My 2016 SU Football preview Part 2: The Team

[SWC75]

The Team

(This section is based on my own observations of players who played last year as well as comment from internet sources like Syracuse.com, The Daily Orange, Nunesmagician.com, The Juice, etc.)

The reset button has been pushed twice: Syracuse is changing to a high-powered, hurry-up spread on offense, which everybody is talking about and going from an aggressive, blitzing Scott Shafer defensive concept to the Tampa 2, which sends linebackers back into coverage and relies on the down linemen to pressure the backfield, which not enough people are talking about. Both are major changes and how this team adjusts to the new schemes will have a lot to do with how many games they win this year. Babers seems to be the type of coach who installs the system he wants immediately, expects the players to adjust and recruits the players he wants based the system already on display, as opposed to a coach that tailors his system to the available talent. That may work out in the long run but it can make for a bumpy early ride.

 

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Quarterbacks

The key player in the new offense will be the quarterback. The incumbent is Eric Dungey, who came in as a true freshman when Terrell Hunt went down on the ninth play of the opener. Hunt had had a shaky season in 2014 and even in those 9 plays, (against a bad FCS team, Rhode Island), was playing poorly. Dungey came in and by the end of that game it was obvious that he was an up-grade. He seemed calmer and more poised. He seemed to be able to read the defense better. He didn’t have a rifle arm but threw a very catchable pass. He was mobile and could improvise when he had to.

One downside, and I think it will be a factor this year because of all the sideline passes in Baber’s offense, is that those catchable balls were also available to be caught by the other team on sideline plays where you’d want your quarterback to fire the ball past the defender, who will have nothing in front of him but the goal line if he could get to the ball. It was a ticking time bomb all season and it finally exploded in the Louisville game when Trumaine Washington gave the Cardinals a lead they never surrendered with a 39 yard pick six.

Another ticking time bomb was Dungey’s health. Like a lot of young quarterbacks he liked to get out and use his legs and challenge the defense. He got a lot of play nationally when he lept over a defender at the goal line to score against Virginia. But his first injury had nothing to do with his style of play. It had to do with the style of coaching at Central Michigan. Dungy threw a pass just as he was hit from behind. The ball sailed past the eyes of linebacker Mitch Stanitzek – he had to have seen that Dungey no longer had it. Stanizek was about 5 yards away. He lowered his head and targeted Dungey right under the chin. Eric’s head snapped back violently as if he’d taken a Mike Tyson uppercut and he fell to the ground. CMU coaches would alter claim Stanitzek didn’t see the ball, had no time to react, it was a bang-bang play, etc. But a careful look at the film showed that the guy who hit Dungey from behind was aggressively twisting one of Eric’s feet while he was down, clearly intending to injure him.

That tells the logical mind that this was something ordered from the sideline. I’ve seen it before. Years ago Bill Hurley was being hyped for the Heisman and directed three consecutive first downs on the first drive in the opener against Florida State. On the play where he scrambled for the third one, two Seminole defenders got control of him but didn’t bring him down. Instead they pried apart his arms while a third teammate speared Hurley in the ribs. Hurley was out for the year and we went 3-8, likely the opposite of the record we would have had with him. Unlike that occasion, the refs at the CMU game recognized what had happened and threw Stanitzek out, although the missed the guy who twisted Dungey’s foot. People assumed Dungey had a concussion, which was significant because a couple of Syracuse players had been dismissed from the team due to the school’s “three strikes and you’re out” concussion policy. Dungey was only a freshman and the likelihood that he’d have two more concussions in his career here is probably high. Eric said later that the primary symptom was that his neck hurt.

