sutomcat
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Welcome to Holly Day!
Today celebrates holly, the evergreen plant long associated with Christmas, and used in wreaths, boughs, and other trimmings. Before being connected to Christmas, it had many other associations, and has been used as a winter decoration since ancient times. Holly was identified with winter solstice festivals, which celebrated the lengthening of days. In Norse mythology it was associated with Thor, and was grown around the home as a way to prevent lightning strikes. It was used in the Roman festival of Saturnalia, dedicated to the planet Saturn, and the god of agriculture, creation, and time. The festival celebrated the darkest time of the year, but also the movement towards a time of sunshine and Spring. In ancient Gaul, Celtic people wore holly sprigs and wreaths as a way to ward off evil spirits. Holly historically represented new growth and eternal life, freshened the air, reminded people of the coming of Spring, and was believed to have magical properties.
SU News
Six weekend winners in college football's transfer portal (theathletic.com; $; Olson)
Two weeks into college football’s winter transfer window, this portal cycle seems wilder than ever.
More than 1,300 FBS scholarship players are looking for new homes at the same time, and the sheer number of big-name quarterbacks on the move has been dizzying to try to follow. After packing as many official visits as possible into the past few days, teams are rapidly scooping up commitments. In fact, 20 percent of the scholarship players who have entered the portal for this window are already taken.
Here’s a closer look at six programs that won the weekend in transfer portal recruiting, starting with the incredible class that’s in the works in Oxford, Miss.
Ole Miss
Transfer commits (9): WR Antwane Wells Jr. (South Carolina), OL Gerquan Scott (Southern Miss), DL Tyler Baron (Tennessee), DL Princely Umanmielen (Florida), LB Chris Paul Jr. (Arkansas), DB Key Lawrence (Oklahoma), DB Tamarion McDonald (Tennessee), DB Louis Moore (Indiana), DB Tahveon Nicholson (Illinois)Ole Miss is going for it in 2024. The hype train has officially left the station.
Lane Kiffin, an annual contender for “Portal King” status, and his staff are hard at work assembling their best transfer portal class yet. The Rebels have the top class in the 247Sports transfer class rankings. If they reel in some of the big-time players still on their board, it’s hard to envision anybody knocking them out of the No. 1 spot.
A commitment on Sunday from Juice Wells, the No. 1 wide receiver in the transfer portal, was just the latest massive win. The 6-foot-1, 208-pound grad transfer was a first-team All-SEC performer in 2022 who caught 68 passes for 928 yards and six touchdowns in his debut season with the Gamecocks. A foot injury limited Wells to just three games this fall, but he’s a legitimate difference-maker when he’s 100 percent.
Ole Miss doesn’t need much on offense; the Rebels expect quarterback Jaxson Dart, running back Quinshon Judkins, leading receiver Tre Harris and nearly everyone else back next year. This year’s portal haul is primarily about shoring up a defense that made good progress in defensive coordinator Pete Golding’s first year — rising from No. 11 to No. 6 in the SEC in scoring defense during conference play — but needs to take the next step. It’s off to one heck of a start.
Umanmielen and Baron, two of the top edge defenders in the portal, are heading to Ole Miss. Mississippi State transfer Decamerion Richardson, the No. 1 cornerback in The Athletic’s best available rankings, could be next. He’d be joining a group that over the weekend secured two more multi-year starters in the secondary in Lawrence and McDonald.
“This might be the best recruiting month in Ole Miss history,” one team source said, “and it’s not done.”
The huge question now: Can Ole Miss land Walter Nolen? The Texas A&M transfer defensive lineman is the consensus No. 1 player in the portal and just visited campus. His father effectively summed up the big impression Ole Miss made in an interview with 247Sports: “They got something cooking over there.” Nolen to Ole Miss is not a done deal at this point, but there’s increasing optimism about the Rebels’ chances of landing the Class of 2022’s No. 2 overall recruit.
With or without Nolen, Ole Miss is gearing up for a College Football Playoff run. After a 10-2 season and a return trip to a New Year’s Six bowl, expectations are sky-high heading into the debut year of the expanded 12-team Playoff. There are too many good players coming back — and too many coming in — for this program to expect anything less.
When you compare the newly released 2024 SEC schedule with the one they just played, the Rebels are getting Oklahoma, Kentucky, Florida and South Carolina in place of Alabama, Texas A&M, Auburn and Vanderbilt. Their Power 5 nonconference game is Wake Forest. Georgia is still on the schedule, but that’s a slate that sets up nicely for 10-plus wins for the third time in four years.
Ole Miss would’ve been the No. 11 seed in a 12-team playoff this year. It’s aiming much higher in 2024.
Louisville
Transfer commits (12): QB Tyler Shough (Texas Tech), RB Donald Chaney Jr. (Miami), WR Ja’Corey Brooks (Alabama), WR Caullin Lacy (South Alabama), TE Tanner Koziol (Ball State), TE Mark Redman (San Diego State), OL Victor Cutler Jr. (Ohio State), OL Jonathan Mendoza (Yale), OL Pete Nygra (Northern Illinois), DL Thor Griffith (Harvard), DL Jordan Guerad (FIU), DB Corey Thornton (UCF)After far exceeding expectations in Jeff Brohm’s first season, Louisville is loading up to stay in ACC title contention and landing lots of exciting newcomers. As Cardinal Authority’s Jody Demling noted, this staff has already brought in a whopping 20 transfers on official visits in the past two weeks. So far, a dozen have jumped on board.
The Cardinals’ latest pickups include a trio of playmakers in Lacy, Chaney and Brooks, plus two new offensive linemen in Nygra and Cutler, a veteran defensive back in Thornton and the successful flip of Guerad, a first-team All-CUSA defensive tackle who had committed to Minnesota. All of those additions have helped the Cardinals rise to No. 3 in the 247Sports rankings as of Sunday night.
