Baxley)
Duke football coach Mike Elko wants the Blue Devils to “elevate” in 2023.
After leading Duke to nine victories — the program’s most since 2014 — and being named ACC Coach of the Year in his debut season, Elko received a contract extension through 2029.
The Blue Devils are set to return 17 players from a squad that finished a 9-4 season with a bowl win against Central Florida, putting memories of a 3-9 record in the rearview mirror.
Here are some takeaways from what Elko had to say at ACC Kickoff on Wednesday during the league’s football media days.
Duke football focused on building momentum
Duke won 10 games in the three seasons combined before Elko arrived in Durham. Following its seventh nine-win season since 1922, Elko aims to continue “elevating our product.”
“Everything this offseason has just been about elevation, and we didn't come in to have one good season. We didn't come in to have one positive moment and then kind of let it all go away,” Elko said.
“We wanted to build a program. That goes over time. We know for us to be the program we want and to get the respect that we really want, this is something that has to happen year in and year out. ... I don't think we're there yet.
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Brent Key relishes first ACC Football Kickoff appearance (AJC; Bishop)
Brent Key checked another first off his list Tuesday.
He attended the ACC’s Football Kickoff as a head coach, his debut in that role.
“This has been cool. I like it a lot,” he said toward the end of his day in Charlotte, North Carolina. “I love talking ball. I love talking about Georgia Tech. I love talking about our kids.”
While Key has been the focal point of plenty of media events both as a career assistant and as Tech’s interim coach during the final two-thirds of the 2022 season, and while he said he attended an American Athletic Conference media day toward the end of George O’Leary’s tenure at Central Florida, never before had he been the face of a program like he was Tuesday at the Westin Charlotte. And for roughly seven hours the former Tech lineman went from station to station answering questions about the current, and future, state of his program.
A recurring theme throughout the day was how Brent Key the head coach is different than Brent Key the offensive line coach. He said he hopes that difference is nonexistent.
“I don’t change the way I go about my day-to-day business. I don’t change the way try to inspire others around me to work. Those are things you learn when you’re little,” he said. “Those are things I learned from my mom. I learned those from my high school coach. I learned those many, many years ago. Those are the types of values that you carry with you.”
Key brought a trio of Yellow Jackets along with him to represent the program, defensive back LaMiles Brooks, offensive lineman Jordan Williams and defensive lineman Sylvain Yondjouen. That trio also was peppered with questions about Key: How is he different than Tech’s former coach Geoff Collins? What makes Key a good coach? Why do you believe in Key? Why is Key the right coach for the job?
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How Jeff Brohm plans to give Louisville immediate return on investment in first season back at alma mater (cbssports.com; Patterson)
On some level, Louisville football has always been lying in wait for the return of Jeff Brohm. The hometown native who played quarterback for the Cardinals and even returned for a stint as an assistant coach has remained close with the community throughout his coaching journey. Head coaching stops at Western Kentucky and Purdue meant he was never too far, and the ground swell of local support always seemed to make a return to lead the Cardinals seem like a matter of time.
As Scott Satterfield's relationship with the program and community eroded following a strong start, it was worth considering whether Louisville might make a move to try and bring Brohm home. But Satterfield made it easy on the Cardinals, choosing to leave his post for the vacancy at Cincinnati. With no buyouts or hard feelings to hinder the move, Louisville delivered what so many fans had been pining for in recent years. Jeff Brohm is home, and now he's got the full support of a school and community hungry to see Louisville compete with the best in the ACC.
The desire for excellence at a place like Louisville can translate to more investment and increased resources, and Brohm has recognized the opportunities to build out a roster for immediate success. Combine the infusion of new talent with a favorable roster, and there's a lot of positivity around Louisville being one of the great success stories in the ACC in 2023.
That's real pressure that Brohm can feel on a deep level, because he feels those people who are investing financially and emotionally deserve a return. Simply put, he doesn't want to disappoint everyone who believes in him.
