2024-25 Portal

[Sdot]

I think the biggest “question” is what is the plan for next year, when talking about most of our talent who got us too 10 wins are leaving. I believe Fran is the right guy to turn Syracuse around but I’m concerned about the talent departures/talent added ratio. Yes I know a lot of talented freshman but how many freshman are we relying on for a 2 deep spot?

 

[IthacaMatt]

No offense to those guys but they sort of make my point. Nixon is a back up. JRS hasn't done much yet. And Washington is okay. The guys that made a difference we seem to have got before the spring.

No offense to your comment, but teams can't have all-americans at every position. JRS was hurt most of the year, and looked very good when he did play.

Washington may have been "ok", but we passed the ball about 600 times this year, and McCord took less than 30 sacks (spit-balling the numbers from memory). So, he was better than many recent tackles we've had.

And Nixon is our most important assistant coach's son, and kind of ensures that our offense stays as creative next year as it was this year. And his boy can play, too. He was a legit #2 back until he got hurt.

 

[vegasnick]

No offense to those guys but they sort of make my point. Nixon is a back up. JRS hasn't done much yet. And Washington is okay. The guys that made a difference we seem to have got before the spring.

JRS was hurt but will be bounce back. Savion was our best OL player and did a great job protecting Kyle. Nixon was great until he got hurt. He may be as good or better at pass catching out of the backfield as Lequint. I think your assessment is off a bit.

 

[dasher]

JRS was hurt but will be bounce back. Savion was our best OL player and did a great job protecting Kyle. Nixon was great until he got hurt. He may be as good or better at pass catching out of the backfield as Lequint. I think your assessment is off a bit.

In other words, JRS hasn't done anything yet. I hope he does. Nixon has a ways to go to be a better pass catcher than Allen. He is the best I have seen at Syracuse since Art Monk was a running back. Now, who did we get early?

 

[IthacaMatt]

In other words, JRS hasn't done anything yet. I hope he does. Nixon has a ways to go to be a better pass catcher than Allen. He is the best I have seen at Syracuse since Art Monk was a running back. Now, who did we get early?

Ross-Simmons played 4 games. He had 9 catches for a 22 yard average and 2 touchdowns.
In NINE catches.

 

[phil77]

I do wish we were a little more aggressive in the portal with some of our defensive holes. We have clear needs if we want to be a serious team next year, regardless if McCord is back or not.

 

[anomander]

In other words, JRS hasn't done anything yet. I hope he does. Nixon has a ways to go to be a better pass catcher than Allen. He is the best I have seen at Syracuse since Art Monk was a running back. Now, who did we get early?

I actually think when it’s all said and done Willis > LQA. We are now thin at the position and i definitely would have invited him back but i think Willis has higher upside running the ball.

Outside of that we lost a lot of pieces and have not replaced many of them.

 

[SanDiegoCuse]

In other words, JRS hasn't done anything yet. I hope he does. Nixon has a ways to go to be a better pass catcher than Allen. He is the best I have seen at Syracuse since Art Monk was a running back. Now, who did we get early?

JRS had two touchdowns in one game on one leg. Yeesh.

 

[dasher]

JRS had two touchdowns in one game on one leg. Yeesh.

I'm not knocking the kid. Yeesh. This is in response to when we get our best players out of the portal. And there is no question we got our best players in the early portal.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I do wish we were a little more aggressive in the portal with some of our defensive holes. We have clear needs if we want to be a serious team next year, regardless if McCord is back or not.

I think they're going to wait until after spring ball.

They have a ton of young guys already in place who are freshmen, R-FR and Sophomores who have the kind of size Fran is looking for. I think he probably wants spring to size them up, see who can help us this year, and where we need strengthening.

I think this year he probably has to be a bit careful with the NIL spending. And, in the spring, you know for certain about JUCO eligibility. If we want difference makers, the price is going up as it becomes better known how much money players are getting (or not getting, as the case may be ...), so we have to keep our powder dry for maybe 5-8 guys who are likely to be not just contributors, but leaders.

We need some new leaders on defense with Wax and Barron gone. Diggs never really had the impact I hoped for, honestly, even though statistically he did fine. We need some new dogs on that side of the field.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I actually think when it’s all said and done Willis > LQA. We are now thin at the position and i definitely would have invited him back but i think Willis has higher upside running the ball.