Lacy is going to be a problem in Brohm’s offense. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound senior was the nation’s fourth-leading receiver in yards per game and turned 91 catches into 1,316 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. He pulled off a seven-game streak of 100-yard performances, including 104 yards and two scores in South Alabama’s 33-7 win at Oklahoma State.
Brooks, a former five-star, was Alabama’s second-leading receiver in 2022 but missed much of this season with a shoulder injury. Chaney rushed for 478 yards this season while splitting carries with three other backs. Redman and Koziol were two of the better tight ends in the portal. Shough could prove to be the most underrated quarterback pickup in this cycle if he can stay healthy. If you’re a Louisville fan, you’ve got to love how this is all coming together.
TCU
Transfer commits (8): WR Braylon James (Notre Dame), WR Eric McAlister (Boise State), TE Drake Dabney (Baylor), OL Cade Bennett (San Diego State), OL Carson Bruno (Louisiana Tech), OL Bless Harris (Florida State), OL Howard Sampson (North Texas), DL Nana Osafo-Mensah (Notre Dame), LB Cooper McDonald (San Diego State)TCU has moved quickly to attack its roster needs after its startling slide from 13-2 to 5-7 in Sonny Dykes’ second year left the program without a bowl invitation.
The Horned Frogs went heavy on transfers at wide receiver to reload at that position entering 2023 and got solid production from several newcomers, but McAlister should be an upgrade. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Texas native had put up 873 receiving yards and five touchdowns and was the second-leading receiver in the Mountain West before he left Boise State in early November. James was the No. 137 overall recruit in the 2023 class and is coming home after one year at Notre Dame. Dabney should also boost the Horned Frogs’ passing game after finishing No. 3 among Big 12 tight ends with 552 receiving yards this season, and TCU has pledges from three starter-caliber offensive linemen.
Transitioning to a new defensive coordinator in Andy Avalos may require some defensive additions. McDonald brings 28 career starts from his stints at San Diego State and Washington, giving the Horned Frogs a veteran edge defender who should be a good fit. They were also able to get freshman linebacker Jonathan Bax to withdraw from the portal on Sunday. This portal class is far from finished; several more pledges are expected in the next few days.
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Syracuse
Transfer commits (4): QB Kyle McCord (Ohio State), WR Zeed Haynes (Georgia), WR Jackson Meeks (Georgia), LB James Heard (West Virginia)It’s understandable if your initial reaction to hearing McCord committed on Sunday was, “I’m surprised he’s going to Syracuse.” Here’s a prediction: We’re going to be saying that more and more during new coach Fran Brown’s tenure.
Brown, the former Georgia defensive backs coach hired on Nov. 28, is going to make this program a more desirable destination for recruits and is building a staff that’s going to surprise people on the recruiting trail. It’s too soon to say how many transfers the Orange will take, but they lost 14 to the portal during this coaching change, so there’s room to add. The pledges from Haynes and Meeks hint at the possibility this staff could strike gold on some of the young talent leaving Georgia, and defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson gives them a shot to win on defensive end Fadil Diggs and some of Texas A&M’s departures.
But McCord is the kind of big splash Syracuse needed to get people’s attention. He didn’t play up to the Buckeyes’ extremely high standards but did go 11-1 in his lone season as their starter and can provide the kind of steady, efficient play and leadership this team needs to win games in Year 1. This portal class is small so far, but it’s one to watch.
Previewing Syracuse taking on South Florida in the Boca Bowl (collegfootballdawgs.com; Ambrose)
The 2023 edition of the takes place on December 21 and sees the 6-6 Syracuse Orange locking horns with the 6-6 Bulls from USF. In an intriguing battle between the ACC and the American Athletic Conference, the game will be meaningful for the Orange as they turn the page from head coach Dino Baber's era. It will also mark the first bowl game for USF since 2018 and a big turnaround for a program that went 3-21 in the two seasons before his arrival. But who has the advantage for the game? Let's take a look and preview the Boca Bowl.
Quarterback - Garrett Shrader v Byrum Brown. Shrader brings experience as a multi-year starter and senior for the Orange. With Brown, the redshirt freshman has shown no fear in throwing for over 3,000 yards on the season and being responsible for 34 total touchdowns. Both have similar completion percentages however Shrader has a slight edge throwing six interceptions to Brown's 11 on the season. Both quarterbacks have solid arms and can make good throws to all areas of the field. Advantage - Bulls. There is something to be said for quarterbacks that can put the team on their shoulders and doing so as a redshirt freshman is impressive. Brown is a threat on the ground to make or extend plays, rushed for 745 yards and 11 scores for the season, compared to 469 yards for Shrader is the difference maker here.
Running back - LeQuint Allen v Nay'Quan Wright. With Allen, the Orange boasts a 1,000-yard rusher who was a main weapon in the offense as he accounted for 10 total scores and averaged 4.7 yards per carry. In Allen, the Orange has a power runner that shows comfort in running between the tackles. He also shows good football instincts in knowing when to run to the outside. With Wright, the leading rusher for the Bulls, coach Golesh and his staff have a vital cog in the offense that averaged 4.5 yards a carry and seven scores on the season. Wright is a compact runner who can contribute on the ground as well as in the passing game. He has the speed to separate from defenders and can run through tackle attempts. Advantage - Orange. Allen has been a do-it-all all workhorse for the Orange this season as the team's leading rusher as well as contributing in the passing game.