In a later game, (I think it was Pittsburgh) Dungey was seen to collapse to the ground after he’d been hit. It wasn’t a dramatic thing: he was already on his side and not everybody saw it. But enough did. Was that strike two? Then came the Louisville game. We were down 10-41 with 5:45 left when Syracuse got possession on a fumbled punt at the Louisville 38. On second and 12 Dungy scrambled for 16 yards but got hit from two directions and had to be helped off the field. He didn’t play again that season, even with three games left. Tim Lester, the offensive coordinator, was asked after the game why Dungey was still in there with the team down 31 points with 5 minutes left. He mumbled something about the back-up QB not being warmed up yet due to the suddenness of the turnover. Then head Coach Scott Shafer was asked the same question and came up with a different answer: he still had hopes of a comeback, meaning he thought Dungey could lead us to 31 points in 5 minutes when we hadn’t scored that much in regulation against FBS teams all year. It made it sound as if nobody was in charge or at least there was no communication between the coaches. That was probably the last straw and ensured Shafer’s departure at the end of the season, especially considering the health of a promising young quarterback was on the line.

It leaves Dungey’s future very uncertain. The school cannot release details of his medical condition so we don’t know how many concussions he has had, if any. Every football player plays with the knowledge that his career could theoretically end on the next play. With Eric Dungey, that could be a distinct possibility. We’ve been hearing reports about how much stronger Dungey looks now after he’s been in our conditioning program for a year, (he’s listed at 6-3 212). That doesn’t protect him from concussions. It also sounds like what we heard about Andrew Robinson after he was sacked 54 times in his freshman year. He wasn’t the same player the next year, even though he was bigger and stronger due to his work in the weight room.

Going into last year our quarterback depth chart looked like this: Terrel Hunt was the returning starter. A. J. Long had played the most when he was out but got knocked around himself. Austin Wilson had seemed like a strong prospect because of his size , (6-3 217) and arm strength, which unfortunately was not accompanied by accuracy. Then came Dungey, a highly rated true freshman and Zach Mahoney, a JUCO transfer whom no one had ever heard of. Long was disqualified in the pre-season camp because of the three concussion rule. He transferred to Wagner after getting cleared by a neurologist. Long said "I couldn't even tell you how many (concussions) I possibly had in the last three or four years. And I didn't want to bring them forward because I knew my time would be done." (Good luck to you A. J. I think you’re going to need it.) Dungey, who was learning the offense fast and showing the skills the coaches wanted moved past Wilson and when Hunt went down again, Dungey found himself #1. Mahoney also passed Wilson and when Dungey got dinged, suddenly this total unknown was our starting quarterback- for a game against #8 ranked LSU. Our chances were slim at best with everybody healthy. Now we seemed to have no chance at all.

Remarkably, we gave LSU all they could handle, losing 24-34. Mahoney didn’t have great passing numbers: 16 for 38 for 154 yards, but threw three second half touchdown passes and also ran for 40 yards. Later in the year, after Dungey was down again, Mahoney started against the #1 team in the nation: Clemson and again we improbably gave them a battle, this time losing 27-37. He was 8 for 21 passing for 80 yards but ran for 76 yards and two TDs. He’s a dual threat quarterback with a stronger arm than Dungey’s but he doesn’t have Dungey’s touch, especially on the shorter throws and doesn’t have his accuracy. Dungey also knows the offense better. I don’t know that Mahoney is the type of QB Babers is looking for, (in his offense, they QB doesn’t run the ball much). But it’s good to know that we have a back-up quarterback who allows us to hang in there against top teams.

Austin Wilson passed the look test and his throws are strong and deep. But in two years he’s 32 for 58 (55%) for 302 yards, 1TD and 5 interceptions. The fact that both Dungey and Mahoney, (who walked on), beat him out last year tells you all you need to know about him. He’ll be trying to fight off two freshman for the #3 spot on the depth chart.

There are two new faces in town: Rex Culpepper,, who was a Shafer recruit who held to his commitment and Mo Hasan, who Babers brought in. Culpepper has good size (6-2 225) and is listed as a three-star “pro-style” quarterback, which would mean he’s projected as a potential college starter and is more of a drop-back QB than a multi-threat guy, which is probably why Babers liked him. He was ranked #43 among pro-style HS QBs in the country when he was recruited. Clemson, Florida, Miami and Ohio State were among the schools that offered him. Looking at his film, he reminds me of Dungey, heady, mobile and can make all the throws, maybe with a stronger arm. Nunes said: “Rex will need to make better decisions at the college level. His arm strength allowed for him to make some throws in high school that he won't be able to make in college.”
REX CULPEPPER (6'3 215) JUNIOR SEASON