Outside of that we lost a lot of pieces and have not replaced many of them.

The thing I loved about Allen was his toughness around the goal line. A real monster of a player near the goal line. But he couldn't necessarily move the line of scrimmage on his own. Yasin Willis is more of a bettering ram kind of RB, but still has very good speed.

Then, don't sleep on Nixon. I think he is damn close to the receiver out of the backfield that LQA was for us this year. Plus, we have that recruit from NJ that people are very excited about.

 

[SanDiegoCuse]

I'm not knocking the kid. Yeesh. This is in response to when we get our best players out of the portal. And there is no question we got our best players in the early portal.

Fair. Savion was pretty important and Nixon/JRS if healthy would have had much bigger impacts.

 

[kcsu]

No offense to those guys but they sort of make my point. Nixon is a back up. JRS hasn't done much yet. And Washington is okay. The guys that made a difference we seem to have got before the spring.

They are all good. JRS is a stud who was injured. Nixon was a solid 2nd back. Washington had a good year.

 

[kcsu]

I think the biggest “question” is what is the plan for next year, when talking about most of our talent who got us too 10 wins are leaving. I believe Fran is the right guy to turn Syracuse around but I’m concerned about the talent departures/talent added ratio. Yes I know a lot of talented freshman but how many freshman are we relying on for a 2 deep spot?

Don't be. Each year the roster will overall be better

 

[GoSU96]

In other words, JRS hasn't done anything yet. I hope he does. Nixon has a ways to go to be a better pass catcher than Allen. He is the best I have seen at Syracuse since Art Monk was a running back. Now, who did we get early?

When JRS was a go he made impact plays. He did a lot in the time he had. More than Meeks did in his prior time at UGA. Very comfortable with him penciled in as a starter.

 

[Sdot]

Don't be. Each year the roster will overall be better

I like the optimism and think our 26 class can be special with having coaches building relationships but, we are losing so much talent just 10 names right now…Mccord(?)Gadsden,allen,meeks,diggs,wax, barron,Washington,Bellamy/barnes(losing both in the same year what makes it hard), and the biggest thing we’re gonna miss for next season is all the leadership moving on.

 

[Orangefan1]

I haven’t seen the same type of portal players targeted that are like a Diggs especially given the amount of talent we have lost targeted. Seems complacent a little or trust in our recruits

 

[IthacaMatt]

I haven’t seen the same type of portal players targeted that are like a Diggs especially given the amount of talent we have lost targeted. Seems complacent a little or trust in our recruits

I think they have to evaluate the tons of young guys they already have on the roster.
As another poster said, these guys have had a year and a half of the culture already.

He recruited guys who fit his size and speed profile. Not a lot of smurfs or guys who have to gain 30-40 lbs to be able to play.

I think he has to get a good look at them, since the FR / R-FR / SO group makes up about 60% of the roster. You have to see who has it and who doesn't.

Yes, a lot of big fish will be taken from the portal by spring, but a lot of JUCOs will have just ensured their eligibility, and they will have some of the mature bodies we might lack on the lines or on defense. But we have to be getting good enough players that there is a viable path for them to become starters, or else we will just turn into somebody else's feeder program.

We clearly need help on defense as a starting point.

 

[vegasnick]

