sutomcat
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Welcome to National Signing Day!
Are you ready for some football? We hope so, because February 1 is National Signing Day! Where do you see yourself in five years? Does this simple question lead you into a malaise of existential dread? Then try being a high school recruit deciding on a college on the first Wednesday in February every year. On February 1, National Signing Day, a whole group of high school football players are eligible to commit to the college of their choice. Some of the most talented players announce their decisions in front of television cameras and their entire school. So don’t sweat your next five years—at least you don’t have to make your decisions in front of an audience.
SU News
It’s going to be a quiet National Signing Day for Syracuse. That’s not necessarily a bad thing (PS; $; Leiker)
What was once the biggest day of the year for the college football recruiting cycle is shaping up to be a very quiet one for Syracuse football.
Ever since Early National Signing Day was established in 2017, National Signing Day has decreased in importance.
An estimated 80% of high school recruits now sign their national letters of intent during the early signing period, according to Sports Illustrated. Some do it because they want to enroll early, others simply seem to want it off their plate.
SU signed 20 players — 15 high schoolers and five transfers — on Dec. 21. It has added just one player to the 2023 class in the month since. He’s a grad transfer long snapper.
While there could be surprise day-of commits, that’s not as common for National Signing Day now as it has been in the past. Many of those last-minute choices or flips occur in the early signing period, like what happened with SU’s quarterback target LaNorris Sellers.
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Syracuse football 2023 schedule: Will this be a good November for the Orange? (analysis) (PS; $; Leiker)
This might be the year Syracuse football finally breaks its recent November slump.
The order for the full 2023 schedule was released by the ACC on Monday night, and the final four games of the season are favorable for SU. Kickoff times and broadcast information will be announced closer to the season, typically two weeks before each game.
Syracuse will face Boston College, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest in November, bookending the month with games at the JMA Wireless Dome.
It’s the easiest November slate SU has had since 2019 when it faced Boston College, Duke, Louisville and Wake Forest.
That was the last year the Orange won more than one game in the final month of the season, going 2-2. Syracuse played Boston College and Wake Forest at home to open and close the month that year, too, just as it will in 2023.
The Orange has historically struggled in November under Dino Babers. It has a record of 7-20 in the month, with three of those wins coming against Boston College. This past season the Orange went 0-3 in the month before surging back from an early deficit to beat the Eagles in the final game of the regular season.
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Courtesy: Syracuse University Athletic Communications
Orange Watch: Key takeaways from the 2023 Syracuse football schedule - The Juice Online (the juice; Bierman)
Item: For some inexpiable reason Monday night, the ACC saw fit to release the complete 2023 football schedules for the 14 league teams during a two-hour special on the ACC Network, directly opposite of the ESPN ‘Big Monday’ basketball game between Syracuse and No. 6 Virginia. The schedule reveal showed in the first year of the new 3-5-5 scheduling rotation, the conference office and ESPN didn’t do SU any favors.
The items that jump out of the schedule for the 134th season of Syracuse football include:
For the first time since 2008, there are no home games in the month of October. In fact, between September 30-November 25 there are only three home games.
Syracuse Football: Top games for Orange fans in team’s 2023 schedule (itlh; Nutting)
The official 2023 schedule for Syracuse football was released on Monday night, with the first game being a home game to start the season on September 2nd versus Colgate.
The schedule was released on the Orange football team’s Twitter page on Monday night, as the Orange looks to improve on a 2022 season where the team made a bowl game last year and finished at 7-6 overall.
We have three highlighted matchups that ‘Cuse fans can look forward to this upcoming season. Additional details on the 2023 calendar are available via this press release from SU Athletics.
It’s always a big-time matchup feel when the Clemson Tigers come to the Dome, and on September 30th, the fans get to relive it all over again. The Tigers will come to Syracuse, as the last time these two teams met was in a nail bitter in Clemson, where the Tigers came out with a 27-21 win over the Orange, handing Syracuse football its first loss of the season after going 6-0 in its first six games.
September 16th: Away vs Purdue Boilermakers
This matchup was highlighted due to the intense matchup last season, where the Orange was able to come out of the JMA Wireless Dome with a 32-29 win over the Boilermakers and advance to 4-0. This time, the Orange will be on the road and Purdue is looking for some revenge, as many believe this will be another back-and-forth contest between these two teams.
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Syracuse football: Way too early schedule impressions (TNIAAM; Ostrowski, De Guzman & Wall)
The 2023 Syracuse Orange football schedule was unveiled last night, and our beat writers have some initial reactions to the opposition SU will face in the fall:
Christian: Opening the ACC slate at home versus Clemson and following that up with road games against UNC and FSU is absolutely brutal. It doesn’t look like any of those teams have regressed that much either, which makes this stretch a nightmare for a Syracuse team that lost some key pieces in the offseason.
Kevin: I’ll go different here and say it’s the stretch which sees the Orange on the road at Purdue followed by Army and Clemson. You have the first road game of the season followed by trying to prepare for a triple-option offense, then getting Clemson. Unlike the start of the ACC season, this is a stretch where Syracuse needs to likely go 2-1 to keep bowl hopes alive.
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Najee Harris 5th On MJD's 2021 Breakout RBs List: 'This Guy's Just A True Monster' - Steelers Depot (steelersdepot.com; Heitritter)
The first day of practices recently wrapped up at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama and unlike last year, the media was allowed to take the field after practice to speak with the players. I saw Syracuse OT Matthew Bergeron standing off to the side with only a few people around him, so I went over to speak with him after practice and to ask him a few questions.
I asked Bergeron if he had any contact with the Pittsburgh Steelers to which he responded that he expects to talk to members of the organization soon over the next few days. I also asked him about head coach Mike Tomlin, who looked to be talking to Bergeron after a rep of the 1-in-1s.
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ACC News
2023 Schedule: Byes (RX; HM)
2023 Schedule: Byes
Who got the best use of their bye(s), and who did by the conference "give the business" to?
You'll probably notice that some teams appear twice as the opponent following the bye.
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2023 CFB Schedule: Neutral Site Games (RX; HM)
2023 CFB Schedule: Neutral Site Games
The ACC is embracing the neutral site game this season, with a total of six (not counting Notre Dame)!
Some fans are already complaining or asking "why did they move these games out of our home stadium?" Let's address the elephant in the room, then. There are a couple of things you need to understand about the logic of "neutral site" games:
What about Seminole alumni in Orlando, or Louisville alumni in Indianapolis, or Syracuse alumni in the Big Apple? When viewed from the point of view of the alumni, these games are "home away from home" - and may be a lot easier for those fans who normally can't attend a lot of on-campus games to catch their alma mater in person.
Besides all that, you can only grow your fan base so much playing in a small college town. For instance, a little over 197,000 people live in Tallahassee, FL - but the population of Orlando is over 309,000. Many of those are potential new Seminole fans. Or compare Syracuse, with it's 146,000 people, to New York City, which has a population of 8.468 million! That's where the Orange can grow their fan base.
