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Orangeyes Daily Articles for Wednesday for Football

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Welcome to National Lumpy Rug Day!

National Lumpy Rug Day is observed each year on May 3. There are two variations to the meaning of this day.

Some people view National Lumpy Rug day as a day to appreciate a good, clean rug and incorporate that into spring cleaning. Along with this is to enjoy the old lumpy rugs and the comfort they have brought to your home.

The other variation is to look at National Lumpy Rug Day as sweeping unwelcome facts and issues you do not want to deal with “under the rug.” With either variation, it is a day to take action.


SU News

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Syracuse football's recent NFL Draft history 2nd worst in Power Five (PS)

It's the worst stretch for Syracuse football in the last 60 years

In the wake of this weekend's NFL Draft, in which no Syracuse player was selected for the second time in three years, we wanted to put that three-year window into context, both from a program perspective and in comparison to the rest of college football over that same span.

The results aren't pretty. You have to go back more than 60 years to find a three-year draft cycle as empty as the one that just ended.

Syracuse football has a rich history of NFL draft picks. Cycle through almost any year, and you'll find a former player drafted. In fact, from 1976-2007 at least one player had been drafted. Even the Greg Robinson era, which produced the worst on-field record in the program's history, produced multiple NFL draft picks.

That's partially what makes this recent dry spell so embarrassing for the program. It is the worst three-year stretch since 1954-56, when defensive back Bob Leberman was the only draft choice. He was taken in the 11th round by the Baltimore Colts in 1954.

The worst stretch in school history came when Syracuse did not have a draft pick during a five-year period from 1948-52.

Are better draft days ahead for the Orange? Maybe not as soon as many hope. Next year's draft class has several productive college players expected to have a big role for Syracuse this season.

Linebackers Zaire Franklin and Parris Bennett and receivers Steve Ishmael and Ervin Philips have all contributed since they were freshmen.

But the NFL values a lot more than production. Exhibit A: Amba Etta-Tawo. Based on recent history, expect about 30-35 receivers to go in the draft and maybe a tick more for linebacker.


Syracuse Football Recruiting: Orange Snag Commit from LB Jaqurius Smith (itlh.com; Carey)

The Syracuse football team added some late talent to the roster for the 2018 season. Who is he and what can he provide? We discuss.

The Syracuse football squad picked up another commitment in the class of 2018 on Tuesday. Jaqurius Smith, a 6-foot-3 linebacker from Lakeland High School in Florida has pledged Orange.

The Orange already had some talented linebackers thanks to Dino Babers’ recruiting efforts. While a late addition is better than none at all for the Cuse.

This decision became official once Smith announced his commitment via Twitter:

pic.twitter.com/zJmyxkumK5

— Jaqurius Smith (@hotboi43) May 2, 2017

Smith’s lengthy 6-foot-3 frame will be a perfect fit as an outside linebacker for Syracuse. While in coach Dino Babers’ Tampa-2 defensive scheme, outside linebackers need to be able to cover slot receivers and tight ends.

Jaqurius “Jack” Smith also received offers from the likes of South Florida, Western Kentucky, and Purdue. Smith is a consensus three star prospect and per 247sports he is the 45th best OLB in the class of 2018.

Lets break down this youngster’s film:

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Syracuse Football Adds Fifth Recruit from Class of ’18 – Orange Fizz – Free Syracuse Recruiting News (orangefizz.net; Edelstein)

Some decisions in life take a long time to make. Others come more quickly.

Just under one month after receiving an offer from Syracuse football, Ja’qurius Smith accepted the invitation and committed to the Orange this morning.

pic.twitter.com/zJmyxkumK5

— Jaqurius Smith (@hotboi43) May 2, 2017

Smith is a three star outside linebacker, according to 247Sports.com. The Lakeland, Florida native is the 47th ranked prospect at his position, 109th ranked football prospect in Florida and 655th ranked prospect nationally, also according to 247Sports.com.

At 6 feet 3 inches tall and 194 pounds, Smith is the fifth Syracuse commit from the Class of 2018.

#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/HLWCKyGLfp

— Jaqurius Smith (@hotboi43) May 2, 2017

Syracuse made an offer to Smith on April 3. He also received offers from Charlotte, Bowling Green, Purdue, South Florida, Western Kentucky, UMass and East Carolina.

Here are some of Smith’s highlights:
...

Syracuse football recruiting: Class of 2018 linebacker Ja'Qurius Smith commits to the Orange (DO; Graham)

Class of 2018 linebacker Ja’Qurius Smith announced his commitment to Syracuse on Tuesday morning in a tweet.

“First i want to thank God for giving me this chance,” he wrote. “After talking to my family and we finally came to a pick. I would be taking my talents to the university of syracuse thank you for all my supporters and im blessed for my family to be by my side.”

pic.twitter.com/zJmyxkumK5

— Jaqurius Smith (@hotboi43) May 2, 2017

The three-star linebacker at Lakeland (Florida) High School held offers from East Carolina, Purdue and Dino Babers old school, Bowling Green before choosing Syracuse on Tuesday.

The 6-foot-3, 194 pound defender has a 35.2 inch vertical and ran a 4.54 shuttle, per Smith’s hudl.com profile.

