Fishes and Loaves

[SanDiegoCuse]

I’m very confused by the earlier claim that we only have 3 scholarship LBs available. Did something happen? Anyone else in the portal we’d have heard about by now. Grades? Disciplinary actions?

 

[Crusty]

Miami had four straight to 20 nationally recruiting classes from 2018-2021 and they went 5-7 last year.

Sean Tucker was considered a 3 star

Brilliant

 

[UpstateSM]

10-2

 

[IthacaMatt]

With most of the fireworks for the early signing period over, I thought I would take a shot at what the roster looks like for next season.

This is who I have on scholarship for 2023, sorted by position and place on the depth chart.

Projected starters are highlighted.

If there is a blank at a position, it means I think there is an open slot for a transfer or a HS recruit to take. I am holding to the scholarship limit of 85.

IMHO, we have too many DTs and DEs (pretty sure I have never said we have too many DTs; when I do these things, it seems I always feel we do not have enough.

That is driving me to limit slots for some other positions.

But in short, I think we need at least one WR, 2 LBs, and a player in the secondary. Preferably a free safety.

The roster isn't great but given all the turmoil we have been experiencing, it is in pretty darned good shape.

I am assuming Carlos Vetterello is coming back here, which is not a given.

I am assuming LaNorris Sellers does not choose Syracuse on Friday, which is not a given.

I am thinking we are probably going to lose a couple of DL to the portal. Can't see the staff taking so many DL in this class unless some of them are replacing players about to leave.

Some of the young players in the secondary have the talent and size to play several positions. I made semi educated guesses where they will end up in these situations.

O	QB	Garrett Shrader
O	QB	Justin Lamson
O	QB	Carlos Del Rio-Wilson
O	QB	JaCobian Morgan
O	RB	LeQuint Allen
O	RB	Juwaun Price
O	RB	Ike Daniels
O	RB	Muwaffaq Parkman
O	OT	Enrique Cruz Jr.
O	OT	Joe More (Richmond)
O	OT	Joe Cruz
O	OT	Trevion Mack
O	OT	Garth Barclay
O	OT	Jayden Bass
O	OT	Anthony Red
O	OG	Kalan Ellis
O	OG	Christopher Bleich
O	OG	Jakob Bradford
O	OG	Lysander Moeolo (JUCO)
O	OG	Wes Hoeh
O	OG	Mark Petry
O	OG	Austyn Kauhi
O	C	Carlos Vettorello ??
O	C	J'Onre Reed (JUCO)
O	C	Josh Ilaoa
O	TE	Oronde Gadsden II
O	TE	Dan Villari
O	TE	Maximilian Mang
O	TE	Steven Mahar Jr.
O	TE	David Clement
O	SLOT	Trebor Pena
O	SLOT	D'Marcus Adams
O	SLOT	Bryce Cohoon
O	SLOT	Kendall Long
O	OWR	Damien Alford
O	OWR	Isaiah Jones
O	OWR	Umari Hatcher
O	OWR	Donovan Brown
O	OWR
O	PK	Brady Denaburg
D	DT	Terry Lockett
D	DT	Braylen Ingraham (Alabama)
D	DT	Kevon Darton
D	DT	Rashard Perry
D	DT	Elijah Fuentes-Cundiff
D	DT	Belizaire Bassette
D	DT	Ty Gordon
D	DE	Caleb Okechukwu
D	DE	Jatius Geer
D	DE	Denis Jaquez Jr.
D	DE	Chase Simmons
D	DE	Kevin Jobity Jr.
D	DE	Francois Nolton Jr.
D	DE	"David" Omopariola
D	DE	Jalil Smith
D	SAM	Stefon Thompson
D	SAM	Derek McDonald
D	SAM	Mekhi Mason
D	SAM
D	MIKE	Anwar Sparrow
D	MIKE	Austin Roon
D	MIKE	Zyian Moultrie-Goddard
D	MIKE
D	WILL	Marlowe Wax
D	WILL	Leon Lowery
D	WILL	Kadin Bailey
D	WILL	Lonnie Rice (JUCO)
D	ROVER	Justin Barron
D	ROVER	Rob Hanna
D	ROVER	Josiah Jeffery
D	BS	Jason Simmons Jr.
D	BS	Jaeden Gould (Nebraska)
D	BS	Bralyn Oliver
D	BS	Malcolm Folk
D	CB	Isaiah Johnson
D	CB	Jeremiah Wilson
D	CB	Jayden Bellamy (ND)
D	CB	Gregory Delaine
D	CB	Quan Peterson
D	FS	Alijah Clark
D	FS	Aman Greenwood
D	FS	Cornell Perry
D	FS
D	P	Jack Stonehouse
D	P	Maximilian Von Marburg
D	LS	Mike Midkaff or Joey Kelly?