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2023 ACC Football Notes (RX; HM)
2023 ACC Football Notes
Welcome to divisionless scheduling! It was a long time coming, but I think we can all agree it's a major improvement. However, before we talk about the ACC conference games (in a future post), let's take a quick look at the ouf-of-conference games (from the official ACC release):
ACC football schedule 2023: UNC leads ranking of conference's six toughest slates next season (247sports.com; Crawford)
The ACC released its full 2023 football schedules for every team this week — and, clearly, all slates were not created equally, with regards to non-conference opponents and where certain league matchups come during the season. Defending ACC champion Clemson appears to have a favorable schedule with its two toughest contests coming at home, while a fellow preseason title hopeful — Florida State — does not.
Ahead of Monday's reveal, UNC coach Mack Brown expressed his unhappiness with the Tar Heels' treacherous slate. UNC welcomes back Heisman candidate Drake Maye at quarterback after winning the Coastal last fall. This year, the ACC is division-free.
"You’ll see they didn’t do us any favors," Brown said, via Inside Carolina. "It’s really, really difficult. We start tough and we finish with an unbelievably tough. So I’m disappointed. I told them I didn’t like it. I didn’t think it was fair."
Here's a look at the league's six toughest schedules, ranked.
The word: It's a good thing Maye returns for UNC, because the Tar Heels are going to need record production from the quarterback spot to combat the ACC's most difficult schedule in 2023. They open against a South Carolina team that finished inside the top 25 and welcomes back Spencer Rattler, then host Appalachian State and Minnesota before the start of ACC play. The Golden Gophers, by the way, finished one win short of a berth in the Big Ten title game last season.
The back end of the schedule is loaded with rivalry matchups against Duke, Clemson and NC State, the final two of which will be played away from Chapel Hill. Pittsburgh and Miami come before those tilts.
There's a good reason for Brown's anger at the ACC after seeing this schedule. It's not balanced in the slightest and there's no room for a breather this fall for the Tar Heels.
"That out-of-conference schedule will be as tough as any in the country," Brown said.
2023 schedule: Clemson, Lafayette, Northwestern, at UConn, Notre Dame, NC State, at Florida State, at Louisville, Wake Forest, at UNC, at Virginia, Pittsburgh.
The word: Considering Mike Elko soared past expectations at Duke in his first season with a 9-4 finish, we're not going to limit the Blue Devils potentially taking the next step this fall. However, schedule favorability is not a factor in this and Duke is going to play as many as three top 10 teams in 2023, beginning with home opener against Clemson (on Labor Day night). That should be fun for the fans in Durham. Duke hosts Notre Dame and NC State as well.
For the record, Duke's not backing down from the opener against Clemson. In fact, the Blue Devils trolled Dabo Swinney and the Tigers with an interesting Twitter video this week when it was announced. Blue Devils defensive back Joshua Pickett started the video by touching a rock inside the locker room — mimicking Clemson's Howard's Rock at Memorial Stadium — and sprints through the underbelly of Wallace Wade Stadium and onto the playing surface, just like Swinney does with the Tigers.
The word: Pittsburgh misses defending league champ Clemson, but that's the only bright spot during an otherwise challenging slate for the Panthers. They'll face new Big 12 entry Cincinnati in Week 2, then travel to West Virginia for the Backyard Brawl the following week. Later road games against Wake Forest, Notre Dame and Duke will test Pittsburgh, along with a home game with Florida State down the stretch. This schedule doesn't set up for a bright season for the Panthers.
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Analysts give predictions for 2023 ACC title game (theclemsoninsider.com; Staff)
During ACC Network’s ACC Huddle: 2023 Football Schedule Reveal on Monday, the analysts were asked to give their predictions for the two teams that will be playing in the ACC Championship Game next season.
Roddy Jones went with Clemson and Florida State as his picks, while Mark Richt predicted the same two teams and named Pittsburgh as his dark horse. EJ Manuel, meanwhile, shied away from giving a prediction.
Here’s what they had to say:
Jones: “I am not brave enough this early in the year to go out on any sorts of limbs. So, I’m gonna go Clemson and Florida State play in the championship game in December, which is like 397 days away.”
Richt: “I’m saying the same two teams, but I think Florida State’s the best team going into the season. But they got a problem – one is LSU to start the season, and a few weeks later, having to go to Clemson. … But the bottom line is I think they’re the two best teams. My dark horse is the Pitt Panthers.”
Manuel: “I’m going to break some news. We have another university joining the ACC this year and it’s called IDKU, which means “I Don’t Know University.” … Like Roddy said, I couldn’t tell you who right now because it’s January, the season just ended. So, you ask me in August, you ask me in September, I might have a different answer for you.”
The 2023 ACC Football Championship Game will be played Dec. 2 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, and will feature the top two teams based on winning percentage. The ACC and the Charlotte Sports Foundation have an agreement in place to keep the championship game in Charlotte through the 2030 season.
Clemson leads the ACC with 29 All-ACC Academic Football Team selections (clemsonwire.usatoday.com; Angalet)
Atlantic Coast Conference Jim Tatum Award winner Dillan Gibbons of Florida State headlines the 2022 All-ACC Academic Football Team, announced Tuesday by the league office.
All 14 ACC Football member institutions were represented on the team. Clemson led all schools with 29 selections, followed by Duke (25), Virginia (24) and Virginia Tech (24). The ACC has selected an All-ACC Academic Football Team every year since 1954.
Three-time All-ACC Academic Team selections include Boston College DE Marcus Valdez, Clemson PK B.T. Potter, NC State OL Grant Gibson and LS Joe Shimko, Pitt DL Deslin Alexandre, Virginia Tech LB Dax Hollifield and Wake Forest WR Taylor Morin.
Forty-one members of the All-ACC Academic Football Team also earned some form of all-conference recognition. Clemson’s Will Shipley (RB/AP), Duke’s Graham Barton (OL), Florida State’s Dillan Gibbons (OL), Miami’s Lou Hedley (P), NC State’s Grant Gibson (C) and Chandler Zavala (OG), North Carolina’s Drake Maye (QB/ACC Player of the Year), and Pitt’s Marcus Minor (OG) were first-team all-conference players in addition to All-ACC Academic Team selections.
Academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team are a 3.0-grade point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during one’s academic career. In addition, student-athletes must compete in at least 50 percent of their team’s contests.