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ACC football recruiting rankings: Clemson, FSU, Miami headline best 2024 classes entering August (247sports.com; Linton)
The 2024 recruiting cycle has been heating up in recent weeks as many of the top players around the country have announced their respective commitments. With that in mind, we have decided to check in on the Atlantic Coast Conference recruiting classes and how they stack up heading into August.
According to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite Team Rankings, the ACC currently boasts 11 of the top 50 recruiting classes in the country. That includes five teams ranked among the top 25 nationally, headlined by the nation’s No. 8 class.
It should be noted that verbal commitments are non-binding and prospects in the 2024 class will not be able to make it official until the Division I Early Signing Period in December. Those who elect not to sign during the early period will be able to do so on National Signing Day Feb. 7, 2024.
With that in mind, scroll down to take a look at the ACC recruiting classes for the 2024 cycle, as of July 26, according to the 247Sports Composite.
14. BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES
National rank: No. 66Total commits: 13
Headliners: CB Desman Stephens (No. 102 ATH); WR Josiah Martin (No. 110 WR)
Jeff Hafley’s program has the second-fewest commits for the 2024 cycle with 13, and all but one of those players have joined the class since June 8. But the Eagles’ class took a major hit in June when it lost four-star wide receiver Keonde Henry, who opted to reopen his recruitment and later flipped to Purdue.
13. VIRGINIA CAVALIERS
National rank: No. 57Total commits: 12
Headliners: WR Christian Zachary (No. 102 WR); TE John Rogers (No. 39 TE); CB Jaylin Lackey (No. 62 CB)
After signing back-to-back classes that ranked outside the top 60 nationally coupled with a tough 2023 season, Tony Elliott and company are off to a slow start to the 2024 cycle. The Cavaliers are tied for an ACC-low with just 12 commits, and they are one of just four teams in the conference without a four-star prospect in their class.
12. NC STATE WOLFPACK
National rank: No. 52Total commits: 12
Headliners: 4-star ATH Ronnie Royal III (No. 26 ATH)
NC State is tied for the fewest commits in the ACC with 12, but the Wolfpack’s class does feature a four-star athlete in Royal, a two-way standout who was recruited by Dave Doeren and his staff to play safety in Raleigh. The Gulf Shores (Ala.) product amassed over 2,000 yards from scrimmage with 32 touchdowns on offense and recorded 39 tackles with one sack and two interceptions on defense last season.
11. LOUISVILLE CARDINALS
National rank: No. 48Total commits: 14
Headliners: 4-star RB Isaac Brown (No. 18 RB); TE Dylan Mesman (No. 21 TE); RB Duke Watson (No. 31 RB); WR Shaun Boykins Jr. (No. 86 WR)
Louisville has one of the smaller classes in the ACC with 14 commits, but the average rating of those players ranks seventh in the conference. That number would be even higher if not for the fact that the crown jewel of the Cardinals’ class — Top247 edge rusher TJ Capers — recently reclassified from the 2024 class to 2023, joining Jeff Brohm’s program a year earlier than expected. That leaves Brown as the lone four-star in the Cardinals’ 2024 class, and the Sunshine State running back was also the first player to join the class in August 2022.
10. SYRACUSE ORANGE
National rank: No. 47Total commits: 16
Headliners: 4-star TE Jamie Tremble (No. 236 overall, No. 15 TE)
Syracuse is another program that has had a massive summer in terms of building out their 2024 class as Dino Babers and company landed 13 pledges from June 4 through July 1. The class is headlined by a Top247 tight end prospect in Tremble, who is the younger brother of former Notre Dame standout and current Carolina Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble. The Norcross (Ga.) Wesleyan School product caught 55 passes for 890 yards and 11 touchdowns over 11 games in his junior season.
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Elliott talks things more important than football at the ACC Kickoff (theclemsoninsider.com; video; Staff)
Virginia head coach Tony Elliott hit the stage Wednesday at the ACC Football Kickoff. Coach Elliott talked football, but spoke about more important things like how he and his team have handled the tragedy that occurred last season.
