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George Morris II (27)

Running Backs George Morris II and Devante McFarlane Adapt to Expanded Roles in Spring Practice (DO; Dougherty)

George Morris II is sometimes still catching his breath when he steps to the front of the line for another rep at spring practice.

During training camp in 2014, Syracuse had six running backs cycling through drills. But with Prince-Tyson Gulley, Adonis Ameen-Moore and Greg Tobias set to graduate and rising sophomore Ervin Philips moving to H-back, the handoffs are coming quick for rising seniors Morris and Devante McFarlane, along with a walk-on who the team has not announced.

And until 2015 signees Dontae Strickland, Jordan Fredericks and Tyrone Perkins join the team before next season, Morris and McFarlane will be the center of the coaches’ attention — a welcomed opportunity for two rushers with minimal experience but a lot of carries ahead.

“Sometimes you circle back after a handoff and you think, ‘I’m up again?” Morris said. “But that’s good for me and Devante. We know we’re going to play big roles this year in the backfield and we need as much work as we can get to be ready for that.”

Not much separates Morris and McFarlane.

They both are 6 feet tall and McFarlane, at 198 pounds, is only four pounds heavier than Morris. Neither had any carries as freshmen in 2012 and both were secondary options in the last two seasons, with McFarlane running 76 times for 461 yards and a touchdown and Morris rushing 113 times for 435 yards and a score.
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Elias Reynolds (left) on Laundry Day

SU Football to Host Brooklyn LB Elias Reynolds on Tuesday (PS; Bailey)

Poly Prep (Brooklyn, N.Y.) Country Day School outside linebacker Elias Reynolds is taking an unofficial visit to Syracuse on Tuesday, according to Mike McAllister of CuseNation.com.

Mike McAllister
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Brooklyn (NY) Poly Prep OLB Elias Reynolds (@_HITMAN7_) is visiting Syracuse tomorrow for spring practice http://syracuse.At their request, this network is being blocked from this site./player/8383528n-elias-reynolds…

7:29 PM - 16 Mar 2015

The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Reynolds is a Class of 2016 prospect who has already been offered by the Orange and six other schools including Maryland, Wake Forest and Rutgers, according to . He is rated three stars by most major recruiting services.

Syracuse has also offered 2016 Poly Prep tight end Ray Marten.

Other

Section III 2015 Football Schedule and Kickoff Classic Lineup (PS; Spadafore)

Some great matchups of some of the best football programs in the state early in the season...

Section III’s 2015 preliminary schedule includes several teams moving within the five class system and in the National Football Foundation two divisions and the Kickoff Classic teams.

2015 Standings and schedules

Class AA-1 | Class AA-2

Class A American | Class A National

Class B East | Class B West

Class C East | Class C West | Class C North

Class D East | Class D West

NFF East | NFF West

Kickoff Classic

Seprember 4

5 p.m.: Cicero-North Syracuse vs. Kingston

8 p.m.: Baldwinsville vs. Victor

September 5

11 a.m.: Auburn vs. Binghamton

2 p.m.: Henninger vs. Newburgh

8 p.m.: CBA vs. Aquinas

September 6

11 a.m.: Cazenovia vs. Amsterdam

2 p.m.: Watertown vs. East Rochester

5 p.m.: Notre Dame vs. Newark Valley

8 p.m.: Mexico vs. South Jefferson

 

[CuseLegacy]

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  3:56 PM - 17 Mar 2015
  Steve Ishmael's dreads are gone. This is a sad day

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Former Syracuse football RB charged with marijuana possession (PS)

Former Syracuse University running back Adonis Ameen-Moore was charged with marijuana possession after being found with the drug over the weekend, police say...

 

[CuseLegacy]

Free article...

http://syracuse.At their request, t...scissum-growing-into-a-defensive-leader?s=185

Scissum Growing Into A Defensive Leader

Syracuse football has to replace eight of the eleven starters from a 2014 defense that was one of the best in the country. That includes safety Durell Eskridge who was in the discussion as the most talented on last season’s roster. The primary candidate to take his place is redshirt sophomore Chauncey Scissum.
The Rochester (N.Y.) native spent his first season on The Hill redshirting, and last season learning while contributing on special teams. He entered spring football as one of the favorites to land a starting safety position after the Orange lost their top three safeties from last season.
Early returns are very encouraging.
”He’s doing a good job,” head coach Scott Shafer said. “Last year we had three safeties that were in front of him so he didn’t get a chance to play as much. He helped in the kicking game and did some good things. He’s a very good athlete. I like his body type. He’s long, athletic and runs well.”
Scissum’s ease into a starting role gave him the benefit of learning from talented veterans that had a lot of success in the Syracuse defense. One predicated on a combination of aggression and discipline. Studying and learning over the last two years have readied Scissum for his expanded role this fall.
”I think the key has just been watching the guys around me,” he said. “We had a good group of guys here before me that allowed me to see what they saw. A big part of the game is your eyes. Your eyes are going to take you everywhere. So I learned to control the game at the highest level with my eyes and taking everything as it comes.”
One player who took Scissum under his wing was the departed Durell Eskridge, who will begin his NFL career after being drafted in May. After learning under Eskridge’s tutelage, Scissum is ready to translate that into becoming a defensive leader.
”A lot of what Durell taught me was not just on the field but off the field,” Scissum said. “He taught me you’ve got to be a leader. You’ve got to be vocal. Just push the guys around you. On the field, he taught me I’ve got to be an attacker. Just go get anything that’s meant for you. Don’t let anyone deter you from your goals and dreams.”
Speed of the game has never been an issue for Scissum, according to coach Shafer. The biggest hurdle has been tackling technique and knowledge of the defensive system. Now that he is more comfortable in his assignments and transitioning from cornerback to safety, he is able to react and let his natural athleticism take over.
”I’m not sitting back anymore,” Scissum said. “I’m attacking everything. I’m using every opportunity to its fullest. I know the coaches have the utmost confidence in me and believe I can do it. We have some good freshmen coming in and I know they’re going to push me for my spot. I’m looking forward to that and just to keep improving. To push the guys around me and be a leader for everybody.”
When the former three-star defensive back walked onto the Syracuse campus, he was a skinny, wide-eyed kid. Not even two years later, the transformation he has made has been quite remarkable. His shoulders are broader, legs thicker and body stronger.
On top of that, the way he speaks is noticeably more mature, focused and confident.
Losing eight starters off of a strong unit generally means a step back in production the next year. As Scissum enhances his leadership role, he is doing everything in his power to make sure the production remains at the same high level.
”We talk about that all the time,” Scissum said. “We don’t look at it as replacing, we look at it as reloading. We’ve got guys that we know can play at this level. We’re young, but we know we’ve got some fighters. I think we’re going to be alright.”