2023 Spring Practice

[AAM62]

If we can avoid such amass of injury’s and get some more depth to fill us out I beg to differ.

Two issues the program struggles with mightily.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[money3189]

I get why some were freaking out about the D line last off season. I was too early on but I figured the staff knew what they had in the works. Getting the young guys all the game reps is gonna pay off. Transfers that werent sure bets would have been a bad move. Now you have one of the deepest units on the team, prehaps the conference.

 

[cusefan88]

I get why some were freaking out about the D line last off season. I was too early on but I figured the staff knew what they had in the works. Getting the young guys all the game reps is gonna pay off. Transfers that werent sure bets would have been a bad move. Now you have one of the deepest units on the team, prehaps the conference.

I really think having Ingraham as a big body to spell Darton and Lockett will keep them fresher. Really it's true for the whole line. This is one of the best DL groups the team has had in recent memory.

I'm also of the opinion that Achuff is a great coach and if he's learning from Rocky maybe he's the future DC down the line.

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

I really think having Ingraham as a big body to spell Darton and Lockett will keep them fresher. Really it's true for the whole line. This is one of the best DL groups the team has had in recent memory.

I'm also of the opinion that Achuff is a great coach and if he's learning from Rocky maybe he's the future DC down the line.

In 2021, we had Bear, Black, Darton, and Lockett on rotation in the middle. If we can do that again with Ingraham, Lockett, Darton, Fuentes-Cundiff and maybe even Bassette in 2023, we're on to something.

Edit: Didn't even think to include Perry here.

 

[hoopsupstate]

As always, it will come down to offensive line play. It’s the same every year.

 

[money3189]

I really think having Ingraham as a big body to spell Darton and Lockett will keep them fresher. Really it's true for the whole line. This is one of the best DL groups the team has had in recent memory.

I'm also of the opinion that Achuff is a great coach and if he's learning from Rocky maybe he's the future DC down the line.

All good thoughts

 

[sutomcat]

I really think having Ingraham as a big body to spell Darton and Lockett will keep them fresher. Really it's true for the whole line. This is one of the best DL groups the team has had in recent memory.

I'm also of the opinion that Achuff is a great coach and if he's learning from Rocky maybe he's the future DC down the line.

Given how much experience he has coaching the 3-3-5, his overall experience and his NFL experience, I would agree he is the logical guy if/when Rocky hangs it up.

Perkins also has a lot of experience and has even served as a DC twice but this is his very look at the defense and it is going to take him a while to get up to speed on it.

Update: saw a picture of Ellis in the story Emily posted today. He looks like he has lost at least 20 pounds, probably more.

This pleases me.

 

[RF2044]

Given how much experience he has coaching the 3-3-5, his overall experience and his NFL experience, I would agree he is the logical guy if/when Rocky hangs it up.

Perkins also has a lot of experience and has even served as a DC twice but this is his very look at the defense and it is going to take him a while to get up to speed on it.

Update: saw a picture of Ellis in the story Emily posted today. He looks like he has lost at least 20 pounds, probably more.

This pleases me.

Agreed -- Ellis was WAY too heavy last year.

 

[Chip]

Update: saw a picture of Ellis in the story Emily posted today. He looks like he has lost at least 20 pounds, probably more.

This pleases me.

That picture looks like he lost a lot more than 20 lbs.

 

[Cuse12]

That picture looks like he lost a lot more than 20 lbs.

I agree more like 40…. This is great news

 

[SUDadx2]

Thought I read an interview recently with Clement where he talked about his knee injury and said ‘when I found out the cartilage was torn….’

Is it possible he only tore cartilage and if so, would that make it possible he is full go this spring?

I don’t know who else Dino would describe as a young TE that would be capable of getting him excited Ike that.

This is another of those areas Stephen Bailey would have surely discussed in his practice reports. I hope one of our media members can determine the status of Clement sometime soon.

I'm hearing that Clement is participating in drills. He ran some 1 on 1's earlier this week. This would be highly unlikely if he tore his ACL in August. He may have some restrictions on what he can do in the way of full contact, but he's out there working.

At 6'6", 265 lbs he's a mismatch waiting to happen.

 

[SUDadx2]

That picture looks like he lost a lot more than 20 lbs.

In case anyone is wondering, I found those lost pounds.

I'd like to give them to someone else, like Darton, but my body is not cooperating.