Defense - This will be the biggest question to be answered. Both the Orange and the Bulls have struggled to stop their opponents. a +21 point difference compared to a -49 point difference for the Bulls. Marlowe Wax leads the defense for Syracuse with 99 tackles on the year adding four sacks (also team lead). He's shown the sideline-to-sideline coverage ability that scouts like to see. He also shows a solid ability to cover and cause turnovers with his physical play. For the Bulls, Jhalyn Shuler has been the leader. Similarly to Wax, he has been a tackling machine accounting for 85 tackles and two sacks on the season. He covers the ground quickly and finishes his tackles strong. Advantage - Syracuse. While neither defense has been good, the Orange have held their opponents to fewer points on the season. Also, the supporting cast around Wax benefits the Orange.
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Syracuse runs into USF, Boca Raton Bowl thinking ground game (cbssports.com; FLM)
Without the coach and quarterback who helped the Orange reach the postseason, Syracuse stomps forward to face South Florida in the Boca Raton Bowl on Thursday.
The Orange (6-6) fired coach Dino Babers last month near the end of his eighth season at Syracuse. His temporary replacement was Nunzio Campanile, who defeated Wake Forest in the regular-season finale to make the Orange bowl-eligible, before the program hired Fran Brown as its next head coach earlier this month.
It'll be Campanile who will be guiding Syracuse in Thursday's clash in Boca Raton, Fla. He will have to defeat the Bulls without quarterback Garrett Shrader, who underwent shoulder surgery after passing for three touchdowns and running for another in the win over Wake Forest.
"It was important for me to get our team to a bowl game," the senior quarterback said. "I would have (gotten surgery) earlier in the season, but I wanted to wait until we got bowl-eligible. This team has too much talent and works too hard not to play a 13th game."
In Shrader's absence, the Orange could opt for backup Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, who threw three touchdowns and six interceptions in limited action this season. Or the team could revisit its creative wildcat offense that it used while Shrader was injured late in the regular season.
In either event, the Orange are looking forward to playing in a bowl game for the second straight season. Previously, they had not played in back-to-back bowl games since 2012 and 2013.
"You have two teams that are trending in the right direction," Campanile said, "and I just think it's a really exciting opportunity. ... It should be a really fun, entertaining game."
The Bulls (6-6) showed drastic improvement this season under first-year coach Alex Golesh. The team had won a total of four games in the previous three seasons combined and now will play in their first bowl game since 2018.
Who’s coaching, playing for Syracuse in the Boca Raton Bowl? (PS; $; Leiker)
Syracuse football 2023 offensive coordinator Jason Beck is not coaching the Orange for the Boca Raton Bowl, a team spokesman confirmed after Beck was not seen at practice Monday.
Running backs coach Mike Lynch will call offensive plays during the game, the spokesman said. All other 2023 coaches — including defensive coordinator Rocky Long and special teams coordinator Bob Ligashesky were present at practice and are working the game, the spokesman confirmed.
Fran Brown, the Orange’s new head coach, is expected to join the team Tuesday, but Nunzio Campanile is acting head coach for the game, as he was for the regular-season finale following Dino Babers’ firing.
The Orange plays South Florida at 8 p.m. Thursday at FAU Stadium.
The game will determine whether Syracuse ends the 2023 season with a winning or losing record, as it broke even in the final game of the regular season at 6-6 to become bowl eligible.
Beck’s absence is the second-most notable Syracuse personnel news for the game. The program announced Monday that veteran quarterback Garrett Shrader had surgery after the conclusion of the regular season to repair a shoulder tear and is out for the game.
Braden Davis and Luke MacPhail are the team’s only quarterbacks in attendance. Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, who was injured against Boston College, is not present.
Orange star linebacker Marlowe Wax and safety Justin Barron, both of whom were noncommittal about playing the bowl following the team’s sixth win of the season, were both practicing.
So were defensive lineman Caleb Okechukwu, offensive lineman Chris Bleich and wide receiver Damien Alford, other draft-eligible players who walked on Senior Day and could have chosen to opt-out of the game.
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Caden Brown breaks down his Syracuse commitment: 'I committed because of the people in the building' ( (usatodayhss.com; Dyer)
Caden Brown committed to Syracuse over the weekend, with the three-star athlete from New York City deciding to stay in-state.
Brown is ranked the fifth-best player in New York by Rivals. He is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound edge rusher from Erasmus Hall (Brooklyn, New York), one of the top programs in the state.
He projects in an edge-rushing role, likely as a linebacker.
This weekend, Brown took a visit to Syracuse, which led to his commitment to the ACC program. He is the second top-10 player in New York from Rivals to commit to Syracuse (three-star wide receiver Ja’meer Thomas verballed to the program in September).
Brown plans to enroll at Syracuse in January.
The official visit put Syracuse predictably put Syracuse in a strong spot. He said the relationships formed with the new coaching staff paid off.
Head coach Fran Brown has been on fire on the recruiting trail so far for Syracuse.
He held offers from Boston College, Georgia Tech, Maryland and Rutgers among others.
https://www.si.com/college/syracuse/recruiting/buffalo-transfer-devin-grant-commits-to-syracuse (SI; McAllister)
One of the best safeties in the transfer portal has committed to Syracuse. Buffalo transfer Devin Grant announced his decision to continue his college football career with the Orange on social media. Grant was a First Team All-Mac performer last season. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
In his first year as a full time starter in 2023, Grant recorded 79 tackles, picked off five passes, forced one fumble and recovered two fumbles. His defensive coordinator, however, left his post to take the linebackers coach job at Syracuse. Grant will follow coach Rob Wright to the Orange.
As a high school prospect, Grant was rated a four star recruit by 247Sports and the second best player in New York in the 2022 class. He signed with the Bulls out of Holy Cross High School in Flushing (NY) over offers from Albany, Army, Fordham and James Madison.