There are currently a couple factors that need to be remembered. Right now they’re waiting on the McCord decision(s). That’s potentially a major portion of NIL funds available. If Kyle moves on, there will be money to spend. Last year there was more roster spots available and they had to revamp a roster in 4 months. Fran said it - they aren’t going to need to be as active in the portal. He brought in a recruiting class of 35 players (almost DOUBLE many other classes). As mentioned by IthacaMatt he brought players in who will fit the culture and style of play they want. Size and speed were a precedent. Let’s be fair with all due respect to everyone that left. Diggs had an avg season, his stats were not great and he wasn’t a first or second team all ACC. He was a leader and he taught some of the younger guys what it takes to be elite. King Joseph Edwards is primed to fill his spot. Meeks turned out to be a stud and in all reality over performed what they anticipated. That said, Zeed Haynes originally beat him out and returns. Zeed will be a big play and deep threat WR. JRS Is a big body receiver to make those tough catches and Gill will likely easily be a 700-800 yard receiver. Not too mention Pena is back, Hatcher will be back from injury, Emmanuel Ross and Hornsby are back with more experience. Not even counting the freshman coming in. Gadsden had a great season but Jamie Tremble is a clone in size but is a better blocker and his ceiling is as good as OG from a receiving standpoint. LQA was a work horse, his game winning TD against UNLV ill never forget. Willis and Nixon will do a great job filling that role and we have Malachi James who is one of the fastest players in all of CFB and Hart to also take some reps. Barnes departure was more a mutual agreement. He wasn’t a fit. Bellamy surprised Fran but that’s not to say he’s not prepared to address it. Don’t forget Fran was the DB coach of the year in 2023- he knows talent especially at that position. Ibn Mcdaniels played well in the bowl game, Marcus Washington the transfer from UGA and Louisville is back from a season long injury, Davien Kerr is Fran’s protege and played well as a freshman starter when Barnes was out. He’s back. Also, Grant and Deuce are back. Adding talent like Demetres Samuels and Kalib Singleton will enhance the secondary. The biggest area where we need to replace leadership and talent is LB. McDonald will step up as a leader, I’m just not sure he’s a legit replacement on the field. They will add from the portal. That said, don’t count out Antoine Deslauriers to get significant playing time as a freshman. He has the size needed to be a run stopper at LB.

The portal isn’t closed to add and there’s another window after spring ball. Depending on who leaves after spring will tell how many spots are opened. Right now there are only (4) spots open. They are actively looking for a LB and DB. Rahtrel Perry and Jack Hasz are names to watch for the OL.

This staff knows what they’re doing and a lot is dependent on the McCord decision.

 

[Cusefan69]

There are currently a couple factors that need to be remembered. Right now they’re waiting on the McCord decision(s). That’s potentially a major portion of NIL funds available. He Kyle moves on, there will be money to spend. Last year there was more roster spots available and they had to revamp a roster in 4 months. Fran said it - they aren’t going to need to be that active in the portal. He brought in a recruiting class of 35 players (almost DOUBLE many other classes). As mentioned by IthacaMatt he brought players in who will fit the culture and style of play they want. Size and speed were a precedent. Let’s be fair with all due respect to everyone that left. Diggs had an avg season, his stats were not great and he wasn’t a first or second team all ACC. He was a leader and he taught some of the younger guys what it takes to be elite. King Joseph Edwards is primed to fill his spot. Meeks turned out to be a stud and in all reality over performed what they anticipated. That said, Zeed Haynes originally beat him out and returns. Zeed will be a big play and deep threat WR. JRS Is a big body receiver to make those tough catches and Gill will likely easily be a 700-800 yard receiver. Not too mention Pena is back, Hatcher will be back from injury, Emmanuel Ross and Hornsby have back with more experience. Not even counting the freshman coming in. Gadsden had a great season but Jamie Tremble is a clone in size but is a better blocker and his ceiling is as good as OG from a receiving standpoint. LQA was a work horse, his game winning TD against UNLV ill never forget. Willis and Nixon will do a great job filling that role and we have Malachi James who is one of the fastest players in all of CFB and Hart also to take some reps. Barnes departure was more a mutual agreement. He wasn’t a fit. Bellamy surprised Fran bit that’s not to say he’s not prepared to address it. Don’t forget Fran was the DB coach of the year in 2023- he knows talent especially at that position. Ibn Mcdaniels played well in the bowl game, Marcus Washington the transfer from UGA and Louisville is back from a season long injury, Davien Kerr is Fran’s protege and played well as a freshman starter when Barnes was out. He’s back. Also, Grant and Deuce are back. Adding talent like Demetres Samuels and Kalib Singleton will enhance the secondary. The biggest area we’re we need to replace leadership and talent is LB. McDonald will step up as a leader, I’m just not sure he’s a legit replacement on the field. They will add from the portal.

The portal isn’t closed to add and there’s another window after spring ball. Depending on who leaves after spring will tell how many spots are opened. Right now there is only (4) spots open. They are actively looking for a LB and DB. Rahtrel Perry and Jack Hasz are names to watch for the OL.

This staff knows what they’re doing and a lot is dependent on the McCord decision.