Culpepper may have stuck with Syracuse because Syracuse had stuck with him. He tore his ACL before his senior year in high school but we didn’t pull the offer. Rex is from Florida but is not related to former Central Florida and NFL star QB Dante Culpepper. Instead, he’s the son of Brad Culpepper, who played DT for Florida and the Chicago Bears, among other NFL teams. So Rex is likely a tough kid. He enrolled at Syracuse early and made it to #4 on the depth chart, which is where Dungey was a year ago. But he hasn’t played in two years so I don’t know what kind of contribution he can make this year. Hopefully we won’t need him to.

It appeared Culpepper would be our only freshman QB but then Babers signed another Florida kid, the lanky, (6-3 185), Hasan, who is also from Florida. Ours was the only offer from a Power-5 school and he’s being given an academic scholarship as a “premium preferred walk-on”, meaning he could be given an athletic scholarship. (Zack Mahoney was also a preferred walk-on.) He’s ranked the #79 pro-style QB in the high school class. He played with two other SU freshmen, Kenneth Ruff and McKinley Williams, so the coaches knew about him. He ran a similar offense to Baber’s in high school. His film shows him working almost exclusively from the pocket and almost exclusively throwing the ball downfield, (there were a few scrambles and running throws toward the end). His arm seemed strong and accurate, (although, just as a basketball players highlight film makes it look as if he never misses, Hasan’s throws are all completions. They say in basketball the misses- and why they were misses tell you more about a player’s shooting than his makes. It’s probably just as true here.)
Senior Highlights

Kenterius Womack played QB in high school but was moved to wide receiver by Shafer/Lester. He could be play QB in an emergency. He’s much more of a running quarterback and would serve the team much better in that capacity at another positon. Freshman wide receiver Devin Butler was also a high school QB.

The Syracuse passing records are: 471 attempts, 294 completions 3,749 yards,26 touchdowns, (all Ryan Nassib 2012). Hopefully none of those will be the record after this season. They had better not be if we are to have a good year.

 

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Receivers

It’s an interesting irony that as Dino Baber reviewed the roster of players he had inherited he must have been most pleased in the area we have been the most lacking for years: playmakers: receivers, runners and kick returners who have the ability to break things open on any play. We are used to big, slow receivers who can go up and get the ball but do little with it after they catch it and running backs that occasionally found an opening but would always get caught from behind. This was the one area of the team that was clearly upgraded by the Shafer regime.

Steve Ishmael has it all as a receiver: hands, moves, speed, size. He should explode in this offense, get some All-America mention and be on his way to the NFL. He’s 6-2, 202 with 4.5 speed in the 40, (and that’s his high school time). He had 27 catches for 415 yards and 3 scores as a freshman and 39-570-7 last year. He should exceed those figures combined this year as he’ll be the #1 target. "The offense is a lot better," (There's) a lot more options out there, a lot more opportunities. Last year, I know we did the option a lot, but this year we're actually taking chances…. I feel like last year, I was a lot more wild on my technique but this year, the coaches are really enforcing technique. They're doing a great job of enforcing the little things… Last year, there were a lot of plays that I felt like I could've made, but I didn't know why I didn't make them. These coaches are getting on me and teaching how I made the mistake. So those little things, once we capitalize on those, it's going to be a big turnaround.” (Syracuse.com)

But you need more than one guy. The idea is to flood the defense with receivers so they can’t concentrate on just one guy. The depth chart actually lists four wide receivers along with a quarterback, a tight end and five linemen. That’s 12 guys so it has a good chance to work. The primary options besides Ismael last year were Brisley Estime and Erv Phillips. When Estime was recruited, I saw his highlight film, which was full of big plays on offense, defense and kick returns. I looked at his listed size, (currently 5-9 182) and speed (4.42) and saw they were comparable to that of Tyrann Mathieu, the LSU star who was known as the “Honey Badger”. So I christened Estime the “Salt Badger”, (as we are the Saltine Warriors).