As a transfers, Grant reported offers from Vanderbilt, Michigan State and Oklahoma State. Several other power five schools were expressing interest as well.
The 6-4, 190 pound safety is just the latest example of a huge offseason of change for Syracuse football under new head coach Fran Brown. He has created a lot of buzz around the Orange and helped land some highly regarded recruits and transfers.
https://www.si.com/college/syracuse...ll-sign-with-syracuse-on-national-signing-day (SI; McAllister)
Class of 2024 Norcross (GA) Wesleyan tight end Jamie Tremble will sign with Syracuse on Wednesday, the start of the early signing period, he tells All Syracuse. It was previously reported that Tremble would not sign early and would take official visits next month. This weekend's official visit to Syracuse changed those plans.
The 6-4, 210 pounder is still Syracuse's highest rated prospect in the 2024 class even with the added four star recruits from recent weeks, according to the 247Sports Composite Ranking and the On3 Industry Average. He is a a four star prospect on 247Sports, ESPN and On3, but is rated a three star on Rivals.
Tremble's older brother, was a tight end at Notre Dame from 2018 to 2020. His father played his collegiate ball at Georgia.
During his junior season at Wesleyan, Jamie Tremble recorded 55 catches for 890 yards and 11 touchdowns. That led to him being named Georgia Region 7-AAA Offensive Player of the Year. As a senior, he improved those numbers with 58 receptions for 1,178 yards and 15 touchdowns according to Max Preps.
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Syracuse football: James Heard Jr. becomes the latest transfer recruited by the Orange (TNIAAM; Ostrowski)
New head coach Fran Brown keeps on cooking up a loaded incoming class of Syracuse Orange football players. His latest addition to the 2024 roster is transfer edge rusher James Heard Jr., who redshirted in his sole season with West Virginia.
Heard was originally a three-star prospect out of Brown’s hometown: Camden, New Jersey. He appeared in three games for the Mountaineers but did not record any statistics.
The 6’2”, 230 lbs. defensive edge could quickly slot into significant playing time in what was a thin position group before Sunday. While his recent endeavors weren’t publicized as much, Heard was initially offered by Penn State, Tennessee, Nebraska, Texas A&M, and others.
It’s also worth noting that new defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson was his primary recruiter for the Aggies, and he likely had a large role bringing him to Syracuse.
Heard is the seventh-highest rated recruit/transfer for the Orange, and sixth-highest pickup by Brown, but notably has the number one composite score (88.04) among those on the defensive side of the ball. And with all four years of eligibility still remaining, he’ll be part of a solid foundation to help rebuild the pass rush with.
Keeping Up With The 315 12-18-23 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Brian Higgins starts the show relishing in the difference a year has made for Syracuse football after another exciting weekend of flips and commits. Then, a new caller to the show gets Brian’s thoughts on the O-line and just how much changeover is actually expected in the trenches. Later, Brian looks back on Garrett Shrader’s time in Orange after the announcement that he will not play in the Boca Raton Bowl.
Matt Andrews "The 315" 12-18-23 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Ohio State football sideline reporter Matt Andrews joins Brian Higgins to share what he knows about Kyle McCord, the QB’s decision to transfer to Syracuse, and how the Buckeye fanbase feels about the move.
(youtube; podcast; Klatt)
Kyle McCord announced his transfer to Syracuse
A deep dive on new Syracuse QB Kyle McCord with Ohio State expert Nathan Baird of Cleveland.com (youtube.com; podcast; Axe)
Former Ohio State QB Kyle McCord has committed to Syracuse and it has Orange Nation in a frenzy. On the latest episode of Syracuse Sports, Brent Axe chats with Nathan Baird of Cleveland.com and the "Buckeye Talk" podcast about why McCord ended up at Syracuse. Was McCord considered a scapegoat for Ohio State's 3rd straight loss to Michigan? What's the scouting report on McCord? What kind of NIL $$ could he command? Brent and Nathan discuss it all.
DT & MURPHY - Syracuse Recruiting, Bowl Season, & NFL (youtube; podcfdast; DT)
Wake Up Call with Dan Tortora brings you "DT & MURPHY" with the duo discussing the Syracuse Orange Football Recruiting FRENZY, upcoming Boca Raton Bowl between Syracuse & South Florida, Bowl Season in general, Fantasy Football, & NFL with a few weeks before playoffs!
Syracuse Football: 4-star edge KingJoseph Edwards to decide, ‘Cuse with analyst buzz (itlh; Adler)
KingJoseph Edwards from Georgia, a 2024 four-star edge and a top-300 national prospect in his class, is set to make his college decision known on Tuesday night, and Syracuse football is receiving heavy buzz for him on recruiting Web sites.
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Edwards, a standout defensive end/tight end at Mill Creek High School in Hoschton, Ga., plans to reveal his commitment announcement in the evening on December 19, according to media reports and his X page.
Reports have stated his final three consist of the Orange, Colorado and fellow Atlantic Coast Conference squad Florida State.
The new Syracuse football coaching staff extended a scholarship offer to Edwards on December 4, and he took an official visit to the ‘Cuse two weekends ago.
Syracuse football will know on Tuesday night if it has landed four-star edge KingJoseph Edwards.
When I wrote this article on Monday evening, I counted at least 13 predictions in the Orange’s direction for Edwards between the 247Sports Web site, and the On3 Web site.
Of course, these projections don’t always end up being true, but it does seem that the ‘Cuse is in a great spot to hear its name called when Edwards unveils his college choice.
On Monday morning, recruiting analyst Charles Kang of The Juice Online wrote in a piece, “I’m still confident that Edwards is in the Syracuse camp.”