Thanks very much, Tomcat. That leaves us only 2 or 3 remaining spots, unless there are more departures.

Watching his tape, Cohoon was only used on the outside in HS, and he doesn't run really sharp routes. I don't see him in the slot as a YAC guy; he's more of a deep threat on fly routes and posts.

Looks like we could really use another FS and CB. I wouldn't mind another WR and RB, either, in the next portal opportunity. But they have to be good enough to be immediate rotation players, not just depth for the future.

Even with the new transfers, I still only count about 8 good linemen on the offensive side. We could use one more "starting level" guy.

Looking at where the roster could be trimmed, I don't think Wes Hoeh or Max Mang are very good blockers. We could lose a couple young DLs who didn't play much this year, like the kid from Florida, Nolton. Others have mentioned Neil Nunn, who I like as a talent, or another of the young DBs who may have felt recruited over by the big name transfers we just brought in.

To me, I wouldn't mind seeing another 4 guys or so enter the portal to make way for guys with some experience in positions of need. That way, we could add six or seven more.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Umari Hatcher is I believe going to be a very good player for us as well.

Going into last season, we had 6 or 7 guys at WR who we thought could develop into real contributors - Alford, Hatcher, Isaiah Jones, Trebor Pena, Courtney Jackson, DeVaughn Cooper and Omari Gadsden.

Only 1 of them emerged as a go-to guy, Gadsden, who had 54 catches.

Among the rest of the WRs, Cooper has 29 catches to be the #2 threat.

Pena, Alford and Jackson all had less than 20 catches in 12 games.

Three of those 7 original guys ended up in single digit receptions for the season.

If we don't add another WR with real experience from the portal, we need at least 2 of those guys to make a big jump next year to have enough targets at wide receiver.

 

[IthacaMatt]

yeah how good are these new O lineman is a a HUGE question for sure. It sounds like the Schmidt wanted to change it up and bit and they went out a got some bigger guys and with some "tude" as Dino said. Just my opinion but I think the kid they brought in at center is the biggest wildcard, he's a huge piece if he's P5 caliber.

On the coaches now 100%

They have to be good, or else we are going to be bad next year. We have VERY few OL who appear up to the level of competition.

I mean, look at this group - Kalan Ellis, Chris Bleich are adequate. Vetterello was weak at Center, better at OT, and may be done.

Enrique Cruz, Josh Ilaoa, Anthony Red and maybe Austin Kauhi are still relatively young guys with some good experience, but can they be starters for a whole season and not have some bad games?

That's only 5 or 6 returning guys who even deserve to play. I hope we never see Wes Hoeh or Max Mang on the field again, to be honest. They're both terrible.

All 3 of these new guys (2 JUCOs and More from Richmond) need to be "ready to go", and then that's still only about 8 or 9 guys you can actually rotate. A couple are sure to get hurt over the course of the season.

We could really use another quality guy on the line.

 

[hoopsupstate]

Our track record with offensive lineman is not very good. I need to see results before I get excited about any of these recruits. They are bigger, but that doesn’t mean they are any better. We had a high draft pick on this years team and the line was still a big problem. I don’t see anyone on next years team that is even near Bergeron’s ability.

 

[SmilinBob]

Our track record with offensive lineman is not very good. I need to see results before I get excited about any of these recruits. They are bigger, but that doesn’t mean they are any better. We had a high draft pick on this years team and the line was still a big problem. I don’t see anyone on next years team that is even near Bergeron’s ability.