It stuck but for two years injuries held the SB back. One of the few highlights was a dramatic 70 yard punt rerun that set up the winning score against Minnesota in the Texas Bowl. Last year he was finally healthy and the Salt Badger growled, catching 17 passes for 293 yards, (a 17 yard average) and two scores, returned 30 kick offs for 665 yards, (no scores but he had a 37 yarder) and retuning 17 punts for 272 yards and two scores, one a 59 yarder vs. Florida State. He should have many more opportunities for big plays this year. He’s not the natural receiver Ismael is but he’s a threat to break it any time he gets his hands on the ball.

Phillips started out as a running back. He’s listed as 5-11 180 but seemed to me to be about the same size as Brisley. He doesn’t have Brisley’s speed, (4.58 in the 40) but he can turn on a dime and knows how to zig-zag through the defense. Like the SB, he’s not a natural receiver. He was a running back as a freshman and was a “slot back”, a hybrid runner-receiver last year. He’s run for 428 yard as a runner and scored 3 times but he’s listed as a wide receiver on this year’s depth chart. He has 44 catches in two years with 343 yards and 5 scores. The question is: can he beat out guys who were recruited as wide receiver? Like Estime, once he gets the ball, he can make things happen, but does it with his moves.

Among the more natural wide-outs Estime and Phillips will be competing with the two most intriguing are Jamal Custis and Aldy Enoicy, both 6-5 and 226/222 respectively. Custis has amazing speed for his size, 4.37 in the 40 yard dash, (faster than the Salt Badger) and it’s been a mystery to SU fans that he hasn’t been able to get onto the field, (which doesn’t mean there hasn’t been good reasons for it). These guys would provide huge targets but they’ve totaled 5 receptions for 26 yards and one score in two years, (all by Custis.). It will be interesting to see if these guys stay glued to the bench in Baber’s offense.

A graduate transfer from Maryland, Amba Etto-Tawa, (a native of Oman - at the corner of the Arabian Peninsula- name pronounced AUM-buh EH-ta.), will be in the mix. He started 15 games for Maryland in three years and caught 61 passes for 938 yards and 3 scores, including the SU game in 2013 where he had 6 catches for a career-high 103 yards. He had fallen on the Maryland depth chart. it will be interesting how much play he gets here. He’s got good size at 6-2 202 and speed at 4.4. At least, with Aldy Enoicy and Amba Etto-Tawa he’ll have our best names since the glory days of Kirby Dar Dar and Sir Mawn Wilson.

Alvin Cornelius and Sean Avant seemly have been around forever without leaving much of an impression. Cornelius is a 6-1 187 senior with 18 catches for 232 yards and 1TD in his career. Avant has an odd physique for a wide receiver: 5-10 210. Amazingly he’s still a junior. He’s had 7 catches for 58 yards and no scores. Both have been mentioned as potential contributors each year they’ve been her but injuries have prevented them from getting their careers off the runway. Maybe this is the year they start to really matter.

Another name that jumps out me one the depth chart is Tyrone Perkins, 6-0 198. Two years ago we recruited three running backs: Jordan Fredericks, Dontae Strickland and Tyrone Perkins. I looked at their highlights and was equally impressed with all three of them. Here is Perkins:

Strickland and Fredericks are now our top two running backs and Perkins is a third string, (or lower if the referees insist we use only 3 wideouts instead of the four listed on the depth chart) receiver. I don’t know why Perkins has made less of an impression on the coaches but it will be interesting to see if that will change if he gets a shot.

Kenterius Womack is another third string receiver and he looked like a comet zooming across the field in his highlight film: Recruiting Film - QB/WR/DB

I don’t know if Perkins or Womack can run good routes, have good hands or perform the blocking assignments properly or maybe it’s just not their turn. But I would like to see these guys with the ball in their hands before they leave here. They can do some fun things with it.