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https://www.si.com/college/ohiostat...-reveals-motives-transferring-syracuse-orange (SI; Spinner)
Former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Kyle McCord officially has a new home.
The ex-Buckeyes starting quarterback announced his commitment to transfer to the Syracuse Orange on Sunday weeks after he shocked the college football world by entering the portal.
McCord recently revealed his reasons for choosing the Orange over other schools like Nebraska and Miami, both of which were betting favorites to land the junior quarterback. The Mount Laurel, New Jersey native said the main element that drew him to Syracuse was the talent not on the field, but on the sideline.
"I think the experience on the coaching staff is extremely important," McCord said. "It was a big factor in my decision. Just being at a place where I can be surrounded with good players. They've done some good things on the portal trail, bringing in some guys from Georgia and other places. All of that, when you combine it, makes it an appealing destination."
Syracuse named former Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown as its new head coach in late November. McCord said he has been impressed with what Brown has been able to do already with the Orange.
"What Coach Fran has been able to do in the last few weeks since becoming head coach, it speaks volumes," McCord said. "I think the pieces are all coming together at the right time."
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https://athlonsports.com/college-fo...-mccord-transfer-to-syracuse-college-football (athlonsports.com; McKinnell)
Former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord announced his commitment to Syracuse on Dec. 17. It was a massive addition for new head coach Fran Brown and his staff. He will have one year of eligibility remaining.
ESPN's Paul Finebaum still has plenty of questions about McCord's decision after expecting the signal caller to join a more notable program.
"I thought he would land at a major school, but Syracuse is an utterly perplexing decision," Finebaum said. "It's a program that, frankly, doesn't have a great past of coming back quickly. I appreciate him getting an opportunity, but a year ago this guy was considered a can't-miss and now he's going to Syracuse. It's weird."
McCord completed 65.8% of his passes for 3,170 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns, and six interceptions this season. He led the Buckeyes to an 11-1 record with impressive wins over Notre Dame and Penn State.
McCord signed with the Buckeyes as a five-star prospect out of New Jersey. McCord was the No. 25 overall prospect and No. 5 quarterback in the class of 2021, according to the On3 industry rankings.
Syracuse's Secret Recruiting Weapon (orangefizz.net; Gotkin)
The world of recruiting in college sports is a crazy one. From the exotic cars, to the hibachi diners and the extravagant photo shoots, from the outside it seems like what matters most is what team has the most swag. But, there’s something else that SU has that can really help with recruiting, especially when it comes to graduate transfers. This secret weapon may be what brought Kyle McCord to Syracuse. It’s the Newhouse Schools sports broadcasting program which is the best in the country.
Athletes like McCord are in a weird spot. They have a ton of name recognition and huge brands. Yet, aren’t guaranteed to make it to the next level and make the money that professional athletes do. So, instead why don’t they learn how to be a member of the media at the nations top communications school. Based on a tweet from the director of the Newhouse Sports Media Center Olivia Stomksi, it seems like that’s what brought McCord in.
The new quarterback isn’t the first SU athlete to take advantage of the Newhouse school. Just in the past year, Polina Shemanova, a star volleyball player for the Orange, used her last year of eligibility at Syracuse so that she could get her master’s at Newhouse. Cole Kirst, who was a standout grad transfer on the men’s lacrosse team last year and now plays professionally also graduated from Newhouse and picked SU largely because of the sports media program. On the diamond, Syracuse softball’s star third basemen Rebecca Clyde announced that she will return for her fifth year to graduate with her master’s degree from Newhouse and go into the journalism field after school.
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Syracuse QB Garrett Shrader has shoulder surgery, out for Boca Bowl against South Florida (dailygazette.com; Reynolds)
Garrett Shrader helped Syracuse get to the Boca Raton Bowl. He just won’t be able to take part in what would have been his final game with the Orange.
The dual-threat quarterback had surgery to repair a tear in his shoulder after the regular season ended, Syracuse announced Monday. Shrader had been playing with the tear since October and wound up leading Syracuse to a bowl-clinching 35-31 win over Wake Forest to close the regular season.
That gave Syracuse a 6-6 record, meaning it would be bowl-bound.
“It was important for me to get our team to a bowl game,” Shrader said in a statement released by the school. “I would have done it earlier in the season, but I wanted to wait until we got bowl eligible. This team has too much talent and works too hard not to play a 13th game.”
That 13th game will be Thursday against South Florida in the Boca Bowl.
“I’ve just been so impressed with Garrett, everything about him, the type of young man he is,” interim head coach Nunzio Campanile said. “He was banged up all year and he continued to compete, fight for the guys. There’s no way that we’re here if he didn’t play in that last game and play the way that he did. He’s really been a great teammate all the way through. He’s really a special, special guy.”
Shrader threw for three touchdowns — two of those throws coming in the fourth quarter — and ran for another score in that bowl-clinching win.
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Syracuse quarterback Garrett Shrader (6) leans in for more yardage on a play against Wake Forest on Nov. 24. Shrader is facing a six-month recovery timeline for his surgery repairing a torn shoulder. Dennis Nett
Shrader faces 6-month recovery for shoulder, will pursue NFL career (PS; $; Leiker)
Syracuse football veteran quarterback Garrett Shrader has a six-month recovery timeline for his shoulder and is planning to pursue an NFL career, he told syracuse.com.
The program announced Monday morning that Shrader will not play in the Boca Raton Bowl due to the successful surgery, which repaired an injury he suffered in October.
Shrader spoke briefly about the timing of his surgery, his injury-ridden college career and his plans for the future as his teammates prepared for the Boca Raton Bowl he helped earn them a spot in.
Shrader said doctors told him he should be medically cleared to play in six months, though he might not fully feel like himself even then.