This is to me why it's incredibly important that Beck and Schmidt are on the same page. I firmly believe Schmidt can help develop linemen and this piece of the puzzle has to be put together for the whole picture to be in focus.

 

[Consigliere]

I’ll share a few anonymous comments on three young players who will break out.

A veteran player who has been here almost as long as Dino said Enrique Cruz has the quickest feet and best athleticism of any offensive lineman he has played with. And it’s not close. A staff member said he is an absolute, sure fire NFL player with potential All Pro upside.

Umari Hatcher was described as having the highest ceiling of any WR on the roster. Just needs to get stronger to beat press and he’s working his ass off to get there.

Two players said Denis Jaquez was borderline unblockable in the spring. They also thought Terry Lockett had improved to all-ACC level. Those two injuries, particularly Lockett, were killers.

 

[qdawgg]

Miami had four straight top 20 nationally recruiting classes from 2018-2021 and they went 5-7 last year.

Sean Tucker was considered a 3 star
Garrett Williams considered a 3 star
Matthew Bergeron considered a 3 star

You’re referencing different stats as if it proves one main point.

Miami is an outlier. Top 20 classes are more likely to be ranked in the top 30, of course if your coaches suck you might not. Statistically though, teams with high recruiting classes year after year are also the best teams in the country year after year.

The fact Tucker, Williams, and Berg were 3 stars doesn’t disprove the above point for too many reasons I don’t feel like writing. Again. But the star ratings don’t say 3 stars won’t help a team or the player won’t end up in the NFL. People should brush up on what the star ratings imply.

The % of 3 star players who play immediately are much lower than 5 star players. And that % would be much higher if it wasn’t for the fact that the teams highly rated recruits tend to commit to, already have some of the best players at their positions. Which prevents some of them from getting on the field immediately. If they came to SU they’d likely play year 1.

We’ve put guys in the NFL lately but if you look at how many people we’ve put in the NFL in the last 10-20 years compared to other teams in the ACC or nationally. It’s pretty bad. The fact we have 3 guys going to the NFL this year, most likely, seems like a great year for us but is actually an average year for the teams rated higher than us in recruiting.

The fact our record the last 20 years matches our bottom tier recruiting ranking year after year, seems to give some validity to the ratings. At least for us.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

I certainly hope you are right but you are assuming that the transfers are any good and that is no certainty. So many transfers turn out to be busts. Other teams' rejects are a crap shoot. Even if talented it will be mid-season by the time they learn the system.
I am also concerned about safety play with new corners in front of them.

Every year we see the silver lining that never seems to materialize.

I guess there's nothing wrong with hoping.

Not all transfers are rejects these days

 

[Consigliere]

There is no question that the ratings game is an inexact science. I have more faith in the in person and tape evaluation of D1 Coaches than some self proclaimed experts. What gives the ratings more validity IMO is the influence offers and interest has on them. Doesn’t help our case much as we have only a handful of signees (primarily Reed, Daniels and ZMG) with high major offers. There are likely others who report interest but commit early, rebuff that interest and are never formally offered impacting their ratings but that, if anything, is a hypothetical anomaly.
Final factor that impacted this HS class is the difficult roster management and planning that will continue to be driven by the limited number of players exhausting eligibility due to the covid year exemption. I believe we only had eight players entering this season in their final year. And one was Rhino who could have come back. Makes it difficult to prioritize positions and project what your returning base will look like. Transfer portal exacerbates that challenge, but at the same time gives you an opportunity to remedy, and I would consider our start to that remedy to have been very strong.

 

[Doc5120]

I’ll share a few anonymous comments on three young players who will break out.

A veteran player who has been here almost as long as Dino said Enrique Cruz has the quickest feet and best athleticism of any offensive lineman he has played with. And it’s not close. A staff member said he is an absolute, sure fire NFL player with potential All Pro upside.

Umari Hatcher was described as having the highest ceiling of any WR on the roster. Just needs to get stronger to beat press and he’s working his ass off to get there.

Two players said Denis Jaquez was borderline unblockable in the spring. They also thought Terry Lockett had improved to all-ACC level. Those two injuries, particularly Lockett, were killers.