Devin Butler is another high school quarterback who is being converted to a wide receiver. Butler is another 3 star guy with good size, (6-3 195), and also has experience as a track man, not only in sprints, (4.43 in the 40), but in the jumping events. From the Post Standard: “First and foremost, Butler does not look like a freshman, At 6-3 195, he appears stronger than any freshman wide-out SU’s had in a few seasons and that should pay dividends with his release. He’s flashed good hands and route running,” Ismael said after a scrimmage: “"He was getting yards. He's fast. He's big. He can run over players. So he's really good."

Other names, (and that’s all they are to me at this point): Junior Clay Austin, Sophomore Jacob Hill and Freshmen Tyler Giftus, Sean Riley, and Kerrick Hahn. Here’s what I’ve been able to find out: Austin was a sprinter on the track team. He doesn’t have much size at 5-9 164 but runs a 4.37 forty. Hill, a walk-on, is even smaller: 5-6 170. He’s another speedster, (4.4) who ripped off a 60 yard run in an inter-squad scrimmage last year. Hahn is a 5-10 167 walk- on from Florida, unrated by the recruiting services. Giftus has more size at 6-1 195 but he was a high school QB at a small school, (Thousand Islands) and is another walk-on. Riley is another small guy, (5-8 151), but he is a 3 star recruit who flipped his commitment from Arizona. He’s another 4.4 man. He got a mention in the Sunday paper as a guy who has been impressive in practice. These guys may play a role in the future but I doubt we’ll see a lot of them this year. At least they seem to have a lot of speed, which is clearly something Babers is looking for.

The tight ends are mostly familiar faces: Cameron MacPherson, the grandson of the coach who turned around the program in the 1980’s, Kendall Moore and Josh Parris, who have seen considerable action the last three years, Tyler Provo, younger brother of one of Ryan Nassib’s favorite receivers, Nick Provo, and P. J. Batten. All are juniors and seniors who haven’t made a big splash, mostly because the tight end has been under-used in the various Shafer offensive systems. Fifteen players caught passes for Bowling Green last year. Two of them were listed as tight ends. They caught a total of 20 passes for 122 yards but 5 of them were for scores, the longest from 20 yards out. It sounds as if Babers likes to use his tight end in the red zone. The reason for the four wide-outs is probably because he doesn’t use a tight end at all until he gets there. Update: he won’t be using Provo at all, who has been “disqualified” due to an undisclosed injury. Batten is the one guy who hasn’t played at all. MacPherson, Moore and Parris are all about the same size, (6-3 to 6-5, 241-246). Parris has caught 33 passes for 279 yards and 2 TDs. Moore has caught 13 passes for 135 yards and 1 score. MacPherson has only 2 catches for 13 yards and no scores but has risen to the top of the depth chart under Babers’ eyes. The important thing is that they are big, strong targets when things get crowded around the goal line.

 

[SWC75]

Running Backs

Jordan Fredericks made it clear early last year that he was our best running back and went up the depth chart the way he ran down the field: like a bullet. He’s got the perfect body for a modern running back: 5-10, (meaning he can hide behind the linemen) and 215, (meaning he can hit with a thump). He ran a 4.46 forty. He saw the openings and made the right cuts. He ran for 607 yards on only 107 carries, (5.7 a pop). He only scored 4 times but one of them went 75 yards. He also caught 6 passes for 55 yards, one for a score. That’s just the beginning for him. He has “feature back” written all over him and must be drooling at the thought of a defense spread out by the pass. He was the NYS player of the year in High school as a senior, where he ran for 2,352 yards on only 153 carries (an incredible 15.4 average) and scored 37 touchdowns, (24% of his carries). When there was talk of unretiring #44, he expressed interest. And he might just be the guy to carry it well. He might be a bigger version of Travis Greene, who had 1299 yards rushing and 15 scores for Babers at Bowling Green last year or Sheppard Little, who had 1551 yards and 15 TDs his last year at Eastern Illinois. Both were 5-10 but 189 and 197, respectively.