He is planning to rehab and train in Florida, having narrowed the exact place he’ll do both down to three options, and said he’ll begin agility and speed work in the next two to three months.
The full recovery timeline will likely limit Shrader’s participation in any pre-NFL Draft activities, like the NFL Combine — if he’s invited — or Syracuse’s Pro Day.
Shrader reiterated a sentiment from his released statement that he based the timing of the surgery around Syracuse achieving bowl eligibility.
“It was more just whenever we got bowl eligible, for my sake and my future,” Shrader said. “The way it worked out, we had to go all the way to the last game. Whenever we got bowl eligible, that’s when I was trying to get it.”
Despite appearing very limitedly in the previous three games, Shrader pushed through his injury against Wake Forest for a strong performance in what he knew would be his final collegiate game. He was 10-of-15 passing for 173 yards and three touchdowns and also added another 46 yards and a touchdown on his feet.
Shrader finished the 2023 season with 1,686 passing yards, 469 rushing yards, 21 total touchdowns and six interceptions.
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Cuse QB Shrader out for bowl game after surgery (ESPN; Hale)
Syracuse quarterback Garrett Shrader won't be available for the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl against South Florida after shoulder surgery, ending his college career.
Shrader was limited in Syracuse's last four games of the season while dealing with a shoulder injury. Instead, the Orange turned to tight end Dan Villari, who largely served as a Wildcat option. Shrader played a bigger role in the team's regular-season finale against Wake Forest, throwing three touchdowns and locking up bowl eligibility for the Orange.
"It was important for me to get our team to a bowl game," Shrader said in a statement released by the team. "I would have done it earlier in the season, but I wanted to wait until we got bowl-eligible. This team has too much talent and works too hard not to play a 13th game."
Shrader's six-year career included three seasons at Mississippi State, including a redshirt year, before transferring to Syracuse, where he's served as the team's starter for the majority of the past three seasons.
He finished 2023 with 13 passing touchdowns and eight more on the ground.
"It's been a blessing and a privilege to play for Syracuse University," Shrader said. "I'm glad my final game in the Dome was an opportunity to help this team get to a bowl. I want to thank [former] Coach [Dino] Babers and his staff for the opportunity to play here. I'm looking to forward to supporting my teammates down in Boca."
With Shrader moving on, Syracuse turned to the transfer market this week and added former Ohio State starter Kyle McCord.
ACC News
Syracuse lands Kyle McCord, NCAA’s new waiver hearings & Jerry Kill is unhappy with New Mexico (yahoo.com)
With another week of the college football offseason underway, the transfer portal is being utilized more and more. Dan Wetzel, Ross Dellenger & SI’s Pat Forde are back to kick off more transfer portal talk, as Coach Prime has reloaded in the trenches, Washington lands Will Howard and former Ohio State QB Kyle McCord has found a new home at Syracuse.
McCord, who was 11-1 as a starter at Ohio State, decided that the next best step for him was taking the lead signal caller for the Syracuse Orange. The podcast analyzes the move and examines why quarterbacks are so willing to enter the transfer portal for a new program. Quarterbacks know that they not only need to play, but they need to start, so when Ohio State couldn’t commit to McCord, he found a new home in upstate New York.
The NCAA is heading into another round of waiver hearings after last week’s session. The guys discuss the latest deliberations around the transfer portal and highlight that we could be looking at a future where there aren’t any transfer restrictions moving forward.
UCLA head coach Chip Kelly took some time in a postgame press conference to pitch his idea for the future of college football: Kelly believes that every program should be independent, with two 64-team conferences broken into Power Five and Group of Five.
In other news, New Mexico State head coach Jerry Kill was not happy with the practice field restrictions that New Mexico’s administration put on his program. The restrictions came after a video surfaced of New Mexico State quarterback Diego Pavia allegedly urinating on the Lobos logo inside their practice facility.
Lastly, the People’s Court takes on a case of donut van thievery.
1:00 - This year’s transfer portal is coming into focus
13:22 - Ohio State’s Kyle McCord transfers to Syracuse
21:14 - Eagerness of quarterbacks entering the portal
34:00 - NCAA’s waiver policy hearings
50:40 - Chip Kelly’s new college football format
54:53 - Jerry Kill is unhappy with New Mexico
1:04:53 - People’s Court: Donut van theft
Cuse QB Shrader out for bowl game after surgery (ESPN; Staff)
Five-star quarterback prospect Dylan Raiola committed to the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Monday following a weekend official visit and despite being committed to the Georgia Bulldogs for nearly seven months.
With the early signing period set to start Wednesday, this could send Nebraska shooting up the class rankings.
Raiola, the No. 8 overall prospect in the class and the top-ranked pocket-passer, had been committed to Georgia, which has the top-ranked recruiting class, since May and was previously committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes. But the 6-foot-3, 220-pound prospect has family ties to Nebraska, where his father, Dominic, was a star offensive lineman and his uncle is the offensive line coach.
The commitment is huge for Huskers coach Matt Rhule and may kick-start what could be a flip-filled few days. ESPN's college football and recruiting experts look at what the move could mean.
What makes Raiola such a high-ranked recruit?
The quarterback draws similarities to former ESPN 300 signal-caller Andrew Luck in that Raiola grew up in the sport, has a big pocket-passer build with excellent arm talent, but is also mobile for his size. Between his father, former Nebraska standout and longtime NFL offensive lineman Dominic Raiola, and his uncle Donovan, who is currently the offensive line coach at Nebraska, Dylan has grown up around the Huskers. His coach at Buford (Georgia) High School called Raiola a "student of the game" who always had his notebook from meetings with him and would regularly come up to the school on Sundays to sit with the coaches as they prepared for the coming opponent.