2022 All-ACC Academic Football Team
Samuel Candotti, Boston College, SP, Management
Liam Connor, Boston College, SP, Management
Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College, DE, Management
Drew Kendall, Boston College, OL, Management
Joseph Marinaro, Boston College, LB, Management
Owen McGowan, Boston College, LB, Management
Jackson Ness, Boston College, OL, Management
Dino Tomlin, Boston College, WR, Management
Ozzy Trapilo, Boston College, OL, Management
Marcus Valdez***, Boston College, DE, MBA
Kwan Williams, Boston College, DT, Neuroscience
Davis Allen, Clemson, Tight End, Marketing
LaVonta Bentley, Clemson, Linebacker, Communication
Jake Briningstool, Clemson, Tight End, Sociology
DeMonte Capehart, Clemson, Defensive Tackle, Sport Communication
Barrett Carter, Clemson, Linebacker, Sport Communication
Holden Caspersen, Clemson, Long Snapper, Financial Management/Accounting
Beaux Collins, Clemson, Wide Receiver, Management
Carson Donnelly, Clemson, Safety, MBA
Sage Ennis, Clemson, Tight End, Park, Recreation, and Tourism Management
Philip Florenzo, Clemson, Long Snapper, Financial Management
Malcolm Greene, Clemson, Cornerback, Marketing
K.J. Henry**, Clemson, Defensive End, Post Baccalaureate
Sheridan Jones, Clemson, Cornerback, Athletic Leadership Masters
Cade Klubnik, Clemson, Quarterback, Pre-Business
Phil Mafah, Clemson, Running Back, Management
Blake Miller, Clemson, Offensive Line, Financial Management
Kobe Pace, Clemson, Running Back, Communication
Walker Parks**, Clemson, Offensive Line, Criminal Justice
Jalyn Phillips, Clemson, Safety, Communication
B.T. Potter***, Clemson, Kicker, Athletic Leadership Masters
Luke Price, Clemson, Tight End, Post Baccalaureate
Will Putnam, Clemson, Offensive Line, Management
Etinosa Reuben, Clemson, Defensive Tackle, Criminal Justice
Will Shipley**, Clemson, Running Back, Management
Trenton Simpson**, Clemson, Linebacker, Communication
Drew Swinney, Clemson, Wide Receiver, MBA
DJ Uiagalelei**, Clemson, Quarterback, Sport Communication
Antonio Williams, Clemson, Wide Receiver, Park, Recreation, and Tourism Management
Wade Woodaz, Clemson, Linebacker, Construction Science Management
Vincent Anthony Jr., Duke, DE, Undeclared
Graham Barton**, Duke, OL, Public Policy
Jack Burns, Duke, OL, Master of Management Studies
DeWayne Carter**, Duke, DT, Psychology
Jaylen Coleman, Duke, RB, Biomedical Engineering
Nicky Dalmolin, Duke, TE, Psychology
Evan Deckers, Duke, LS, Master of Management Studies
Cam Dillon, Duke, LB, Master of Management Studies
Cole Finney, Duke, TE, Public Policy
Ja’mion Franklin, Duke, DT, Visual & Media Studies
Sahmir Hagans, Duke, WR, Undeclared
Charlie Ham**, Duke, K, Psychology
Darrell Harding, Duke, WR, Psychology
Joe Hardison, Duke, WR, Master of Management Studies
Jackson Hubbard**, Duke, P, Master of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Darius Joiner, Duke, DB, Master of Management Studies
Riley Leonard, Duke, QB, Undeclared
Chance Lytle, Duke, OL, Master of Management Studies
Jordan Moore, Duke, WR, Psychology
Terry Moore, Duke, RB, Undeclared
Anthony Nelson, Duke, DE, Master of Management Studies
Eli Pancol, Duke, WR, Visual & Media Studies
Joshua Pickett, Duke, DB, Public Policy
Justin Pickett, Duke, OL, Undeclared
Porter Wilson***, Duke, P, Sociology
Brian Courtney, Florida State, TE, Marketing
Preston Daniel, Florida State, TE, Finance
Ja’Khi Douglas, Florida State, WR, Sport Management
D’Mitri Emmanuel, Florida State, OL, Social Science
Joshua Farmer, Florida State, DL, Social Science
Ryan Fitzgerald**, Florida State, SP, Accounting/ Risk Management Insurance (dual major)
Dillan Gibb, Florida State, OL, Master Business Administration
Kevin Knowles II, Florida State, DB, Social Science
James Rosenberry Jr., Florida State, SP, Master Business Administration
Azareye’h Thomas, Florida State, DB, Communication
Henry Freer, Georgia Tech, LS, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Jude Kelley, Georgia Tech, PK, Business Administration
Dylan Leonard, Georgia Tech, TE, Business Administration
Jason Moore, Georgia Tech, DL, Nuclear and Radiological Engineering
Clayton Powell-Lee, Georgia Tech, DB, Business Administration
David Shanahan, Georgia Tech, P, Business Administration
Gavin Stewart, Georgia Tech, PK, Business Administration
Chris Bell, Louisville, WR, Sport Administration
Yaya Diaby, Louisville, DL, Criminal Justice
Brock Domann, Louisville, QB, Sport Administration
Ashton Gillotte, Louisville, DL, Communication
Michael Gonzalez, Louisville, OL, Finance
Bryan Hudson, Louisville, OL, Finance
Shai Kochav, Louisville, SPEC, Sport Administration
Josh Lifson, Louisville, TE, Marketing
Ramon Puryear, Louisville, DL, Business Administration
TJ Quinn, Louisville, LB, Computer Information Systems
Mason Reiger, Louisville, DL, Sport Administration
Braden Smith, Louisville, WR, Biology
Tawfiq Thomas, Louisville, DL, Undecided
Brock, Travelstead, Louisville, SPEC, Sport Administration
James Turner, Louisville, SPEC, Finance
Mitchell Agude, Miami, DE, Masters – Sport Administration
Wesley Bissainthe, Miami, LB, Sport Administration
Anez Cooper, Miami, OL, Liberal Arts
Lou Hedley**, Miami, P, Masters – Liberal Studies
Clay James, Miami, LS, Masters – Liberal Studies
Caleb Johnson, Miami, LB, Masters – Sport Administration
Frank Ladson, Miami, WR, Masters – Liberal Studies
Jake Lichtenstein, Miami, DE, Masters – Liberal Studies
Will Mallory, Miami, TE, Masters – Applied Physiology
Michael Redding, Miami, WR, Psychology
Jalen Rivers, Miami, OL, Sport Administration
Tyler Van Dyke**, Miami, QB, Real Estate
Noah Burnette, North Carolina, PK, Exercise and Sport Science
Elijah Green, North Carolina, RB, Business Administration
Omarion Hampton, North Carolina, RB, Exercise and Sport Science
Will Hardy, North Carolina, DB, Undecided
Christopher Holliday, North Carolina, DB, Economics
Gibson Macrae, North Carolina, LB, Undecided
Drake Maye, North Carolina, QB, Communication Studies
Justin Olson, North Carolina, WR, Communication Studies
Spencer Triplett, North Carolina, DS, Exercise and Sport Science
Devon Betty, NC State, LB, Sport Management
Anthony Carter Jr., NC State, OL, Communication
Cory Durden**, NC State, DL, Post Baccalaureate Studies
Grant Gibson***, NC State, OL, Marketing Analytics
Colby Johnson, NC State, LB, Sociology
Marc Jones, NC State, RB, Nutrition
Matt McCabe, NC State, OL, Business Admin.