And yet, he was second on the depth chart after the spring to another rising sophomore, Dontae Strickland. He’s 5-11 196. I don’t know his 40 time but he’s very elusive. He was actually the highest rated running back in last year’s freshman class coming in. he was used mostly in the now non-existent “slot” back, from which he gained 81 yards in 21 carries, (3.9) with 1 TD and caught 9 passes for 137 yards and 2 scores. That’s one touchdown every ten touches. But Strickland dazzled Babers in the spring while Fredericks turned up over-weight. Hopefully Strickland turns his practice performances into game performances while Fredericks gets back to taking trainings seriously. They could make quite a pair.

A couple of years back George Morris was the one wowing everybody in practice. He didn’t do much his first two years, carrying the ball 114 times for 435 yards, ((3.8) and scoring once. Last year he was clearly improved: although he got only 66 carries but ran for 326 yards (4.9), even though he didn’t score. Yet he has now, in his senior year, fallen to 4th on the depth chart. Now there’s a report that he had injured his ankle and will need surgery, so his career here may be fizzling out. Too bad- for him and us.

#3 is Moe Neal, another one of these guys who were game-breakers in high school:
Junior Year Full Season

At 4.39 he’s faster than Fredericks, Stricxkland or Morris and that’s certainly something that Babers is looking for. But at 5-11 1697, he doesn’t seem to have the physique of a running back. Either he’ll have to wait until he puts on 15-20 pounds or maybe he’s another guy who would be better off at wide receiver. In fact a report in the paper said he was practicing with the wide receivers: “Moe Neal has really good hands,” Babers said. “Running backs don’t get to catch passes really far down the field. So we’d like for him to work the receivers just so he can work his hands and keep his growth going there.” (Syracuse.com)

At the same time, freshman wide-out Devin Bulter has been working out at times with the running backs. I would think if we had to go this far down in the depth chart, they might look at Erv Phillips moving back into the backfield. Hopefully, we won’t have to find out.

Also on the roster are Winston Lee, a 5-10 193 sophomore and Otto Zaccardo, a freshman. Lee is a walk-on from the track team who finished 5th in the 60 meters at the ACC championships with a 6.77 second timing. He’s also run a 10.47 100M. He’s run a 4.3 forty, so he’s another guy for whom speed is his calling card. Zaccardo is a 5-10 186 freshman who has run a 4.4 forty. He didn’t get any offers form any other Power-5 school but attributes that to “being a big fish in a small pond” in high school. We’ll see how he swims in the big pond.

 

[SWC75]

The Offensive Line

So Syracuse is blessed with a lot of guys we’d like to see with the ball in their hands. But they aren’t going to go far, (or get the ball in their hands), unless the blockers up front give the budding superstars behind them a chance to show what they can do. One poster suggested that it won’t matter what happens up front because we’ll get the plays off so fast and get rid the ball so fast that the blocking won’t matter. That’s as naïve a statement that has ever been uttered about the game of football. I remember when Houston, under John Jenkins, was threatening to score triple digits against somebody and they went to Miami to play “the U” with Warren Sapp and his friends. Miami took apart Houston’s offense like a mantis takes apart a bug. They kept the quarterback on the run all day in a 40-10 ‘Cane win. What’s up front always counts.

We’ve certainly got size upfront, based on the spring depth chart, (the fall one isn’t out yet). The projected starters are 6-5 318 Michael Lasker and 6-7 330 Jamar McGloster at tackles, 6-4 300 Aaron Roberts and 6-3 321 Omari Palmer at guard and ‘little’6-3 284 Jason Emerich at center. That averages 6-4 311 pounds. I remember being impressed with our first offensive line that averaged 250 pounds per man in the early 80’s. The biggest guy weighed 286 pounds. The Cherry Bowl group that helped turn things around in ’87 averaged 275 pounds per man. So 6-4 311 is impressive. It’s also average these days. The ACC average for an offensive lineman is 6-5 304. Duke is the ‘lightest’ at 6-6 291 and Clemson the heaviest at 6-4 312. Georgia Tech is the strangest with four guys between 281-299 and a young man named Shamire Devine, who is 6-7 386. They have to have some guys who can get out on the edge to block the option.