This is great to hear. I have high hopes for Hatcher, and it seems like it all comes down to strength for him to get on the field and make an impact.

I really like Lockett & obviously he was an important player for us. I expect big things from him next season along with the whole Dline. I think they will be a major strength for us.

If Jacquez was that good in practice, shouldn't he have seen more game action prior to injury? I'm not doubting the report, but if true, I would hope coaches would see that and get him on the field.

Overall I think the front 7 should be excellent, barring any unforseen defections.

 

[money3189]

I’ll share a few anonymous comments on three young players who will break out.

A veteran player who has been here almost as long as Dino said Enrique Cruz has the quickest feet and best athleticism of any offensive lineman he has played with. And it’s not close. A staff member said he is an absolute, sure fire NFL player with potential All Pro upside.

Umari Hatcher was described as having the highest ceiling of any WR on the roster. Just needs to get stronger to beat press and he’s working his ass off to get there.

Two players said Denis Jaquez was borderline unblockable in the spring. They also thought Terry Lockett had improved to all-ACC level. Those two injuries, particularly Lockett, were killers.

Thats good stuff my man. Thanks for sharing

 

[Reilly35]

Going into last season, we had 6 or 7 guys at WR who we thought could develop into real contributors - Alford, Hatcher, Isaiah Jones, Trebor Pena, Courtney Jackson, DeVaughn Cooper and Omari Gadsden.

Only 1 of them emerged as a go-to guy, Gadsden, who had 54 catches.

Among the rest of the WRs, Cooper has 29 catches to be the #2 threat.

Pena, Alford and Jackson all had less than 20 catches in 12 games.

Three of those 7 original guys ended up in single digit receptions for the season.

If we don't add another WR with real experience from the portal, we need at least 2 of those guys to make a big jump next year to have enough targets at wide receiver.

Also used Tucker a lot in the passing game. That will keep WR numbers down.

 

[CuseLegacy]

I imagine they'll be more attrition after the bowl game or after spring ball. Then Cuse can identify the last 2-4 scholarships. Definitely if a transfer WR or TE presents himself they need to pursue.

Babers in his presser stated that they were bringing more portal transfers in 1/4-1/9. That time frame is a new NCAA Quiet Period when they can bring those kids in for OVs. Obviously the staff knows others who are not returning and we are not at the 85 limit yet for this recruiting cycle.

 

[qdawgg]

Also used Tucker a lot in the passing game. That will keep WR numbers down.

Tucker only had 254 receiving yards. Not bad but not a significant number to single-handedly prevent any other WR from helping Gadsden out.

 

[smartman]

Awesome write up. It's fun to start thinking about next year. A few thoughts.

QB - Losing Sellers is tough, but we have a 3rd year starter coming back who had a great year (other than a stretch when injured) and continuity in the OC/QB. CDRW and Lamson can battle out for number 2 and the heir apparent role. Let's hope we hit e homerum on the next cycle for QB.

RB- I really do like Allen for his explosiveness. Can he keep up the same production with 15-20 touches a game? I liked Price too - still puzzled we didn't see more of him. Parkman and Daniels seem like nice pickups, but this group as a whole lacks depth and proven production. I wonder if we do more two RB on the field like late last year - seemed like a solid personnel grouping.

WR/TE - Agree with others that another playmaker would be nice. That said, I'm hopeful Villari can become the true TE. We know OG is going to be really good. I really do think Alford can be the number 2 next year and that Jones and Hatcher are both solid. Pena is decent in the slot and puzzled Adams didn't get more play last year - looked like a playmaker. Cohoon seems to get people excited - TBD. Definitely need a few big hitters here next cycle.

LINE - I actually feel our starting 5 could be solid. Cruz has been the heir apparent at LT and looked good at the end of the season. Ellis and Bleich are both proven commodities - hopefully improved with experienced and injury-free. Moore looks like he'll be a good stopgap at RT for a year and if Reed pans out at Center, I think we have a net positive next year. I liked Bradford filling in last year too and he seems versatile to play OG/OT. He'll play a lot. After that, I think there is a big drop and area we'll need to continue to bolster through the portal in years to come.