Tim McKay, NC State, OL, Marketing Analytics
Dylan McMahon**, NC State, OL, Business Admin.
Joe Shimko***, NC State, LS, Sport Management
Collin Smith, NC State, K, Business Admin.
Kam Walker, NC State, TE, Sport Management
Chandler Zavala, NC State, OL, Adult & Community College Education
Deslin Alexandre***, Pitt, DL, Business Administration
Myles Alston, Pitt, WR, Communication: Rhet & Comm
Trey Andersen, Pitt, OL, Communication: Rhet & Comm
Habakkuk Baldonado, Pitt, DL, Business Administration
Gavin Bartholomew, Pitt, TE, Communication: Rhet & Comm
Dylan Bennett, Pitt, LB, Undeclared
Jason Collier, Pitt, OL, Administration of Justice
Matthew Goncalves, Pitt, OL, Administration of Justice
Cameron Guess, Pitt, P, Marketing
Stephon Hall, Pitt, DB, Undeclared
Jacob Kradel**, Pitt, OL, Business Administration
Nicholas Lapi, Pitt, LB, Undeclared
Jehvonn Lewis, Pitt, DB, Communication: Rhet & Comm
Christopher Maloney, Pitt, DL, Health and Physical Activity
Marcus Minor, Pitt, OL, Marketing Science
Terrence Moore, Pitt, OL, Communication: Rhet & Comm
Jake Renda, Pitt, TE, Economics
Shayne Simon, Pitt, LB, Supply Chain Management
Samuel Vander Haar, Pitt, P, Communication: Rhet & Comm
Tylar Wiltz, Pitt, LB, Urban Studies
A.J. Woods, Pitt, DB, Communication: Rhet & Comm
Blake Zubovic, Pitt, OL, Business Administration
Lequint Allen, Syracuse, RB, Undeclared
Dakota Davis**, Syracuse, OL, Business Administration – MBA
Brady Denaburg, Syracuse, K, Engineering
CJ Hayes, Syracuse, WR, Instructional Design, Development & Eval
Wes Hoeh, Syracuse, OL/TE, Undeclared
Courtney Jackson**, Syracuse, WR, Instructional Design, Development & Eval
Isaiah Johnson, Syracuse, CB, Political Science
Derek McDonald, Syracuse, LB, Broadcast & Digital Journalism
Garrett Shrader, Syracuse, QB, Communication & Rhetorical Studies
Carlos Vettorello**, Syracuse, OL, Entrepreneurship & Emerging Enterprises
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Other
Tony Albanese in the dining room at Tony's Family Restaurant at 3004 Burnet Ave. in Syracuse. It will close Friday, Feb. 3 and reopen under new owners on Feb. 7 as Lavish Mediterranean. (Don Cazentre)
Closing of popular Syracuse Italian-American restaurant opens door for a Mediterranean one (PS; $; Cazentre)
Tony’s Family Restaurant, known for its breakfast-through-dinner menu featuring Italian and American dishes, will close for good on Friday (Feb. 3).
On Tuesday (Feb. 7), a new restaurant opens in its space at 3004 Burnet Ave. It will be called Lavish Mediterranean, offering an array of cuisines, from Iranian (Persian) and Afghani to Indian and Chinese.
It’s a quick transition for the restaurant, which has been Tony’s for more than 20 years. But it doesn’t spell the end for the family that has run Tony’s.
Brothers Tony and Mike Albanese will now devote their full attention to Vito’s Ristorante in East Syracuse. That’s the former Rico’s, which the Albanese brothers and their partner Steve Reader bought and re-opened in 2017.
The reason for the closing of Tony’s on Burnet is that Tony Albanese, the elder brother, is going into a semi-retirement. He opened his first restaurant on James Street in Eastwood in 1995, then he and Mike started the place called Tony’s on Burnet Avenue in 2000.
Since the family took over Vito’s, Mike said he has “called the shots” there while his brother ran Tony’s. Now Tony will lend a hand at Vito’s.
Vito’s will pick up the catering business that Tony’s had, and may even bring on some of the dishes the Burnet Avenue restaurant was known for. That could mean weekly specials like turkey or meatloaf dinners, Mike Albanese said.
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Are you ready for some football? We hope so, because February 1 is National Signing Day! Where do you see yourself in five years? Does this simple question lead you into a malaise of existential dread? Then try being a high school recruit deciding on a college on the first Wednesday in February every year. On February 1, National Signing Day, a whole group of high school football players are eligible to commit to the college of their choice. Some of the most talented players announce their decisions in front of television cameras and their entire school. So don’t sweat your next five years—at least you don’t have to make your decisions in front of an audience.
SU News
It’s going to be a quiet National Signing Day for Syracuse. That’s not necessarily a bad thing (PS; $; Leiker)
What was once the biggest day of the year for the college football recruiting cycle is shaping up to be a very quiet one for Syracuse football.
Ever since Early National Signing Day was established in 2017, National Signing Day has decreased in importance.
An estimated 80% of high school recruits now sign their national letters of intent during the early signing period, according to Sports Illustrated. Some do it because they want to enroll early, others simply seem to want it off their plate.
SU signed 20 players — 15 high schoolers and five transfers — on Dec. 21. It has added just one player to the 2023 class in the month since. He’s a grad transfer long snapper.
While there could be surprise day-of commits, that’s not as common for National Signing Day now as it has been in the past. Many of those last-minute choices or flips occur in the early signing period, like what happened with SU’s quarterback target LaNorris Sellers.
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Syracuse football 2023 schedule: Will this be a good November for the Orange? (analysis) (PS; $; Leiker)
This might be the year Syracuse football finally breaks its recent November slump.
The order for the full 2023 schedule was released by the ACC on Monday night, and the final four games of the season are favorable for SU. Kickoff times and broadcast information will be announced closer to the season, typically two weeks before each game.
Syracuse will face Boston College, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest in November, bookending the month with games at the JMA Wireless Dome.
It’s the easiest November slate SU has had since 2019 when it faced Boston College, Duke, Louisville and Wake Forest.
That was the last year the Orange won more than one game in the final month of the season, going 2-2. Syracuse played Boston College and Wake Forest at home to open and close the month that year, too, just as it will in 2023.
The Orange has historically struggled in November under Dino Babers. It has a record of 7-20 in the month, with three of those wins coming against Boston College. This past season the Orange went 0-3 in the month before surging back from an early deficit to beat the Eagles in the final game of the regular season.
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Courtesy: Syracuse University Athletic Communications
Orange Watch: Key takeaways from the 2023 Syracuse football schedule - The Juice Online (the juice; Bierman)
Item: For some inexpiable reason Monday night, the ACC saw fit to release the complete 2023 football schedules for the 14 league teams during a two-hour special on the ACC Network, directly opposite of the ESPN ‘Big Monday’ basketball game between Syracuse and No. 6 Virginia. The schedule reveal showed in the first year of the new 3-5-5 scheduling rotation, the conference office and ESPN didn’t do SU any favors.
