By
Stephen Bailey | sbailey@syracuse.com The Post-Standard
on December 20, 2016 at 1:03 PM
Syracuse, N.Y. -- Anyone who listened closely to Dino Babers throughout his first year at the helm of the Syracuse football program knows what he means when he brings up "the numbers."
The Orange didn't have the depth Babers would have liked to support its first team and the results showed in injuries, fatigue and ultimately a 4-8 record. Since the end of the season, SU has worked to reshape its roster by parting ways with players who, for the most part, don't fit the new systems and bringing in experienced players who do.
Let's recap the attrition and addition, both of which are likely not over, before taking a look at what else could happen over the next couple months:
Attrition
Ten players who have eligibility left are no longer with the program. Only one, redshirt junior cornerback
Corey Winfield, was a significant contributor last season.
Four other redshirt juniors, quarterback
Austin Wilson (Coastal Carolina transfer), linebacker
Alryk Perry (Valdosta State) safety
Chauncey Scissum and offensive lineman Jon Burton, will not return for their final year of eligibility.
Three more departures were second-year players valued more highly by the previous staff: defensive tackle
Anthony Giudice (Fordham), running back
Jordan Fredericks, defensive tackle
Tyler Cross and quarterback-turned-wide receiver
Kenterius Womack.
Junior tight end
Trey Dunkelberger (Western Illinois) is the final player who has left thus far.
Additions
The Orange has two junior college signees (
TE Ravian Pierce and
LB Ryan Guthrie) and 20 players pledged to its Class of 2017. Notre Dame graduate transfer defensive back Devin Butler recently
announced his intentions to play his final season at SU.
Junior college defensive end Brandon Berry also plans to sign with the Orange, though he said the coaching staff has
asked him to wait until his official visit the weekend of Jan. 27 to officially commit.
Here's a quick breakdown of the 20 high school players committed to the class. Linebacker Nadarius Fagan and offensive lineman Patrick Davis (per CuseNation.com) plan to enroll in January.
2017 commitments
Name (Pos) star rating Ht./Wt. School Notable offers
Tommy DeVito (QB)
6-1 1/2/190 Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) Syracuse, Boston College, Maryland, Rutgers
Sharod Johnson (WR)
5-11/174 Booker T. Washington (Miami) Syracuse, Purdue, Illinois, UCF
Zach Morton (DE/LB)
6-4/222 Cass Tech (Detroit) Syracuse, Bowling Green, Iowa State, Cincinnati
Tyrell Richards (LB)
No rating 6-3/225 Central Peel Secondary School (Brampton, Ontario) Syracuse
Nykeim Johnson (WR)
5-9/167 Friendship Academy (Washington, D.C.) Syracuse, Virginia, Charlotte,
Josh Palmer (WR)
6-3/190 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) Syracuse, Illinois,Louisville, Maryland
Dakota Davis (OL)
6-5/310 Glenelg High School (Glenelg, Md.) Syracuse, Connecticut, Air Force
Eric Coley (DB/WR)
6-1/185 Fayetteville-Manlius High School (Manlius, N.Y.) Syracuse, Boston College, Rutgers
Cameron Jordan (WR)
6-4/187 Half Hollow Hills High School West (Huntington Station, N.Y.) Syracuse
Allen Stritzinger (RB)
6-0/184 De La Salle Collegiate High School (Warren, Mich.) Syracuse, Michigan, Bowling Green, Cincinnati
Ifeatu Melifonwu (DB)
6-3/185 Grafton Memorial High School (Grafton, Mass.) Syracuse, Boston College, Connecticut, UMass
Kadeem Trotter (S/LB)
6-3/196 Canton McKinley High School (Canton, Ohio) Syracuse, Iowa State, Bowling Green, Toledo
Russell Thompson-Bishop (WR)
6-2/198
Bloomfield High School (Bloomfield, Conn.)
Syracuse, Boston College, Navy, Connecticut, Temple
Nadarius Fagan (LB)
6-2/200 Miami Southridge High School (Miami, Fla.) Syracuse, LSU, Nebraska, USC, Louisville, Alabama
Aaron Hackett (TE)
6-3/225 Venice High School (Venice, Fla.) Syracuse, South Florida, Louisville, Minnesota
Curtis Harper (DT)
6-2/291
McKeesport Area High School (McKeesport, Penn.)
Syracuse, Maryland, Wake Forest, Boston College
Patrick Davis (OL) No rating
6-5/297 Champlain Regional College (Lennoxville, Quebec) Syracuse
Jonathan Kingsley (DE)
6-4/220 Eastern Alamance High School (Melbane, N.C.) Syracuse, Florida State, Louisville, South Carolina
Markenzy Pierre (RB)
5-11/205 Liberty High School (Kissimmee, Fla.) Syracuse, Western Kentucky, FIU, Appalachian State
B.J. Daniels (RB)
6-2/207 Palm Bay Senior High School (Melbourne, Fla.) Syracuse, Maryland, USF, Colorado State
What's to come?
Currently, the Orange has 56 scholarship players slated to return for next season. That includes two redshirt juniors in offensive lineman Jamar McGloster and inside receiver Sean Avant. Don't be surprised if another name or two drops from the list.
However, while that would allow Syracuse to bring in 30-plus new players to stay under the 85 cap, another rule may prevent the program from taking quite that many.
Each Football Bowl Subdivision program is allowed to bring in 25 new players each year, and teams can bolster that number by counting January additions toward the previous year's total.
The Orange signed 19 players who ultimately enrolled last season; guys who didn't make it like running back Jo-El Shaw or defensive backs Michael Moore and James Pierre do not count. SU also added two graduate transfers in wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo and defensive end De'Jon Wilson.
So, by my unofficial count, that leaves four slots to backdate players in January and a total cap of 29 players that can be added this year. Additional players would count toward 2017.
In addition to Fagan and Davis, Pierce, Guthrie and Butler all plan to enroll early.
With 23 players in hand and another eager to join, here are a couple updates on players who could help round out that group:
OL Alex Palczewski: The Orange initially contacted this three-star prospect from Illinois only three weeks ago, but
Palczewski will visit Jan. 15-17. The 6-foot-7, 270-pound prospect is also considering Vanderbilt and Illinois.
DB Brian Edwards: A long, rangy safety from Florida, Edwards had
planned to visit SU on Jan. 20. However, after receiving an Oregon offer, he is in the process of reshaping his visit schedule. Edwards is also being pursued by Florida, Colorado and Miami, among others.
How the Orange chooses to fill out the rest of its 2017 class will be interesting to see. The defensive line seems like an area of need still. The staff could also decide to push for a kicker like Georgia Tech commit Joseph Bulovas, who holds an SU offer.