During in-person evaluations the past two seasons, he has displayed the arm strength to make all the throws while being able to change ball speeds, and he throws a catchable ball. He also has displayed an even-keeled demeanor, even when offensive execution wasn't always operating as desired.
At 6-foot-4, he can stand in the pocket and deliver but also can move around when he needs to. He possesses very good body control and that, combined with his size, allows him to break free of pass-rushers and be able to get outside the pocket and extend plays.
However, he has played for four different high schools and this is his third different commitment. That amount of movement could raise concerns, and only time will tell if he can settle into one spot for an extended period.
Physically, Raiola has excellent traits. He gives the Cornhuskers their most impactful quarterback signing in the ESPN 300 era. -- Craig Haubert
https://www.si.com/college/pittsbur...transfer-target-sam-brumfield-joins-acc-rival (SI; Thompson)
The Pitt Panthers lost a transfer linebacker they had been recruiting to a rival from the ACC.
Sam Brumfield, a coveted linebacker transfer from Middle Tennessee State, announced on Twitter that he would not attend Pitt next year and had decided to join Virginia Tech in 2024 instead.
The Panthers aren't slated to face Virginia Tech for another two seasons, so they might not have to play Brumfield at all before he leaves school entirely.
Over 12 games, 10 of which were starts, Brumfield totaled a team-high 81 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a team-best eight quarterback hurries. He transferred to MTSU after a successful tenure at Northwest Mississippi Community College.
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Virginia Tech football: All-ACC DT Aeneas Peebles announces transfer to the Hokies (gobblercountry.com; Manning)
The Virginia Tech Hokies added their second player from the NCAA transfer portal on Monday when All-ACC defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles announced he was coming to Blacksburg.
The 6-foot-1, 286-pound Peebles spent his first four years at Duke and played high school football at Knightdale High in Knightdale, N.C. Peebles entered the transfer portal after head coach Mike Elko left Duke to take over as coach at Texas A&M.
Peebles was one of Virginia Tech’s top priorities in the portal, and he had previously named Louisville, SMU, Colorado, Missouri, and the Hokies among his top five. After seeing Antwaun Powell-Ryland’s success last season after transferring from Florida, perhaps Peebles believes the Hokies can help him similarly.
In 2023, Peebles started all 12 games for the Blue Devils, recording 40 tackles, including 8.5 for loss and four sacks. He was named to third-team All-ACC after the season.
For his college career, Peebles has appeared in 38 games and recorded 84 tackles, including 13.5 for loss and 6.5 sacks.
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2023 Boca Raton Bowl, Syracuse News (RX; HM)
2023 Boca Raton Bowl, Syracuse News
First, some news about Syracuse Orange Football...
We told you that the new head coach of the Orange has a reputation as a great recruiter in a previous Links post [Links, News and Rumors 2023 Nov 29]. He is certainly showing how well-deserved that reputation is!
Recruiting
According to Syracuse.com,Here are some of the top-rated commits in the Orange' class of 2024:
| Recruiting - 247Sports | ||||
| Player's Name | Pos | Ht / Wt | Hometown | |
| Jamie Tremble | TE | 6-4 / 210 | Norcross, GA | Commit 6/17/23 |
| Rivals - #52 Signing Class | ||||
| Name | Pos | Ht / Wt | Location | Status |
| Yasin Willis | RB | 6-1 / 218 | Montvale, NJ | 12/10/23 Verbal |
| Emanuel Ross | WR | 6-2 / 196 | Red Bank, NJ | 12/13/23 Verbal |
NOTE: 4-star WR Ross was previously committed to Stanford, but Syracuse was able to "flip" him [LINK].
__________
Transfers
As you know, nowadays high school recruiting is just half of the story - you have to win the Transfer Portal, too (bring in better talent than you lose). The Orange are doing pretty well in that department as well...
| #13 Transfer Class - Rivals | ||||
| Player's Name | Pos | Ht / Wt | Transfer from | Eligible |
| James Heard | Edge | 6-2 / 230 | West Virginia | Immediate |
| Kyle McCord | QB | 6-3 / 215 | Ohio State | Immediate |
| Zeed Haynes | WR | 6-1 / 170 | Georgia | Immediate |
| Jackson Meeks | WR | 6-2 / 205 | Georgia | Immediate |
Some are already calling transfer QB Kyle McCord "the best quarterback to come to Syracuse since Donovan McNabb".
BOTTOM LINE:
The new coaching staff is killing it in recruiting - both high school and transfers.2023 ACC All-Americans (RX; HM)
2023 ACC All-Americans
From the official ACC release of Monday, December 18, 2023...
NC State’s Wilson Leads ACC Football in National Postseason Honors
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference had three players earn national awards, headlined by NC State’s Payton Wilson, who was also a unanimous consensus All-America selection and highlighted a large group of players that picked up All-American recognition this postseason.Wilson joined his teammate Joe Shimko (NC State) and fellow graduate student Mike Hollins (Virginia) as national award winners. Wilson was named both the Butkus Award (best linebacker) and Bednarik Award (best defensive player) winner, while Shimko was awarded the Patrick Mannelly Award (best long snapper). Hollins was the 22nd recipient of the Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award.
On top of his two national awards, Wilson was also a unanimous consensus first-team All-America selection, as the ACC placed 12 players – representing eight different schools – on the NCAA–recognized 2023 All-America teams. Florida State led the league with four selections, while NC State had two. The NCAA recognizes the All-America teams selected by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Associated Press (AP), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), The Sporting News, and Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF) to determine consensus All-Americans.
