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Message: [QUOTE="CuseLegacy, post: 1447460, member: 469"] [MEDIA=twitter]630865556082561030[/MEDIA] Free Article... With media day in the books, the focus now turns to the on-field play as Syracuse enters a season filled with hope, but uncertainty. One position that has seen a lot of turnover from the roster last season is in the defensive secondary. CuseConfidential.com takes a look at the breakdown of the position and what the corps could look like heading into the season opener. Gone from the 2014 roster are starters Brandon Reddish, Durrell Eskridge, and Ritchy Desir and Darius Kelly, who split the season going back and forth as the starting strong safety. That is a lot of experience that the Syracuse staff has to replace, but luckily, there is a lot of talent waiting on the depth chart for their opportunity to prove themselves. According to the 2015 pre-season depth chart, the only position that will not be up for grabs this fall is strong safety. The other three have at least two players battling head to head for the opportunity to start opening week. This makes the defensive secondary one of the more interesting positions to pay attention to as camp progresses. [LIST][*][B][U]Julian Whigham (CB, 6-foot-1, 187, Sr.):[/U][/B] Whigham is the only returning starter in the defensive secondary for the Orange but even his spot is not certain. During his sophomore year, Whigham appeared as if he was on his way to being a bonafide star until a freak accident during the Florida State game almost ended his career. In his junior year, he never was able to regain his form and was often exposed for large gains. Now, a senior, Whigham is looking for a little redemption and to get back to his sophomore form. Syracuse needs him to be great if they want to get back to a bowl game this season. [/LIST] [LIST][*][B][U]Wayne Morgan (CB, 5-foot-11, 187, Jr.): [/U][/B]Morgan came to Syracuse with a lot of hype, carrying with him the nickname of "lights out". Due to injuries and players who have outperformed him, he has never really lived up to his billing. Now, as a player slated as a possible starter this season, Syracuse will look for Wayne to be the shutdown back the staff, and Morgan, knows he can be. [/LIST] [LIST][*][B][U]Antwan Cordy (SS, 5-foot-8, 178, So.): [/U][/B]Cordy played himself onto the field last season as a true freshman and he played very well. A year later and he is the first player listed on the depth chart at strong safety. Although only 5-foot-8, Cordy plays much bigger and covers a lot of area in the secondary. If he can continue to improve from last year which is expected, he could become a fixture at the position for the next three years and help solidify the Orange secondary. [/LIST] [LIST][*][B][U]Chauncy Scissum (FS, 6-foot-2, 206, So.): [/U][/B]An athlete out of Rush Henrietta in New York, Scissum has himself primed to be the starting free safety during week 1. He does have competition however and will most likely split time with Rodney Williams this season. The battle for the starting free safety could be one of the most interesting this fall for pre-season camp. [/LIST] [LIST][*][B][U]Rodney Williams (FS, 5-foot-10, 189, R-Fr.): [/U][/B]Williams had a strong fall last season earning praise from Coach Shafer and the rest of the staff. He played very well during the season until an injury forced him to end the season early. He is slated as "1a" right now on the free safety depth chart along with the aforementioned Scissum. Regardless of who starts the game, Williams and Scissum will see significant time in the secondary. [/LIST] [LIST][*][B][U]Kielan Whitner (5-foot-10, 185, Fr.): [/U][/B]Whitner, who is a true freshman, was listed behind Antwan Cordy on the depth chart at strong safety. Whitner is a weight room freak who can fly around the field covering a lot of ground and finish a tackle with a big blow. He will most likely see time this fall, one of a handful of true freshman that could see action for the Orange. [/LIST] [LIST][*][B][U]Cordell Hudson (5-foot-11, 175, R-Fr.) [/U][/B]Hudson is listed on the depth chart alongside Julian Whigham as another "1a" making the position another to keep an eye on during pre-season camp. Either way it plays out, he will most certainly play himself into substantial minutes this season. He is part of an impressive youth movement for the Syracuse secondary that could be the cornerstone for the defense for the next few seasons. [/LIST] [LIST][*][B][U]Corey Winfield (6-foot-1, 181, So.): [/U][/B]The wide receiver turned defensive back is fighting for a starting role this fall. The move by the staff to put him in the secondary seemed like a head scratcher at first, but now it seems like a genius move as Winfield was impressive during the spring. He is now fighting with Wayne Morgan for a starting position and at 6-foot-1 could help matchup better with taller receivers.[/LIST] [/QUOTE]

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