The items that jump out of the schedule for the 134th season of Syracuse football include:
For the first time since 2008, there are no home games in the month of October. In fact, between September 30-November 25 there are only three home games.
- In turn, three consecutive road games are scheduled, albeit with the open week splitting the road games between the second and third contests. No ACC team should ever be scheduled to play three straight road contests open week or not. It’s the first time since 1996 the ‘Cuse will play three consecutive road games.
- After opening with four non-conference games that provide a nice mix of competitive challenges (winnable games), the first three ACC games are home against Clemson, at North Carolina and at Florida State in consecutive weeks, before the off weekend (October 21). Ouch.
- Following the open week, Syracuse plays on a Thursday night (at Virginia Tech), followed by a Friday night (home vs. Boston College), then the following Saturday against Pittsburgh at Yankee Stadium (see below). Football coaches like stability to their weekly routines, playing on days other than Saturdays shakes that comfort level. On the plus side, those weeknight TV games are great for program exposure.
- Moving the Pittsburgh home game to Yankee Stadium has many Orange Nation members upset to have to consider making the roughly four-hour drive to New York City. After winning 11 straight against Pitt in the 1990s-early 2000s (one tie), the ‘Cuse is a measly 3-18 against its Eastern rivals in the last 21 games of the series. Any Dome homefield advantage is taken away by playing outside on a converted baseball diamond in The Bronx, in what will be a more spread-out crowd. We understand the centennial celebration of the first college football game at the old Yankee Stadium (Syracuse’s 3-0 win over Pitt on Oct. 20, 1923, in front on an estimated 30,000 spectators) and the economics involved, but it’s still a sore point whenever a game is moved off-campus.
- We’ve consistently advocated that Syracuse always end its season playing Boston College as a geographic (Northeast) rivalry game against its closest fellow conference member. The ACC and ESPN should have flip-flopped the Boston College and Wake Forest games, Wake into the Dome on a Friday night, the Eagles into the season finale slot Thanksgiving Weekend.
Syracuse Football: Top games for Orange fans in team’s 2023 schedule (itlh; Nutting)
The official 2023 schedule for Syracuse football was released on Monday night, with the first game being a home game to start the season on September 2nd versus Colgate.
The schedule was released on the Orange football team’s Twitter page on Monday night, as the Orange looks to improve on a 2022 season where the team made a bowl game last year and finished at 7-6 overall.
We have three highlighted matchups that ‘Cuse fans can look forward to this upcoming season. Additional details on the 2023 calendar are available via this press release from SU Athletics.
Here are some key games for Syracuse football in 2023.
September 30th: Home vs Clemson TigersIt’s always a big-time matchup feel when the Clemson Tigers come to the Dome, and on September 30th, the fans get to relive it all over again. The Tigers will come to Syracuse, as the last time these two teams met was in a nail bitter in Clemson, where the Tigers came out with a 27-21 win over the Orange, handing Syracuse football its first loss of the season after going 6-0 in its first six games.
September 16th: Away vs Purdue Boilermakers
This matchup was highlighted due to the intense matchup last season, where the Orange was able to come out of the JMA Wireless Dome with a 32-29 win over the Boilermakers and advance to 4-0. This time, the Orange will be on the road and Purdue is looking for some revenge, as many believe this will be another back-and-forth contest between these two teams.
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Syracuse football: Way too early schedule impressions (TNIAAM; Ostrowski, De Guzman & Wall)
The 2023 Syracuse Orange football schedule was unveiled last night, and our beat writers have some initial reactions to the opposition SU will face in the fall:
Toughest Stretch
Mike: Now we’re back to the OOC schedule being frontloaded, and there is a severe jump in difficulty to begin ACC play. The Orange are thrown right into the fire by hosting Clemson, then traveling to North Carolina and Florida State. It could easily be a repeat of the season-killing stretch of Clemson, Notre Dame, and Pitt from 2022.Christian: Opening the ACC slate at home versus Clemson and following that up with road games against UNC and FSU is absolutely brutal. It doesn’t look like any of those teams have regressed that much either, which makes this stretch a nightmare for a Syracuse team that lost some key pieces in the offseason.
Kevin: I’ll go different here and say it’s the stretch which sees the Orange on the road at Purdue followed by Army and Clemson. You have the first road game of the season followed by trying to prepare for a triple-option offense, then getting Clemson. Unlike the start of the ACC season, this is a stretch where Syracuse needs to likely go 2-1 to keep bowl hopes alive.
Upset Alert
Mike: The obvious answer here is Clemson. Two straight years of falling just short against the Tigers means that there’s even more incentive to get it done in front of a sold-out Dome crowd. Starting off conference play with a statement win would go a long way to getting the fanbase engaged and raising ‘Cuse’s confidence through the roof....
Najee Harris 5th On MJD's 2021 Breakout RBs List: 'This Guy's Just A True Monster' - Steelers Depot (steelersdepot.com; Heitritter)
The first day of practices recently wrapped up at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama and unlike last year, the media was allowed to take the field after practice to speak with the players. I saw Syracuse OT Matthew Bergeron standing off to the side with only a few people around him, so I went over to speak with him after practice and to ask him a few questions.
I asked Bergeron if he had any contact with the Pittsburgh Steelers to which he responded that he expects to talk to members of the organization soon over the next few days. I also asked him about head coach Mike Tomlin, who looked to be talking to Bergeron after a rep of the 1-in-1s.
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ACC News
2023 Schedule: Byes (RX; HM)
2023 Schedule: Byes
Who got the best use of their bye(s), and who did by the conference "give the business" to?
Date Distribution:
The earliest byes are on September 30th, and the latest are three weeks later on October 21st. The date with the most byes is October 14th; October 7th has only one team idle. Here's the complete list of byes, by team, with the opponent following the bye:
| date | team | opponent |
| 9/30 | FSU | Va Tech |
| 9/30 | Miami | Ga Tech |
| 9/30 | UNC | Syracuse |
| 9/30 | Wake | at Clemson |
| 10/7 | Duke | NC State |
| 10/14 | BC | at Ga Tech |
| 10/14 | Clemson | at Miami |
| 10/14 | Ga Tech | BC |
| 10/14 | Pitt | Louisville |
| 10/14 | Virginia | at UNC |
| 10/21 | NC State | Clemson |
| 10/21 | Syracuse | at Va Tech |
| 10/21 | Louisville | Duke |
| 10/21 | Va Tech | Syracuse |
You'll probably notice that some teams appear twice as the opponent following the bye.