Agree with many of your points. My main question though is do we know for a fact that if McCord moves on that the entire bucket of dollars that were found for him, fully is available for "others "? I could see a scenario where a whale was willing to pony up for a special QB but if that QB is not coming, pull some of that back(maybe in reserve for the next high impact player). Not saying that is the case but it would be interesting to know if high the entirety of that tranche of dollars remains.

 

[vegasnick]

Agree with many of your points. My main question though is do we know for a fact that if McCord moves on that the entire bucket of dollars that were found for him, fully is available for "others "? I could see a scenario where a whale was willing to pony up for a special QB but if that QB is not coming, pull some of that back(maybe in reserve for the next high impact player). Not saying that is the case but it would be interesting to know if high the entirety of that tranche of dollars remains.

Based on speaking with Mike McAllister and watching his interview on Locked On Syracuse last night- he seems to think there are funds allocated for Kyle that will be used elsewhere if he leaves. No one knows for a fact but it seems like that is the case. Ultimately donors want to see a winning product on the field.

As much as we are seeing the players earn the NIL funds, Fran Brown is the reason why people are donating. The see the work he’s done and believe in his plans for the future.

 

[vegasnick]

Here is the link with the full interview by Jackson Holzer with Mike McAllister. It basically reaffirms what many have been saying. Mike is very close to the program.

 

[Newhouser]

There are currently a couple factors that need to be remembered. Right now they’re waiting on the McCord decision(s). That’s potentially a major portion of NIL funds available. If Kyle moves on, there will be money to spend. Last year there was more roster spots available and they had to revamp a roster in 4 months. Fran said it - they aren’t going to need to be as active in the portal. He brought in a recruiting class of 35 players (almost DOUBLE many other classes). As mentioned by IthacaMatt he brought players in who will fit the culture and style of play they want. Size and speed were a precedent. Let’s be fair with all due respect to everyone that left. Diggs had an avg season, his stats were not great and he wasn’t a first or second team all ACC. He was a leader and he taught some of the younger guys what it takes to be elite. King Joseph Edwards is primed to fill his spot. Meeks turned out to be a stud and in all reality over performed what they anticipated. That said, Zeed Haynes originally beat him out and returns. Zeed will be a big play and deep threat WR. JRS Is a big body receiver to make those tough catches and Gill will likely easily be a 700-800 yard receiver. Not too mention Pena is back, Hatcher will be back from injury, Emmanuel Ross and Hornsby are back with more experience. Not even counting the freshman coming in. Gadsden had a great season but Jamie Tremble is a clone in size but is a better blocker and his ceiling is as good as OG from a receiving standpoint. LQA was a work horse, his game winning TD against UNLV ill never forget. Willis and Nixon will do a great job filling that role and we have Malachi James who is one of the fastest players in all of CFB and Hart to also take some reps. Barnes departure was more a mutual agreement. He wasn’t a fit. Bellamy surprised Fran but that’s not to say he’s not prepared to address it. Don’t forget Fran was the DB coach of the year in 2023- he knows talent especially at that position. Ibn Mcdaniels played well in the bowl game, Marcus Washington the transfer from UGA and Louisville is back from a season long injury, Davien Kerr is Fran’s protege and played well as a freshman starter when Barnes was out. He’s back. Also, Grant and Deuce are back. Adding talent like Demetres Samuels and Kalib Singleton will enhance the secondary. The biggest area where we need to replace leadership and talent is LB. McDonald will step up as a leader, I’m just not sure he’s a legit replacement on the field. They will add from the portal. That said, don’t count out Antoine Deslauriers to get significant playing time as a freshman. He has the size needed to be a run stopper at LB.

The portal isn’t closed to add and there’s another window after spring ball. Depending on who leaves after spring will tell how many spots are opened. Right now there are only (4) spots open. They are actively looking for a LB and DB. Rahtrel Perry and Jack Hasz are names to watch for the OL.

This staff knows what they’re doing and a lot is dependent on the McCord decision.

Excellent post - with all that said - if we don't have a QB none of this matters.

 

[vegasnick]

Excellent post - with all that said - if we don't have a QB none of this matters.

Qb is either McCord or the winner of the Qb competition between Collins Carney and Williams

 

[All4SU]

How many of the 12 playoff teams started portal QBs? One report I saw stated 43% of FBS teams were expected to start portal QBs this year. An incredible number.