Watch Coach Elliott’s press conference on TCITV:
ACC Kickoff: Tony Elliott: AIR.TV
Virginia head coach Tony Elliott's press conference from ACC Football Kickoff. #clemson #clemsonfootball #virginiafootball
https://www.si.com/college/virginia...views-the-2023-season-at-acc-football-kickoff (SI; Newton)
Virginia football head coach Tony Elliott made his annual appearance at the 2023 ACC Football Kickoff event in Charlotte, North Carolina on Wednesday. Elliott previewed the upcoming UVA football season and discussed transfer quarterback Tony Muskett, the support from the UVA and Charlottesville communities following the tragic shooting last November, the depth and experience on the Virginia defensive line, in-state recruiting, the progress he expects the UVA offense to make this season, and what success looks like for Virginia football in 2023.
See a full transcript of everything Tony Elliott said at the ACC Football Kickoff below:
Q. Coach, you brought in transfer quarterback Tony Muskett this offseason. Can you speak on his game and what stands out about him?
TONY ELLIOTT: Great question. Really excited, and you'll have a chance to hear from him in a minute, and he'll be able to probably express better what I'm about to express. But the thing about Tony Muskett is from day one you saw his confidence. It's not a cockiness. It's not an arrogance, but it's a confidence. From day one he wasn't afraid to go into the locker room and say, you know what, fellas, I'm here to compete. I'm going to do it the right way. I have tremendous amount of respect for everybody in here, but this is the way that I lead.
It quickly galvanized the guys. When you go back and you watch him on film, one, he was very, very productive at Monmouth. He led his team the way that he needed to lead to be successful. You watch him throw the ball in adverse conditions, and you see that the accuracy is there. That's always a challenge when you are evaluating because you do a lot of evaluation on tape, especially when you are dealing with the transfer portal. When you got to see him in spring practice, like, okay, now he does throw an accurate ball. You know what, it's a very catchable ball.
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FSU football: Transfer class blows other ACC teams away (chopchat.com; Hunt)
FSU football coaches have done a masterful job recruiting a blend of high-quality transfer players and quality high school players over the past three years.
It’s a prime reason why FSU has closed the gap with Clemson and been competitive on the field the last two years, with an excellent shot to dethrone the Tigers from atop the ACC in 2023.
Not only that, but the transfer players have allowed the prep players they’ve signed time to acclimate to college and develop enough to where they will look upon as contributors sooner than later.
I know outsiders and rivals hate to recognize or likely don’t keep track of what FSU does on a daily basis, and to hear FSU could dethrone Clemson this year may surprise some folks.
However, there’s a reason why that’s the case. Check it out below:
247Sports lists FSU football with six of the top 10 transfers in the ACC. Fentrell Cypress was an All-ACC player and starter for Virginia last season. Jaheim Bell was a starter for South Carolina last year. Keon Coleman was Michigan State’s best receiver last year.
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Jared Verse's Motivation For Returning To College Football | 2023 ACC Kickoff (youtube.com; video; ACC DN)
At the 2023 ACC Kickoff, Florida State star defensive lineman Jared Verse talks about why he decided against submitting his name for the NFL draft and returned to FSU for another season. Check our Verse's unselfish reasoning brought to you by the ACC Digital Network.
Live from ACC Football Kickoff - Recap First Two Days (youtube; video; The Clemson Insider)
TCI's Cameron Burnett and Ashby Mixon bring you the latest from Charlotte and the first two days of the ACC Football Kickoff.
https://www.si.com/college/virginia...nd-perris-jones-speak-at-acc-football-kickoff (SI; Newton)
Virginia football's delegation of senior quarterback Tony Muskett, graduate defensive end Chico Bennett, and fifth year running back Perris Jones answered questions from the media at the 2023 ACC Football Kickoff event in Charlotte on Thursday. Muskett, Bennett, and Jones spoke on a variety of topics related to the upcoming UVA football season.
Read a full transcript of everything Tony Muskett, Chico Bennett, and Perris Jones said at the ACC Football Kickoff below:
Q. Is there any pressure coming into Virginia from Monmouth to perform at the pace that Virginia needs you to perform at since they're expecting so much from you from an offensive standpoint?