I think all those guys probably weight less than that now. Dino Babers wants speedy linemen, too. The current roster on SU athletics shows Lasker is now 312, Roberts 280, Emerich is up to 293, Palmer is down to 315 and McGloster went all the way from 330-328. I assume the new weights were at the beginning of fall practice. I’m sure they are all less than that now that they’ve been through camp. I don’t know how much Babers goes for wide running plays, pulling guards, etc. It may be enough to just drive block for the runs and circle the wagons for passes. But you still need quick feet. A million dollars seems like a lot until you give everyone a million dollars. Really big guys used to be rare. But now that they are all really big guys, the difference is in how quickly they can move their feet and get in postion to make a block, (or a tackle). As Bedford Forrest used to say: Git thar firstest with the mostest”. If you get there first, you’re likely to have the most as well.

After the Cherry Bowl group, we had a long stretch where we seemed to have excellent backfields and receivers but mediocre lines. We had trouble sustaining drives and our best plays seemed to be quarterback scrambles on third down. Then in the G-Rob era, the greatest skill of our linemen seemed to be the ability to help our quarterback to his feet while they apologized for not blocking anyone. Conditioning didn’t seem to be a meaningful term to Greg Robinson and there are photos of SU linemen with their gut spilling over their belts. Doug Marrone had been an All-East offensive lineman at SU, (Bob Botzski, now an assistant AD, was the other tackle and nearly as good). He was determined to make the offensive line a strength of the team again and he did it. It may have been the major achievement of his tenure here. We not only had good, strong, well-coordinated lines anchored by NFL prospects like Justin Pugh and Sean Hickey but we always seemed to have 3-4 guys coming back from the previous year’s line to bring the new guys up to snuff and continue the new tradition.

That all ended in 2014, when injuries cut through the line like a scythe, leaving it a shambles. That didn’t happen last year and we had a veteran line, full of juniors and seniors. But they were mediocre at best. All of Doug Marrone’s work had been destroyed. Now we have two starters returning from a mediocre line, both on the inside. Roberts and the two big tackles, Lasker and McCloster, are the new guys. Emerich has the best reputation. He was named to the Rimington Trophy watch list, which goes to the nation’s best center. But he was one of 59, which is almost half the division. Palmer is changing positons from tackle to guard. He’s also the back-up center, so he can basically play every positon on the line. He told Syracuse.com "I'm like 10 pounds over my playing weight for the old system, which was like 305," Palmer said, "so this new system, I'll probably go even lower." NFLDraft Scout. Com rated him #92 of 218 offensive guards rated, (as NFL prospects).

Palmer said of McGloster: “He learned the playbook very fast," Palmer said. "He's a great effort guy. He's very athletic for his size. He hasn't really been playing football that long, so you get the right O-line coach, which I feel Coach Lynch will be, to bring him up and teach him and make him the player he can truly be, it's exciting to see." Jamar’s a former basketball player, so he should be able to move well. NFLDraft Scout. Com lists him as #45 of 128 offensive tackles they evaluated.

McGloster’s competition is freshman Evan Adams, freshman just about as big as he is, (6-6 334). "The strength, I felt like I could compete with these guys," Adams said. "I wasn't too far out of reach. I didn't feel overwhelmed with that. It was the technique. "Coming out of a small high school where all we did was run power, we weren't focused on technique. We were focused on moving bodies, so definitely when I got up here it was a wake-up call, seeing how these guys move."

Roberts appeared to have won a starting job last year. Line coach Joe Adam praised his “muscular, athletic build that allows him to dole out powerful punches in the trenches” and called him “a junkyard dog”. But he lost his starting positon in fall practice to senior Seamus Shanley, who had surprised everyone by his climb up the depth chart as an unheralded recruit. Shanley was replaced after two games but Roberts never got that starting position back. Maybe this year he can put that muscular body to better use.

