Class of 2017 LB Austin Valdez (Bowling Green Grad Transfer) COMMITTED to SYRACUSE

[CuseLifer11]

Steve Clarke? Where are you getting that from? I know he has decided to stay at Syracuse, but not for football, rather to finish his degree.

False. He's in.

 

[RF2044]

The safety.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Steve Clarke? Where are you getting that from? I know he has decided to stay at Syracuse, but not for football, rather to finish his degree.

Devon Clarke

Nelson and Clarke arrested

 

[Jake]

Also, it appears that Clarke is being let back on the team.

Wait what??!?! Oh, ok. The safety.

 

[money3189]

I it would be interesting to see Zaire, Valdez, Bennett with Guthrie and Armstrong subbing in regularly.

This would be interesting. I think it plays out like this.

 

[SUforme]

Steve Clarke? Where are you getting that from? I know he has decided to stay at Syracuse, but not for football, rather to finish his degree.

Devon Clarke - 2017

 

[BKCuse]

Steven Clark is playing safety ?!? That's crazy - has Dino lost his mind ?!?

(Kidding)

 

[tep624]

Wow. Dino just keeps stockpiling the assets.

I love this. You have a major problem on Defense last year and you go out and aggressively address it. Traditional and outside the box recruiting approaches.

Irrespective of how this coming season turns out, this type of approach and result gives me a lot of hope and faith looking at the future of the program. These guys get it and know how to get it done.

 

[chugg21]

Wish these moves would allow for some of the true fresh that were forced to play last year to use their redshirt now to grow/develop more but probably isn't realistic at all. Imagine the experience gained will get most on the 2 deep and will also be much needed on STs.

 

[Orijinal]

Wish these moves would allow for some of the true fresh that were forced to play last year to use their redshirt now to grow/develop more but probably isn't realistic at all. Imagine the experience gained will get most on the 2 deep and will also be much needed on STs.

I would say so ...15 defensive backs and 12 linebackers...

 

[RF2044]

Wish these moves would allow for some of the true fresh that were forced to play last year to use their redshirt now to grow/develop more but probably isn't realistic at all. Imagine the experience gained will get most on the 2 deep and will also be much needed on STs.

But it could provide that line in the sand where from this point forward, guys at a couple of positional units can be redshirted moving forward, which enables the same thing the following year, wash-rinse-repeat.

 

[TexanMark]

Getting Valdez is like getting a one year Four Star recruit. Great add... now is there a decent DT out there?

 

[RF2044]

Getting Valdez is like getting a one year Four Star recruit. Great add... now is there a decent DT out there?

...and DE.

 

[kcsu]

Kid takes over starting position by 3rd game

 

[Ish88888]

Wish these moves would allow for some of the true fresh that were forced to play last year to use their redshirt now to grow/develop more but probably isn't realistic at all. Imagine the experience gained will get most on the 2 deep and will also be much needed on STs.

I agree, thought the same thing about some of the shirts we burned last year. We burned shirts for a D that was monumentally, historically bad. We could have done that with outgoing seniors and juniors. Love and trust DINO, but a bit frustrating.

 

[dasher]

Kid takes over starting position by 3rd game

3rd game??? What is taking so long.

 

[JoeSU]

I agree, thought the same thing about some of the shirts we burned last year. We burned shirts for a D that was monumentally, historically bad. We could have done that with outgoing seniors and juniors. Love and trust DINO, but a bit frustrating.

We were competing for a 5th or 6th W and a bowl spot. That would have been huge in DFB's 1st year. I wouldn't respect a coach or player who didn't go out and try to W each game. I don't think you hold players back and hope for next year.

 

[007]

Kid takes over starting position by 3rd game

or day 1

 

[clayman32]

Interesting that Valdez was a quarterback in high school and was recruited to BG by Clawson. It will be weird for Dave to see Austin destroying his quarterback all over the Carrier Dome this fall

A 2 star, no other offers, high school qb became a protypical mlb

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I'm too lazy to do this myself, but I'd love to see a list of all of the non-resident incoming players on defense. Feels like there are just a ton.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

I'm too lazy to do this myself, but I'd love to see a list of all of the non-resident incoming players on defense. Feels like there are just a ton.

Zach Morton DE
Tyrell Richards LB
Eric Coley DB
Ifeatu Melifonwu DB
Kadeem Trotter LB
Nadarius Fagan LB
Curtis Harper DT
Kingsley Jonathan DE
Ryan Guthrie LB
Devin Butler CB
Chris Elmore DT
Brandon Berry DE
Mykelti Williams S
Jordan Martin DB
Shaquille Grosvenor DT
Josh Allen DE
Austin Valdez LB

 

[Chip]

Zach Morton DE
Tyrell Richards LB
Eric Coley DB
Ifeatu Melifonwu DB
Kadeem Trotter LB
Nadarius Fagan LB
Curtis Harper DT
Kingsley Jonathan DE
Ryan Guthrie LB
Devin Butler CB
Chris Elmore DT
Brandon Berry DE
Mykelti Williams S
Jordan Martin DB
Shaquille Grosvenor DT
Josh Allen DE
Austin Valdez LB

For the inheritantly lazy (me), could you please trim this list down to exclude this year's true freshmen.

Asking for a friend (again, it's me).

 

[OttoinGrotto]

For the inheritantly lazy (me), could you please trim this list down to exclude this year's true freshmen.

Asking for a friend (again, it's me).

Ha, you know, that's what I tried to ask for initially, but my phone appears to have auto corrected "non-freshman" to "non-resident."

Which I just had to manually fix in the sentence above.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

For the inheritantly lazy (me), could you please trim this list down to exclude this year's true freshmen.

Asking for a friend (again, it's me).

Frosh
Zach Morton DE
Tyrell Richards LB
Eric Coley DB
Ifeatu Melifonwu DB
Kadeem Trotter LB
Nadarius Fagan LB
Curtis Harper DT
Kingsley Jonathan DE
Chris Elmore DT

JUCO
Ryan Guthrie LB
Brandon Berry DE
Mykelti Williams S
Shaquille Grosvenor DT
Josh Allen DE

Grad Transfer
Devin Butler CB
Jordan Martin DB
Austin Valdez LB

 

[Finwad32]

Frosh
Zach Morton DE
Tyrell Richards LB
Eric Coley DB
Ifeatu Melifonwu DB
Kadeem Trotter LB
Nadarius Fagan LB
Curtis Harper DT
Kingsley Jonathan DE
Chris Elmore DT

JUCO
Ryan Guthrie LB
Brandon Berry DE
Mykelti Williams S
Shaquille Grosvenor DT
Josh Allen DE

Grad Transfer
Devin Butler CB
Jordan Martin DB
Austin Valdez LB

8 players with college experience. 3 grad transfers.

Talk about addressing a problem while still developing depth!

I think our defense will get significantly more stops this year. One thing people have to remember though is that we'll still likely be one of the poorer P5 teams statistically. Strictly due to the nature of our offense. It just provides more drives for the opposition.

Regardless, I feel great about where we're going. I still think we need more RB depth though. Hopefully we can get the ground game going, as that opens up the rest and provides the ability to control the game to a higher degree.