AFCA
- Jared Verse, DE, Florida State (first team)
- Payton Wilson, LB, NC State (first team)
- James Rosenberry Jr., LS, Florida State (first team)
- Malik Washington, WR, Virginia (second team)
- Graham Barton, OL, Duke (second team)
- Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina (second team)
- Jeremiah Trotter Jr., LB, Clemson (second team)
- Joe Shimko, LS, NC State (second team)
AP
- Payton Wilson, LB, NC State (first team)
- Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina (second team)
- Malik Washington, WR, Virginia (second team)
- Jared Verse, DE, Florida State (second team)
- Jeremiah Trotter Jr., LB, Clemson (second team)
- Braden Fiske, DT, Florida State (third team)
Links, News and Rumors 2023 Dec 18 (RX; HM)
Links, News and Rumors 2023 Dec 18
CBS Sports: Teams outside College Football Playoff with most to gain from bowl win
At stake for FSU: (1) a chance to shut up their critics, and possibly (2) a share of the national title.
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An Expansion Merger Between the Big 12 and ACC is Picking Up Serious Steam | Realignment News (youtube.com; podcast; Loco on Big 12)
B12/ACC is presently conducting an in-depth legal examination of NCAA/CFP regulations and television agreements pertaining to conference ownership. As of December 17, 2023, the discussions have garnered significant attention with 82.8K views. MHver3, a contributor to the discourse, shared insights on the CFP contract, noting its absence of language prohibiting subsidiary conferences within a larger entity from being acknowledged as a single conference. Additionally, MHver3 highlighted the nuanced language within NCAA rules concerning mergers, emphasizing that the contemplated scenario does not align with conventional legal definitions of a merger. The central assertion is that the proposed changes would not give rise to a new conference entity. Instead, the transformation would involve the collaboration of two or possibly three existing conferences, each already recognized by the NCAA. The complexity emerges in the realm of television contracts, particularly if teams were to be relocated between the merged conferences. However, MHver3 mentions an ongoing examination of a legal workaround to address these intricacies, indicating a proactive approach to navigate potential challenges in this transformative endeavor.
Other
An architectural rendering from MacKnight Architects shows what Syracuse's future public safety building would look like after renovations to a former factory on West Fayette Street.Provide
Syracuse lawmakers approve moving police, fire headquarters out of downtown (PS; Boyer)
Syracuse’s police and fire departments will be moving out of downtown to new headquarters on the city’s west side.
The Syracuse Common Council on Monday unanimously approved Mayor Ben Walsh’s proposal to lease a privately owned vacant factory at 1153 W. Fayette St. that the owner will convert into the city’s new public safety building.
The 19-year lease with developer Joe Gehm, of the Lahinch Group, is expected to start in the second half of 2025, when an estimated $25 million to $30 million renovation project should be completed.
The city has been searching for several years for a new home for its public safety departments largely because of the deteriorating state of its existing downtown headquarters at 511 S. State St., where the departments have operated since the 1960s. The city has jointly owned that building with Onondaga County but pays the county to maintain it. This year’s payment will be about $1.7 million.
That’s slightly less than the $1.8 million for the city’s first year of rent under the deal councilors approved. Payments over 19 years would total about $41.2 million, which is about the same cost estimated if the city were to pursue a renovation of the existing public safety building, Walsh administration officials told the council at a committee meeting earlier this month.
Syracuse officials are thinking about moving the city's police and fire headquarters to this century-old factory built by the Lipe-Rollway Company.
The empty factory, built in the 1920s to manufacture automotive and railway parts, will provide more than 100,000 square feet of space. The site also will allow the police department to bring its patrol division to same campus as the rest of the department. That division has operated out of property the city owns on Erie Boulevard East.
The city hopes to work with the county on a plan to sell at least its share of the downtown building. It also will eventually sell the Erie Boulevard property.
The developer, Gehm, originally pitched the West Fayette Street site as office space for staff who were in the City Hall Commons building downtown. The city opted for a different location downtown for that space, that process opened up talks with Gehm about making the West Fayette Street factory into the future public safety building.
The city has committed to helping Gehm secure at least $2 million in state and federal grants for the project. A Restore New York grant worth $600,000 is already secured. The final rental rate would go up or down depending on how much grant funding is secured.
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Cortland Waterworks, on Broadway Avenue in Cortland, N.Y., houses the city's pump house, a herd of deer and dozens of ducks. At Christmastime, it transforms into an illuminated winter wonderland — complete with visits from Santa.Samantha House | shouse@syracuse.com
Secret Central NY: This is the best little holiday light show you’ve never heard of (PS; House)
By day, Cortland Waterworks is a slice of serenity — a place where visitors can feed big, antlered deer and watch dozens of waddling ducks in the Crown City.
But at night around Christmastime, the little Cortland park transforms into Santa’s illuminated workshop, a wonderland where the big man in red parks his sleigh and makes occasional visits. And best of all: Visits to festive Waterworks, Cortland’s best-kept secret, are free.
Waterworks is a stretch of city-owned woodland at a historic, former pump house just a short walk from the State University of New York at Cortland’s campus. The property’s main draw is a 15-acre deer enclosure, where a herd of friendly deer roam and birds — ranging from Canadian geese to mallard, scaup and (a solitary) pekin duck — paddle in a long pond.
On sunny days, college students sit on the cement blocks that hold up the sprawling fence on Broadway Avenue. Joggers run on the sidewalk that lines the property’s sprawling fence, while families park in the lot by Pump House 1 to feed the bucks, does and fawns eagerly waiting for compost-scrap snacks.
The city takes care of the property and the animals who call it home. And after Thanksgiving each year, a long-time employee sets up the brilliant light show at Waterworks — including the yellow sleigh Cortland bought in 1949 that comfortably seats two kids and a renovated, cheery 74-year-old fireplace, according to the Cortland Standard.
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