Smith is the fifth commit of Babers’ 2018 recruiting class, and the first defensive player to commit. Track the rest of the 2018 class here.

Here is a video of Smith’s junior year highlights.
...

Orange Watch: For Syracuse football, no NFL draft selections is practically blasphemous - The Juice Online (the juice; Bierman)

Item: Not even a season in which he was named All-ACC first team, catching 94 passes for 1,482 yards and 14 touchdowns, added to that honor by being named the first Syracuse AP All- American (third team) since Dwight Freeney in 2001 (the same year the Orange was last ranked in the Top 25), and receiving an invite to February’s NFL Scouting Combine was convincing enough. None of those accomplishments could land grad transfer Amba Etta-Tawo a shot in any of the seven rounds of the 2017 draft, or among the 32 receivers that were selected at the event last week in Philadelphia. That’s the fickle nature of the business in finding a flaw here or there in talent evaluation, and it’s also symbolic of the fickle nature of an Orange football program that may have produced NFL draft picks that went on to become some of the greatest ever at their respective positions (Jim Brown, John Mackey, Marvin Harrison), but was one of only two (Virginia) ACC teams to come up empty in the recent draft proceedings.

Quick, name the last year in which Syracuse had two first round picks in the same NFL Draft?

It was the 1998 draft in which Terbucky Jones went 22nd overall to New England, and he was followed three selections later by Donovin Darius going to Jacksonville.

Since then there has been a somewhat respectable number of overall first round SU picks, six, or one about every three years, but none since Justin Pugh in 2013, and overall only six players have been taken in the draft since the program moved to the ACC now four seasons ago.

There are several factors in play with the lack of drafted players; the recruiting/scholarship cycle within the program producing fewer eligible players in a given year, injuries to pro prospects, and the uphill climb in the overall race of keeping up with conference mates who have larger resources in the separate, never-ending game of recruiting the best talent to fit the program’s culture.

...

Other

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Fences mended, but Joanie Mahoney-Syracuse Crunch video on hold for now (PS; Kramer)

Syracuse Crunch owner Howard Dolgon doesn't think Onondaga County executive Joanie Mahoney deserves to be booed by Crunch fans, so a video of encouragement that includes a cameo by her will remain on the shelf for now.

Dolgon said Tuesday that he was disappointed at the chilly reaction Mahoney's appearance got twice at a playoff game on Wednesday. The Crunch decided not to play the clip at Friday's home game and Dolgon said as of now it won't be shown at upcoming home contests.

"I don't think she deserves to get vilified for no reason,'' Dolgon said.

The short clip made its debut in Game 3 of the Crunch's playoff series against St. John's. It featured a handful of former players, as well as Mahoney, wishing the team good luck.

When Mahoney's image popped up, the crowd loudly jeered. Deputy County Executive Bill Fisher was at the game, and, according to Dolgon, expressed dismay at the reaction. Syracuse COO Jim Sarosy offered to pull the promo then and there, but Fisher said no.

The team played the video one more time and the reaction was even more vocal. The Crunch didn't show it any more after that. Syracuse hosts Toronto in Game 1 of the North Division finals on Friday.

The crowd's sour reaction stemmed from Dolgon's public frustration with the county over what he perceived as it dragging its feet over funding for improvements in the War Memorial. Dolgon has often credited Mahoney as a supporter of the team but was disappointed in her bidding efforts when the state budget returned with no funds for such work.

...
 

I'm probably reading this wrong or didn't have enough coffee this morning, but if a kid is a redshirt freshman, then how could he have played last season while redshirting?
 
I'm probably reading this wrong or didn't have enough coffee this morning, but if a kid is a redshirt freshman, then how could he have played last season while redshirting?

Redshirted in 2015
Played in 2016.

He would have been a soph in 2017.
 
Redshirted in 2015
Played in 2016.

He would have been a soph in 2017.

I guess the disconnect is that if the writer is talking about the kid playing "last season" then that means that this season he would have been, as you say, a sophomore. He should have called him a soph in his tweet.
 
all the talk of win and he is gone and this whole story and everything coach has talked about is seeing years 3-4-5 and how the system can grow. you show him the commitment and i think he will show it back
 

Airon Servais, OL, Syracuse

There’s room for improvement on a Syracuse offensive line that surrendered 38 sacks last season. Servais worked with the starting unit in the spring game and made a case to earn the No. 1 spot at center. Fellow redshirt freshman Sam Heckel is another name to remember in the trenches as the Orange look to solidify their starting five in fall workouts.
 

Airon Servais, OL, Syracuse

There’s room for improvement on a Syracuse offensive line that surrendered 38 sacks last season. Servais worked with the starting unit in the spring game and made a case to earn the No. 1 spot at center. Fellow redshirt freshman Sam Heckel is another name to remember in the trenches as the Orange look to solidify their starting five in fall workouts.

Apart from more than a few of theses names having been on our board, it's also worth pointing out that quite a few are NJ recruits. I even believe two (Josh Jackson and Anthony Brown) trained with Madei Williams.
*edit - I am wrong about Jackson. I am thinking of another kid he trained but can't remember his name apparently
 
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