DT/DE - Complete opposite of last year in that our DT spot has a bunch of depth. Still not the size a lot of folks crave, but I think there is solid talent that still tilts young overall. Lockett, Darton, Ingraham, Fuentes-Cundiff and maybe others will contribute - with another year of experience and weight room. I do wonder if some of these DTs like Perry may bump out to DE to give that position a bit more size on the strong size like Okechukwu gives us. DE looks good overall with two really strong starters coming back, two rotation guys coming off injury, and Jobity who did good filing in and will continue to get better. The other DT/DEs not mention seem like they can be contributors.

LB - Overall, still a really strong group even with the loss of Jones who is one of my favorite players. I think Wax and Thompson are in line for some accolades next year (All ACC at minimum) and we saw Sparrow has real talent. Roon, McDonald, and Lowery all got some good experience to round out the two deep. Beyond that, everyone else is unproven. Agree we may need a couple more recruits as a focus next season.

DBs - I would actually like to see more CBs on the roster as R/FS/BS seem a bit more interchangeable. Johnson and Wilson will both be good, but not Williams and Chestnut good. I do wonder if Gould/Bellamy challenge here and show the 4* recruits they were. Those 4 would be a good rotation. I like our collective starting safeties, but definitely an area of focus on upcoming cycles. Not much proven depth behind Hanna and Oliver who are both solid. We need to recruit there heavy next year.

Specials - Losing Smytz will hurt and our LS too. Punting needed an upgrade. Nobody stands out as a dangerous returner. Maybe Pena and/or Adams.

Looking forward to 2023...I think we have the pieces to go bowling again next year if we stay healthy!

 

[orangemass]

Umari Hatcher is I believe going to be a very good player for us as well.

Agreed

 

[orangemass]

Awesome write up. It's fun to start thinking about next year. A few thoughts.

QB - Losing Sellers is tough, but we have a 3rd year starter coming back who had a great year (other than a stretch when injured) and continuity in the OC/QB. CDRW and Lamson can battle out for number 2 and the heir apparent role. Let's hope we hit e homerum on the next cycle for QB.

RB- I really do like Allen for his explosiveness. Can he keep up the same production with 15-20 touches a game? I liked Price too - still puzzled we didn't see more of him. Parkman and Daniels seem like nice pickups, but this group as a whole lacks depth and proven production. I wonder if we do more two RB on the field like late last year - seemed like a solid personnel grouping.

WR/TE - Agree with others that another playmaker would be nice. That said, I'm hopeful Villari can become the true TE. We know OG is going to be really good. I really do think Alford can be the number 2 next year and that Jones and Hatcher are both solid. Pena is decent in the slot and puzzled Adams didn't get more play last year - looked like a playmaker. Cohoon seems to get people excited - TBD. Definitely need a few big hitters here next cycle.

LINE - I actually feel our starting 5 could be solid. Cruz has been the heir apparent at LT and looked good at the end of the season. Ellis and Bleich are both proven commodities - hopefully improved with experienced and injury-free. Moore looks like he'll be a good stopgap at RT for a year and if Reed pans out at Center, I think we have a net positive next year. I liked Bradford filling in last year too and he seems versatile to play OG/OT. He'll play a lot. After that, I think there is a big drop and area we'll need to continue to bolster through the portal in years to come.

DT/DE - Complete opposite of last year in that our DT spot has a bunch of depth. Still not the size a lot of folks crave, but I think there is solid talent that still tilts young overall. Lockett, Darton, Ingraham, Fuentes-Cundiff and maybe others will contribute - with another year of experience and weight room. I do wonder if some of these DTs like Perry may bump out to DE to give that position a bit more size on the strong size like Okechukwu gives us. DE looks good overall with two really strong starters coming back, two rotation guys coming off injury, and Jobity who did good filing in and will continue to get better. The other DT/DEs not mention seem like they can be contributors.

LB - Overall, still a really strong group even with the loss of Jones who is one of my favorite players. I think Wax and Thompson are in line for some accolades next year (All ACC at minimum) and we saw Sparrow has real talent. Roon, McDonald, and Lowery all got some good experience to round out the two deep. Beyond that, everyone else is unproven. Agree we may need a couple more recruits as a focus next season.