 

[sutomcat]

I'm hearing that Clement is participating in drills. He ran some 1 on 1's earlier this week. This would be highly unlikely if he tore his ACL in august. He may have some restrictions on what he can do in the way of full contact, but he's out there working.

At 6'6", 265 lbs he's a mismatch waiting to happen.

Pretty sure he is the player on offense Dino was raving about that all the journalists forgot to follow up on.

Still hoping a journalist will step up and ask about Clement. And ask who that player is that is killing it on offense in practice.

It would be nice if someone just asked how Ellis is doing as well. Might get a nice quote about a massive transformation...

 

[Cusefan69]

I'm hearing that Clement is participating in drills. He ran some 1 on 1's earlier this week. This would be highly unlikely if he tore his ACL in august. He may have some restrictions on what he can do in the way of full contact, but he's out there working.

At 6'6", 265 lbs he's a mismatch waiting to happen.

Finally a TE. I think he played hoops in High school as well so brings some skills to the position.

 

[Chip]

In case anyone is wondering, I found those lost pounds.

I'd like to give them to someone else, like Darton, but my body is not cooperating.

I'm willing to donate some myself.

However I give it away, it's clear that it has to be an easy process, where by I don't need to exercise, and can still eat and drink whatever I want.

 

[SUDadx2]

Now you have one of the deepest units on the team, perhaps the conference.

IMO, our roster is way out of balance.

DL: 16 scholarship players for 3 (maybe 4) positions. And only Caleb O will run out of eligibility after this season. Too many players for too few positions equals a lack of playing time and will likely lead to someone transferring out.

OL: 13 scholarship players (IF all four guys show up in the summer) for 5 positions. I'd like to be three-deep. Can we get one more from the portal?

QB: 3 scholarship guys. 1 injured and 1 who entered the portal for a day back in January (no one talks about this). Would like to see us pick up a grad transfer or a young guy out of the portal in May for depth. Could Morgan possibly come back?

RB: Only 2 scholarship guys and 1 walk-on who figure to contribute this year. Both of the freshman appear to be small and need some physical development IMO. Would like to see one more guy added from the portal (a grad transfer?).

WR: We have 10 scholarship guys which seems about right. Only Adams will run out of eligibility this year, but both Gadsden and Alford will be draft eligible.

LB: 12 scholarship players for 3 positions. There's talent top to bottom in this group, but also several injuries. I'm wondering if the injuries are part of the reason we picked up Kahlil Gilmore this week (RS Jr, 6'4", 245 lb outside backer/edge player). Is he an insurance policy in case Thompson's recovery is delayed? No scholarship seniors, but several guys will be draft eligible following the season: Wax and Thompson being the top two.

CB: Only 5 scholarship players for two positions and one of these guys also entered the portal for a heart beat last December. With only one guy (Johnson) running out of eligibility after this season we are also young. Would like to us add one more thru the portal; an older guy with some size (>6') who can provide depth this year and maybe challenge for PT in 2024.

Safeties: 8 scholarship guys for three positions. Simmons will exhaust his eligibility this year and both Barron and Clark will be draft eligible following the season. Would like to see us add one more before the season. Is it possible for Hannah to come back?

Specialists: I'm not sure who in this group is on scholarship and who is not. Are all three punters on scholarship? 1 scholarship kicker. 2 long snappers. Is either LS (Stengle or Callahan) on scholarship?


I'm fairly certain we lose a few players to the portal following spring only because that's the way it is, not because I've heard anything specific.

How many scholarships are currently available for this year, 3 or 4?

With the portal being what it is, roster management has become an art.

 

[CbusCuse]

Typically Syracuse's season goes depending on the play and health of QB and OL. Assuming Shrader comes back fully healthy it seems we are good at QB heading into the season with potential in the back-ups who will get a lot of offseason snaps. So my main concerns for this season are OL and DB.

OL is still a question mark for me. It may have a chance to be good but some things are still TBD.

LT - I assume Cruz is guaranteed to start at LT after his 2022 season with five starts (three at right tackle, two at left tackle to end the season. According to Pro Football Focus, In 2022 he was responsible for just one sack allowed in 205 pass blocking snaps. He wont be 2nd round Bergeron good but I think he will perform admirably. Hopefully we can get 3 years of solid LT play out of him.

RT - I'd expect the transfer Moore to fill in and be about as solid as what we had there last year considering he started 37 games for Richmond at Tackle.