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2023 CFB Schedule: Neutral Site Games (RX; HM)
2023 CFB Schedule: Neutral Site Games
The ACC is embracing the neutral site game this season, with a total of six (not counting Notre Dame)!
| AER LINGUS CFB CLASSIC (Ireland) | ||
| Notre Dame vs. Navy | Aug. 26, 2023 | Aviva Stadium – Dublin, Ireland |
| CHICK-FIL-A KICKOFF GAME (Atlanta) | ||
| Louisville vs. Georgia Tech | Sep. 1, 2023 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta, GA |
| DUKE’S MAYO CLASSIC (Charlotte) | ||
| North Carolina vs. South Carolina | Sep. 2, 2023 | Bank of America Stadium – Charlotte, NC |
| (Music City Bowl, kickoff game) | ||
| Virginia vs. Tennessee | Sep. 2, 2023 | Nissan Stadium – Nashville, TN |
| CAMPING WORLD KICKOFF | ||
| LSU vs. Florida State | Sep. 3, 2023 | Camping World Stadium – Orlando, FL |
| (Indianapolis kickoff game) | ||
| Indiana vs. Louisville | Sep. 16, 2023 | Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, IN |
| (Pinstripe Bowl kickoff game, New York City) | ||
| Pitt vs. Syracuse | Nov. 11, 2023 | Yankee Stadium – Bronx, NY |
Some fans are already complaining or asking "why did they move these games out of our home stadium?" Let's address the elephant in the room, then. There are a couple of things you need to understand about the logic of "neutral site" games:
1. It's a way of connecting with the Alumni and T-Shirt fans.
Sure, the students live on campus, but not so the alumni. Don't you think there are enough UNC alumni in Charlotte to fill Bank of America Stadium? According to Google, there are over 150,000 Tar Heels in the Queen City of the South.What about Seminole alumni in Orlando, or Louisville alumni in Indianapolis, or Syracuse alumni in the Big Apple? When viewed from the point of view of the alumni, these games are "home away from home" - and may be a lot easier for those fans who normally can't attend a lot of on-campus games to catch their alma mater in person.
Besides all that, you can only grow your fan base so much playing in a small college town. For instance, a little over 197,000 people live in Tallahassee, FL - but the population of Orlando is over 309,000. Many of those are potential new Seminole fans. Or compare Syracuse, with it's 146,000 people, to New York City, which has a population of 8.468 million! That's where the Orange can grow their fan base.
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2023 ACC Football Notes (RX; HM)
2023 ACC Football Notes
Welcome to divisionless scheduling! It was a long time coming, but I think we can all agree it's a major improvement. However, before we talk about the ACC conference games (in a future post), let's take a quick look at the ouf-of-conference games (from the official ACC release):
Challenging Non-Conference Slate
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ACC football schedule 2023: UNC leads ranking of conference's six toughest slates next season (247sports.com; Crawford)
The ACC released its full 2023 football schedules for every team this week — and, clearly, all slates were not created equally, with regards to non-conference opponents and where certain league matchups come during the season. Defending ACC champion Clemson appears to have a favorable schedule with its two toughest contests coming at home, while a fellow preseason title hopeful — Florida State — does not.
Ahead of Monday's reveal, UNC coach Mack Brown expressed his unhappiness with the Tar Heels' treacherous slate. UNC welcomes back Heisman candidate Drake Maye at quarterback after winning the Coastal last fall. This year, the ACC is division-free.
"You’ll see they didn’t do us any favors," Brown said, via Inside Carolina. "It’s really, really difficult. We start tough and we finish with an unbelievably tough. So I’m disappointed. I told them I didn’t like it. I didn’t think it was fair."
Here's a look at the league's six toughest schedules, ranked.
1. NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS
2023 schedule: South Carolina (Charlotte), Appalachian State, Minnesota, at Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Miami, Virginia, at Georgia Tech, Campbell, Duke, at Clemson, at NC State.The word: It's a good thing Maye returns for UNC, because the Tar Heels are going to need record production from the quarterback spot to combat the ACC's most difficult schedule in 2023. They open against a South Carolina team that finished inside the top 25 and welcomes back Spencer Rattler, then host Appalachian State and Minnesota before the start of ACC play. The Golden Gophers, by the way, finished one win short of a berth in the Big Ten title game last season.
The back end of the schedule is loaded with rivalry matchups against Duke, Clemson and NC State, the final two of which will be played away from Chapel Hill. Pittsburgh and Miami come before those tilts.
There's a good reason for Brown's anger at the ACC after seeing this schedule. It's not balanced in the slightest and there's no room for a breather this fall for the Tar Heels.
"That out-of-conference schedule will be as tough as any in the country," Brown said.
2. DUKE BLUE DEVILS
2023 schedule: Clemson, Lafayette, Northwestern, at UConn, Notre Dame, NC State, at Florida State, at Louisville, Wake Forest, at UNC, at Virginia, Pittsburgh.
The word: Considering Mike Elko soared past expectations at Duke in his first season with a 9-4 finish, we're not going to limit the Blue Devils potentially taking the next step this fall. However, schedule favorability is not a factor in this and Duke is going to play as many as three top 10 teams in 2023, beginning with home opener against Clemson (on Labor Day night). That should be fun for the fans in Durham. Duke hosts Notre Dame and NC State as well.
For the record, Duke's not backing down from the opener against Clemson. In fact, the Blue Devils trolled Dabo Swinney and the Tigers with an interesting Twitter video this week when it was announced. Blue Devils defensive back Joshua Pickett started the video by touching a rock inside the locker room — mimicking Clemson's Howard's Rock at Memorial Stadium — and sprints through the underbelly of Wallace Wade Stadium and onto the playing surface, just like Swinney does with the Tigers.
3. PITTSBURGH PANTHERS
2023 schedule: Wofford, Cincinnati, at West Virginia, UNC, at Virginia Tech, Louisville, at Wake Forest, at Notre Dame, Florida State, at Syracuse, Boston College, at Duke.The word: Pittsburgh misses defending league champ Clemson, but that's the only bright spot during an otherwise challenging slate for the Panthers. They'll face new Big 12 entry Cincinnati in Week 2, then travel to West Virginia for the Backyard Brawl the following week. Later road games against Wake Forest, Notre Dame and Duke will test Pittsburgh, along with a home game with Florida State down the stretch. This schedule doesn't set up for a bright season for the Panthers.
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Analysts give predictions for 2023 ACC title game (theclemsoninsider.com; Staff)
During ACC Network’s ACC Huddle: 2023 Football Schedule Reveal on Monday, the analysts were asked to give their predictions for the two teams that will be playing in the ACC Championship Game next season.
Roddy Jones went with Clemson and Florida State as his picks, while Mark Richt predicted the same two teams and named Pittsburgh as his dark horse. EJ Manuel, meanwhile, shied away from giving a prediction.
Here’s what they had to say:
Jones: “I am not brave enough this early in the year to go out on any sorts of limbs. So, I’m gonna go Clemson and Florida State play in the championship game in December, which is like 397 days away.”