DBs - I would actually like to see more CBs on the roster as R/FS/BS seem a bit more interchangeable. Johnson and Wilson will both be good, but not Williams and Chestnut good. I do wonder if Gould/Bellamy challenge here and show the 4* recruits they were. Those 4 would be a good rotation. I like our collective starting safeties, but definitely an area of focus on upcoming cycles. Not much proven depth behind Hanna and Oliver who are both solid. We need to recruit there heavy next year.

Specials - Losing Smytz will hurt and our LS too. Punting needed an upgrade. Nobody stands out as a dangerous returner. Maybe Pena and/or Adams.

Looking forward to 2023...I think we have the pieces to go bowling again next year if we stay healthy!

Is it for sure that we are losing jones? Any word

 

[Reilly35]

Tucker only had 254 receiving yards. Not bad but not a significant number to single-handedly prevent any other WR from helping Gadsden out.

The comment I replied to was about other receivers having low number of catches after Gadsden. If the play calls for Tucker to get the pass then what’s a receiver to do but block. His catch number will be down.

 

[GoSU96]

Going into last season, we had 6 or 7 guys at WR who we thought could develop into real contributors - Alford, Hatcher, Isaiah Jones, Trebor Pena, Courtney Jackson, DeVaughn Cooper and Omari Gadsden.

Only 1 of them emerged as a go-to guy, Gadsden, who had 54 catches.

Among the rest of the WRs, Cooper has 29 catches to be the #2 threat.

Pena, Alford and Jackson all had less than 20 catches in 12 games.

Three of those 7 original guys ended up in single digit receptions for the season.

If we don't add another WR with real experience from the portal, we need at least 2 of those guys to make a big jump next year to have enough targets at wide receiver.

SU had the fewest pass attempts in the ACC by a significant margin, 115th in D1.

That is going to be reflected in the number of catches for the Wr unit.

 

[Trueblue25]

I’ll share a few anonymous comments on three young players who will break out.

A veteran player who has been here almost as long as Dino said Enrique Cruz has the quickest feet and best athleticism of any offensive lineman he has played with. And it’s not close. A staff member said he is an absolute, sure fire NFL player with potential All Pro upside.

Umari Hatcher was described as having the highest ceiling of any WR on the roster. Just needs to get stronger to beat press and he’s working his ass off to get there.

Two players said Denis Jaquez was borderline unblockable in the spring. They also thought Terry Lockett had improved to all-ACC level. Those two injuries, particularly Lockett, were killers.

Have heard great things about Jobity, Dono Brown and Leon as well.

 

[RF2044]

I’ll share a few anonymous comments on three young players who will break out.

A veteran player who has been here almost as long as Dino said Enrique Cruz has the quickest feet and best athleticism of any offensive lineman he has played with. And it’s not close. A staff member said he is an absolute, sure fire NFL player with potential All Pro upside.

Umari Hatcher was described as having the highest ceiling of any WR on the roster. Just needs to get stronger to beat press and he’s working his ass off to get there.

Two players said Denis Jaquez was borderline unblockable in the spring. They also thought Terry Lockett had improved to all-ACC level. Those two injuries, particularly Lockett, were killers.

One of the points you're making gets swept under the rug, given all of the disappointment about the 5 game slide after the hot start.

We sustained killer injuries that were just to difficult to overcome in some cases. On defense, the toll was heavy -- and we STILL almost shook it off. But a guy like Garret Williams is a difference-maker, and things aren't the same without him. Similar story with Lockett / Thompson.

The offense was dynamic... until Shrader couldn't run anymore, then it was vanilla and easy to defend. It wasn't because the offensive concept was poor, it was because the personnel were beat up.

We were very, very close to having an exceptional year [which I view as 9 wins], but got derailed by critical injuries. Too bad, given the start.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

IMO our Gs were a big disappointment last season. If they do not improve by quite a bit, what good is their experience?

We haven't seen much production from Hatcher. Surprised to see so many buying into him. IMO he is less likely to make a jump than Jones or Alford.

Pena seemed to be making strides before getting banged up. Can he stay healthy?