LG - I expect Ellis to start. From that pic above, Ellis does indeed looked to have lost weight. Nice! Think that should help his production as he has been playing a bit to heavy. In 2022 he played in 11 games with nine starts at left guard ... According to Pro Football Focus, allowed just one sack and nine total pressures in 267 pass blocking snaps on the season ... Started the first nine games of the season before having to miss the Pittsburgh (11/5), and Wake Forest (11/19) games due to injury. Also did not start and played limited snaps vs. Florida State (11/12

RG - Hopefully Bleich can start this season healthier than his usual and stay that way. In 2022 He stated 12 games at right guard ... Played 772 snaps and allowed just two sacks.

Center - This is the biggest question mark of the OL unit. I think Illao has some potential but not positive if he is quite ready to be starting material and i think we need an upgrade here and at the very least more depth options. Having J'Onre Reed be deemed eligible would be huge in my opinion. I think he may be a better option and certainly would help with the depth.

Depth - I mentioned J'Onre Reed above at the center position. At tackle, both Joe Cruz and Petry saw snaps in 3 games. Joe seeing snaps means the staff sees promise in him but both are undersized at around 280 lbs according to the 2022 roster. Hopefully they can add some more muscle this offseason. I think Bradford as a 6'-5" 302 lbs RS Jr should provide solid depth as a Guard and could possibly play Tackle. He had some snaps at the end of the year and even started against Wake. I think our depth at Tackle is pretty poor and this position is a weakness in general. Junior Juco transfer Lysander Moleolo at 6-6" and 360 lbs should add something to the depth. At that weight i'm guessing he will need to be a guard unless he drops some weight quickly. If we can add Reed to the mix and not have any injuries, the OL has a chance to be solid. But we all know that is not likely to happen. The OL is pretty thin on talent and I think we need to add more talent here.

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

How many scholarships are currently available for this year, 3 or 4?

5 or 6, depending on how they're handling the West Florida kid.

 

[money3189]

IMO, our roster is way out of balance.

DL: 16 scholarship players for 3 (maybe 4) positions. And only Caleb O will run out of eligibility after this season. Too many players for too few positions equals a lack of playing time and will likely lead to someone transferring out.

OL: 13 scholarship players (IF all four guys show up in the summer) for 5 positions. I'd like to be three-deep. Can we get one more from the portal?

QB: 3 scholarship guys. 1 injured and 1 who entered the portal for a day back in January (no one talks about this). Would like to see us pick up a grad transfer or a young guy out of the portal in May for depth. Could Morgan possibly come back?

RB: Only 2 scholarship guys and 1 walk-on who figure to contribute this year. Both of the freshman appear to be small and need some physical development IMO. Would like to see one more guy added from the portal (a grad transfer?).

WR: We have 10 scholarship guys which seems about right. Only Adams will run out of eligibility this year, but both Gadsden and Alford will be draft eligible.

LB: 12 scholarship players for 3 positions. There's talent top to bottom in this group, but also several injuries. I'm wondering if the injuries are part of the reason we picked up Kahlil Gilmore this week (RS Jr, 6'4", 245 lb outside backer/edge player). Is he an insurance policy in case Thompson's recovery is delayed? No scholarship seniors, but several guys will be draft eligible following the season: Wax and Thompson being the top two.

CB: Only 5 scholarship players for two positions and one of these guys also entered the portal for a heart beat last December. With only one guy (Johnson) running out of eligibility after this season we are also young. Would like to us add one more thru the portal; an older guy with some size (>6') who can provide depth this year and maybe challenge for PT in 2024.

Safeties: 8 scholarship guys for three positions. Simmons will exhaust his eligibility this year and both Barron and Clark will be draft eligible following the season. Would like to see us add one more before the season. Is it possible for Hannah to come back?

Specialists: I'm not sure who in this group is on scholarship and who is not. Are all three punters on scholarship? 1 scholarship kicker. 2 long snappers. Is either LS (Stengle or Callahan) on scholarship?


I'm fairly certain we lose a few players to the portal following spring only because that's the way it is, not because I've heard anything specific.

How many scholarships are currently available for this year, 3 or 4?

With the portal being what it is, roster management has become an art.