Richt: “I’m saying the same two teams, but I think Florida State’s the best team going into the season. But they got a problem – one is LSU to start the season, and a few weeks later, having to go to Clemson. … But the bottom line is I think they’re the two best teams. My dark horse is the Pitt Panthers.”
Manuel: “I’m going to break some news. We have another university joining the ACC this year and it’s called IDKU, which means “I Don’t Know University.” … Like Roddy said, I couldn’t tell you who right now because it’s January, the season just ended. So, you ask me in August, you ask me in September, I might have a different answer for you.”
The 2023 ACC Football Championship Game will be played Dec. 2 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, and will feature the top two teams based on winning percentage. The ACC and the Charlotte Sports Foundation have an agreement in place to keep the championship game in Charlotte through the 2030 season.
Clemson leads the ACC with 29 All-ACC Academic Football Team selections (clemsonwire.usatoday.com; Angalet)
Atlantic Coast Conference Jim Tatum Award winner Dillan Gibbons of Florida State headlines the 2022 All-ACC Academic Football Team, announced Tuesday by the league office.
All 14 ACC Football member institutions were represented on the team. Clemson led all schools with 29 selections, followed by Duke (25), Virginia (24) and Virginia Tech (24). The ACC has selected an All-ACC Academic Football Team every year since 1954.
Three-time All-ACC Academic Team selections include Boston College DE Marcus Valdez, Clemson PK B.T. Potter, NC State OL Grant Gibson and LS Joe Shimko, Pitt DL Deslin Alexandre, Virginia Tech LB Dax Hollifield and Wake Forest WR Taylor Morin.
Forty-one members of the All-ACC Academic Football Team also earned some form of all-conference recognition. Clemson’s Will Shipley (RB/AP), Duke’s Graham Barton (OL), Florida State’s Dillan Gibbons (OL), Miami’s Lou Hedley (P), NC State’s Grant Gibson (C) and Chandler Zavala (OG), North Carolina’s Drake Maye (QB/ACC Player of the Year), and Pitt’s Marcus Minor (OG) were first-team all-conference players in addition to All-ACC Academic Team selections.
Academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team are a 3.0-grade point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during one’s academic career. In addition, student-athletes must compete in at least 50 percent of their team’s contests.
2022 All-ACC Academic Football Team
Samuel Candotti, Boston College, SP, Management
Liam Connor, Boston College, SP, Management
Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College, DE, Management
Drew Kendall, Boston College, OL, Management
Joseph Marinaro, Boston College, LB, Management
Owen McGowan, Boston College, LB, Management
Jackson Ness, Boston College, OL, Management
Dino Tomlin, Boston College, WR, Management
Ozzy Trapilo, Boston College, OL, Management
Marcus Valdez***, Boston College, DE, MBA
Kwan Williams, Boston College, DT, Neuroscience
Davis Allen, Clemson, Tight End, Marketing
LaVonta Bentley, Clemson, Linebacker, Communication
Jake Briningstool, Clemson, Tight End, Sociology
DeMonte Capehart, Clemson, Defensive Tackle, Sport Communication
Barrett Carter, Clemson, Linebacker, Sport Communication
Holden Caspersen, Clemson, Long Snapper, Financial Management/Accounting
Beaux Collins, Clemson, Wide Receiver, Management
Carson Donnelly, Clemson, Safety, MBA
Sage Ennis, Clemson, Tight End, Park, Recreation, and Tourism Management
Philip Florenzo, Clemson, Long Snapper, Financial Management
Malcolm Greene, Clemson, Cornerback, Marketing
K.J. Henry**, Clemson, Defensive End, Post Baccalaureate
Sheridan Jones, Clemson, Cornerback, Athletic Leadership Masters
Cade Klubnik, Clemson, Quarterback, Pre-Business
Phil Mafah, Clemson, Running Back, Management
Blake Miller, Clemson, Offensive Line, Financial Management
Kobe Pace, Clemson, Running Back, Communication
Walker Parks**, Clemson, Offensive Line, Criminal Justice
Jalyn Phillips, Clemson, Safety, Communication
B.T. Potter***, Clemson, Kicker, Athletic Leadership Masters
Luke Price, Clemson, Tight End, Post Baccalaureate
Will Putnam, Clemson, Offensive Line, Management
Etinosa Reuben, Clemson, Defensive Tackle, Criminal Justice
Will Shipley**, Clemson, Running Back, Management
Trenton Simpson**, Clemson, Linebacker, Communication
Drew Swinney, Clemson, Wide Receiver, MBA
DJ Uiagalelei**, Clemson, Quarterback, Sport Communication
Antonio Williams, Clemson, Wide Receiver, Park, Recreation, and Tourism Management
Wade Woodaz, Clemson, Linebacker, Construction Science Management
Vincent Anthony Jr., Duke, DE, Undeclared
Graham Barton**, Duke, OL, Public Policy
Jack Burns, Duke, OL, Master of Management Studies
DeWayne Carter**, Duke, DT, Psychology
Jaylen Coleman, Duke, RB, Biomedical Engineering
Nicky Dalmolin, Duke, TE, Psychology
Evan Deckers, Duke, LS, Master of Management Studies
Cam Dillon, Duke, LB, Master of Management Studies
Cole Finney, Duke, TE, Public Policy
Ja’mion Franklin, Duke, DT, Visual & Media Studies
Sahmir Hagans, Duke, WR, Undeclared
Charlie Ham**, Duke, K, Psychology
Darrell Harding, Duke, WR, Psychology
Joe Hardison, Duke, WR, Master of Management Studies
Jackson Hubbard**, Duke, P, Master of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Darius Joiner, Duke, DB, Master of Management Studies
Riley Leonard, Duke, QB, Undeclared
Chance Lytle, Duke, OL, Master of Management Studies
Jordan Moore, Duke, WR, Psychology
Terry Moore, Duke, RB, Undeclared
Anthony Nelson, Duke, DE, Master of Management Studies
Eli Pancol, Duke, WR, Visual & Media Studies
Joshua Pickett, Duke, DB, Public Policy
Justin Pickett, Duke, OL, Undeclared
Porter Wilson***, Duke, P, Sociology
Brian Courtney, Florida State, TE, Marketing
Preston Daniel, Florida State, TE, Finance
Ja’Khi Douglas, Florida State, WR, Sport Management
D’Mitri Emmanuel, Florida State, OL, Social Science
Joshua Farmer, Florida State, DL, Social Science
Ryan Fitzgerald**, Florida State, SP, Accounting/ Risk Management Insurance (dual major)
Dillan Gibb, Florida State, OL, Master Business Administration
Kevin Knowles II, Florida State, DB, Social Science
James Rosenberry Jr., Florida State, SP, Master Business Administration