TONY MUSKETT: To be honest with you, I think there's pressure any time you play. I went to Monmouth. I was fortunate to start there for tree three straight years as a true freshman and then sophomore and junior year. Any time you are playing college football, you go out and try to win.
I don't let external factors dictate how I handle my business. Every time I approach a game, I approach it the same way, whether it's a championship game or you are playing the worst team in the division.
Every game is as important as the next. When you have that mentality, it doesn't matter if you are playing in front of 3,000 people or 75,000 people. I go out there. I put internal pressure on myself, and I try to perform my best every single time I take the field.
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Other
Clear Investment Group, of Chicago, bought the Skyline Apartments on James Street in Syracuse. The company is rebranding the property as Lifestyle Apartments at Syracuse.
Records show what new owner paid for Syracuse’s notorious Skyline Apartments (PS; Knauss)
A Chicago company spent $13 million to buy the troubled Skyline Apartments from notorious landlords Tim and Troy Green, and $5.5 million more to acquire the Greens’ equally neglected Vincent Apartments, according to real estate filings.
The buyer, Clear Investment Group, assumed roughly $15.5 million in mortgages on the two properties. That suggests the Greens may have walked away from the transactions with as much as $3 million in cash.
But that doesn’t guarantee they made a profit from the sales.
For one thing, the Greens sold Vincent Apartments for about $800,000 less than they paid for it seven years ago, deeds show. Public records do not show how much the Greens paid for Skyline Apartments when they acquired it in 2016.
For another thing, Clear Investment Group spent an undisclosed sum on the buildings before the sales closed, an amount that was likely deducted from the Greens’ proceeds.
Troy Green did not respond to a request for comment. Amy Rubenstein, the CEO of Clear Investment Group, said she was prevented by a nondisclosure agreement from discussing terms of the sale.
The transactions valued the Skyline, 753 James St., at nearly $37,000 per apartment. The Vincent, located off Jamesville Avenue, brought in less than $21,000 per unit.
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Claire Rosinkranz performs at August Hall on July 14, 2023 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Steve Jennings/Getty Images)
NY State Fair adds TikTok star to free concert lineup (PS; Herbert)
The New York State Fair is adding a breakout singer who first rose to fame on TikTok to its 2023 concert lineup.
Claire Rosinkranz will perform at the NYS Fair’s Suburban Park stage on Saturday, Sept. 2, at 2 p.m. The concert is free with admission to the Fair.
Rosinkranz, who has 1.2 million followers on TikTok, is best known for her 2020 single “Backyard Boy,” which went viral on social media and won the 2021 MTV Video Music Award for “Best Breakthrough Song.” The 19-year-old alternative pop singer has accumulated more than 1 billion streams to date with additional songs like “don’t miss me,” “I h8 that I still feel bad for you” and “Bye, Bye, Bye” (featured in the film “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile”).
The 2023 New York State Fair will run from Aug. 23 through Sept. 4. All concerts are free with admission, which is $6 for adults and free for seniors 65 and older and kids 12 and under.
National acts are expected to perform daily on the fair’s main stages, with 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. shows at Chevy Court and 8 p.m. shows at Suburban Park; on select days, there will also be 2 p.m. concerts at Suburban Park.
Suburban Park, previously known as Chevy Park, is located in the New York Experience area on the west end near Gate 10, in the back of the Midway and past the Expo Center. Chevy Court is located near Gate 1 at the fairgrounds, next to the Center of Progress Building.
New York State Fair 2023 Concert Schedule
Aug. 23 at 1 p.m. - Chubby Checker at Chevy Court
Aug. 23 at 2 p.m. - Steven Page at Suburban Park
Aug. 23 at 6 p.m. - Salt-N-Pepa at Chevy Court
Aug. 23 at 8 p.m. - Lainey Wilson at Suburban Park
Aug. 24 at 1 p.m. - Alex Miller at Chevy Court
Aug. 24 at 2 p.m. - Tonic at Suburban Park
Aug. 24 at 6 p.m. - Quiet Riot at Chevy Court
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