Good breakdown. I expect some departures and some additions in the areas they are slim at

 

[Cusefan69]

Good breakdown. I expect some departures and some additions in the areas they are slim at

Post Spring game the whole portal cycle will start up. Hopefully the staff is prepared to go hunting for some transfers from SEC/Big who just missed starting and are looking to land in open competition scenarios. Maybe guys looking to come back NE like Gould from Nebraska.

 

[721Comstock]

In case anyone is wondering, I found those lost pounds.

I'd like to give them to someone else, like Darton, but my body is not cooperating.

So, now you’re really SUDad x2!!


Maybe you can offer some of that to the hoops team?
Jesse, Judah, Bell, etc could all use a few.

 

[money3189]

Typically Syracuse's season goes depending on the play and health of QB and OL. Assuming Shrader comes back fully healthy it seems we are good at QB heading into the season with potential in the back-ups who will get a lot of offseason snaps. So my main concerns for this season are OL and DB.

OL is still a question mark for me. It may have a chance to be good but some things are still TBD.

LT - I assume Cruz is guaranteed to start at LT after his 2022 season with five starts (three at right tackle, two at left tackle to end the season. According to Pro Football Focus, In 2022 he was responsible for just one sack allowed in 205 pass blocking snaps. He wont be 2nd round Bergeron good but I think he will perform admirably. Hopefully we can get 3 years of solid LT play out of him.

RT - I'd expect the transfer Moore to fill in and be about as solid as what we had there last year considering he started 37 games for Richmond at Tackle.

LG - I expect Ellis to start. From that pic above, Ellis does indeed looked to have lost weight. Nice! Think that should help his production as he has been playing a bit to heavy. In 2022 he played in 11 games with nine starts at left guard ... According to Pro Football Focus, allowed just one sack and nine total pressures in 267 pass blocking snaps on the season ... Started the first nine games of the season before having to miss the Pittsburgh (11/5), and Wake Forest (11/19) games due to injury. Also did not start and played limited snaps vs. Florida State (11/12

RG - Hopefully Bleich can start this season healthier than his usual and stay that way. In 2022 He stated 12 games at right guard ... Played 772 snaps and allowed just two sacks.

Center - This is the biggest question mark of the OL unit. I think Illao has some potential but not positive if he is quite ready to be starting material and i think we need an upgrade here and at the very least more depth options. Having J'Onre Reed be deemed eligible would be huge in my opinion. I think he may be a better option and certainly would help with the depth.

Depth - I mentioned J'Onre Reed above at the center position. At tackle, both Joe Cruz and Petry saw snaps in 3 games. Joe seeing snaps means the staff sees promise in him but both are undersized at around 280 lbs according to the 2022 roster. Hopefully they can add some more muscle this offseason. I think Bradford as a 6'-5" 302 lbs RS Jr should provide solid depth as a Guard and could possibly play Tackle. He had some snaps at the end of the year and even started against Wake. I think our depth at Tackle is pretty poor and this position is a weakness in general. Junior Juco transfer Lysander Moleolo at 6-6" and 360 lbs should add something to the depth. At that weight i'm guessing he will need to be a guard unless he drops some weight quickly. If we can add Reed to the mix and not have any injuries, the OL has a chance to be solid. But we all know that is not likely to happen. The OL is pretty thin on talent and I think we need to add more talent here.

Yes O line has some question marks. You never know how they will perform collectively as a unit but I do think they can potentially be better. Last year they had some weak links and Bergeron made them look better than what they were. This years group can surprise us If Enrique takes that next step and if More is as good as or better than Dakota. I imagine the next 3 are Bradford, J Cruz, Moleolo. Lets see if IIaoa can hold on the the center spot. Reed and Hoeh will be tough to hold off.

 

[Cusefan69]

Yes O line has some question marks. You never know how they will perform collectively as a unit but I do think they can potentially be better. Last year they had some weak links and Bergeron made them look better than what they were. This years group can surprise us If Enrique takes that next step and if More is as good as or better than Dakota. I imagine the next 3 are Bradford, J Cruz, Moleolo. Lets see if IIaoa can hold on the the center spot. Reed and Hoeh will be tough to hold off.

Is coach Farmer allowed to reach out to Reed while he waits in Texas to go over tape, assignments, line calls and stuff or is it zero contact until whatever needs resolving is complete?

 

[money3189]

Is coach Farmer allowed to reach out to Reed while he waits in Texas to go over tape, assignments, line calls and stuff or is it zero contact until whatever needs resolving is complete?

As long as he's signed to SU I dont see why he wouldnt be able to.