Azareye’h Thomas, Florida State, DB, Communication
Henry Freer, Georgia Tech, LS, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Jude Kelley, Georgia Tech, PK, Business Administration
Dylan Leonard, Georgia Tech, TE, Business Administration
Jason Moore, Georgia Tech, DL, Nuclear and Radiological Engineering
Clayton Powell-Lee, Georgia Tech, DB, Business Administration
David Shanahan, Georgia Tech, P, Business Administration
Gavin Stewart, Georgia Tech, PK, Business Administration
Chris Bell, Louisville, WR, Sport Administration
Yaya Diaby, Louisville, DL, Criminal Justice
Brock Domann, Louisville, QB, Sport Administration
Ashton Gillotte, Louisville, DL, Communication
Michael Gonzalez, Louisville, OL, Finance
Bryan Hudson, Louisville, OL, Finance
Shai Kochav, Louisville, SPEC, Sport Administration
Josh Lifson, Louisville, TE, Marketing
Ramon Puryear, Louisville, DL, Business Administration
TJ Quinn, Louisville, LB, Computer Information Systems
Mason Reiger, Louisville, DL, Sport Administration
Braden Smith, Louisville, WR, Biology
Tawfiq Thomas, Louisville, DL, Undecided
Brock, Travelstead, Louisville, SPEC, Sport Administration
James Turner, Louisville, SPEC, Finance
Mitchell Agude, Miami, DE, Masters – Sport Administration
Wesley Bissainthe, Miami, LB, Sport Administration
Anez Cooper, Miami, OL, Liberal Arts
Lou Hedley**, Miami, P, Masters – Liberal Studies
Clay James, Miami, LS, Masters – Liberal Studies
Caleb Johnson, Miami, LB, Masters – Sport Administration
Frank Ladson, Miami, WR, Masters – Liberal Studies
Jake Lichtenstein, Miami, DE, Masters – Liberal Studies
Will Mallory, Miami, TE, Masters – Applied Physiology
Michael Redding, Miami, WR, Psychology
Jalen Rivers, Miami, OL, Sport Administration
Tyler Van Dyke**, Miami, QB, Real Estate
Noah Burnette, North Carolina, PK, Exercise and Sport Science
Elijah Green, North Carolina, RB, Business Administration
Omarion Hampton, North Carolina, RB, Exercise and Sport Science
Will Hardy, North Carolina, DB, Undecided
Christopher Holliday, North Carolina, DB, Economics
Gibson Macrae, North Carolina, LB, Undecided
Drake Maye, North Carolina, QB, Communication Studies
Justin Olson, North Carolina, WR, Communication Studies
Spencer Triplett, North Carolina, DS, Exercise and Sport Science
Devon Betty, NC State, LB, Sport Management
Anthony Carter Jr., NC State, OL, Communication
Cory Durden**, NC State, DL, Post Baccalaureate Studies
Grant Gibson***, NC State, OL, Marketing Analytics
Colby Johnson, NC State, LB, Sociology
Marc Jones, NC State, RB, Nutrition
Matt McCabe, NC State, OL, Business Admin.
Tim McKay, NC State, OL, Marketing Analytics
Dylan McMahon**, NC State, OL, Business Admin.
Joe Shimko***, NC State, LS, Sport Management
Collin Smith, NC State, K, Business Admin.
Kam Walker, NC State, TE, Sport Management
Chandler Zavala, NC State, OL, Adult & Community College Education
Deslin Alexandre***, Pitt, DL, Business Administration
Myles Alston, Pitt, WR, Communication: Rhet & Comm
Trey Andersen, Pitt, OL, Communication: Rhet & Comm
Habakkuk Baldonado, Pitt, DL, Business Administration
Gavin Bartholomew, Pitt, TE, Communication: Rhet & Comm
Dylan Bennett, Pitt, LB, Undeclared
Jason Collier, Pitt, OL, Administration of Justice
Matthew Goncalves, Pitt, OL, Administration of Justice
Cameron Guess, Pitt, P, Marketing
Stephon Hall, Pitt, DB, Undeclared
Jacob Kradel**, Pitt, OL, Business Administration
Nicholas Lapi, Pitt, LB, Undeclared
Jehvonn Lewis, Pitt, DB, Communication: Rhet & Comm
Christopher Maloney, Pitt, DL, Health and Physical Activity
Marcus Minor, Pitt, OL, Marketing Science
Terrence Moore, Pitt, OL, Communication: Rhet & Comm
Jake Renda, Pitt, TE, Economics
Shayne Simon, Pitt, LB, Supply Chain Management
Samuel Vander Haar, Pitt, P, Communication: Rhet & Comm
Tylar Wiltz, Pitt, LB, Urban Studies
A.J. Woods, Pitt, DB, Communication: Rhet & Comm
Blake Zubovic, Pitt, OL, Business Administration
Lequint Allen, Syracuse, RB, Undeclared
Dakota Davis**, Syracuse, OL, Business Administration – MBA
Brady Denaburg, Syracuse, K, Engineering
CJ Hayes, Syracuse, WR, Instructional Design, Development & Eval
Wes Hoeh, Syracuse, OL/TE, Undeclared
Courtney Jackson**, Syracuse, WR, Instructional Design, Development & Eval
Isaiah Johnson, Syracuse, CB, Political Science
Derek McDonald, Syracuse, LB, Broadcast & Digital Journalism
Garrett Shrader, Syracuse, QB, Communication & Rhetorical Studies
Carlos Vettorello**, Syracuse, OL, Entrepreneurship & Emerging Enterprises
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Other
Tony Albanese in the dining room at Tony's Family Restaurant at 3004 Burnet Ave. in Syracuse. It will close Friday, Feb. 3 and reopen under new owners on Feb. 7 as Lavish Mediterranean. (Don Cazentre)
Closing of popular Syracuse Italian-American restaurant opens door for a Mediterranean one (PS; $; Cazentre)
Tony’s Family Restaurant, known for its breakfast-through-dinner menu featuring Italian and American dishes, will close for good on Friday (Feb. 3).
On Tuesday (Feb. 7), a new restaurant opens in its space at 3004 Burnet Ave. It will be called Lavish Mediterranean, offering an array of cuisines, from Iranian (Persian) and Afghani to Indian and Chinese.
It’s a quick transition for the restaurant, which has been Tony’s for more than 20 years. But it doesn’t spell the end for the family that has run Tony’s.
Brothers Tony and Mike Albanese will now devote their full attention to Vito’s Ristorante in East Syracuse. That’s the former Rico’s, which the Albanese brothers and their partner Steve Reader bought and re-opened in 2017.
The reason for the closing of Tony’s on Burnet is that Tony Albanese, the elder brother, is going into a semi-retirement. He opened his first restaurant on James Street in Eastwood in 1995, then he and Mike started the place called Tony’s on Burnet Avenue in 2000.
Since the family took over Vito’s, Mike said he has “called the shots” there while his brother ran Tony’s. Now Tony will lend a hand at Vito’s.
Vito’s will pick up the catering business that Tony’s had, and may even bring on some of the dishes the Burnet Avenue restaurant was known for. That could mean weekly specials like turkey or meatloaf dinners, Mike Albanese said.
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