Lasker, a senior, missed last year with a torn labrum, suffered in the spring game. "This offseason has been huge," Lasker said following Tuesday morning's practice. "This is the strongest I've ever been. I feel really good in the way I move, and I think I'm taking a big step… (The staff) likes my physicality, my footwork, my work ethic," Lasker said. "They tell me a lot of good things during film. I just try to fix little mistakes I'm making and don't make the same mistakes twice.“ (Syracuse.com) Lasker says he played in a system similar to Baber’s in junior college. Nunes: “Lasker earned the honor of breaking down team practice during the spring, so it seems like the coaching staff and his teammates think highly of him as a leader.”

His completion for the all-important left tackle job is 6-6 296 Cody Conway, a sophomore. He got an education facing departed DE Ron Thompson in practice every day. "I went up against Ron every day. I feel that got me a lot more prepared because I was going against a great D-end, and some of his moves were some of the best I've seen. He had really quick spins and stuff like that, so I don't see much like that."

Unless there are two Jon Burtons who are 6-8 319, which seems unlikely, the big guy is the third string tackle on both sides of the line, indicating how thin we are there. Last year Scott Shafer said of him: “"He really has good flexibility – he really bends well. He’s a guy that will give us some athleticism, with size, which is always big." Size is big, that’s true. He may have to do more than “bend well”.

The nominal back-up center, (assuming that Palmer might actually replace Emerich if he got hurt), is senior Taylor Hindy, who transferred from Washington, where he didn’t play much. Third string is sophomore Donnie Foster, a former walk-on. Keaton Darney, another sophomore walk-on is the third string guard.

The rest are all freshmen: Liam O’Sullivan was one of Baber’s first recruits. He flipped from Cincinnati. He was 6-7 237 at the time with an 80 inch wingspan and 4.85 speed in the forty. He’s now listed as 6-8 271. He could be a prospect for the future but I suspect they want him to keep building up his body for now. Sam Clausman and Colin Byrne were both recruited from one of the nation’s best programs, St. Thomas Aquinas of Florida and redshirted last year. Clausman is now the second strong left guard and Byrne the second string right guard. Both were 3 star prospects, meaning that they project as possible starters at this level. Airon Servais first committed to Bowling Green but changed when Babers got the SU job. He was a two star recruit, meaning either that he’s more of a ‘project’ at best or that he was underrated. Hopefully it’s the latter. Andrejas Duerig is another redshirt from last year who was recruited as a center but is now the second string left guard. He was a 3 star guy. Sam Heckel is also a three star guy but he’s a true freshman so he could red-shirt this season. he switched from Northwestern. Mike Clark is another tall guy: 6-8 304 and another three star guy who as a freshman could redshirt.

I suspect the younger guys on the line may eventually prove to be superior to the older guys but we’ll be going mostly with the older guys to start with. Having first time starters at both tackle positions is a concern. Those are the key guys in keeping pass rushers out of the backfield and quarterbacks healthy. Hopefully the emphasis on conditioning will give our guys an edge, as well the hurry-up offense and the quick throws. But if we have problems up front, like every other football team on the planet, we are going to have problems moving the ball with any consistency. A hurry-up offense is a grand idea but if you don’t move the chains, all you are going to do is punt quickly. And with a new punter and our defense, we need to avoid that.

Per Nunes: “None of the coaches have commented publicly about any offensive lineman, but called the group "decent" and looks forward to watching them progress.”

 

[SWC75]

Defensive Line

People are abuzz about the new offense Babers and his men are putting in but he’s also putting in a new defense and that’s just as important. It will be a very different defensive concept than we’ve seen in recent years. For years before Scott Shafer got here, we were in “read and react” mode essentially letting the other team run plays like they were diagramed on the blackboard and then just trying to get in their way. I and other Syracuse fans got so sick of that. The best teams play “atomic football”- go right at ‘em on offense and defense. Get plays off fast and get the ball moving down the field fast, (which seems to be Baber’s plan) on offense. Invade the backfield and destroy plays before they get started on defense. When Shafer came in, we started playing atomic defense and it was wonderful. Sometimes you give up big plays but you make big plays and so intimidate the offense that they come apart as the game progresses.

Baber’s crew prefers the “Tampa 2” look, which uses both linebackers and D-backs in coverage and relies almost entirely on the front four to pressure the other team. The concept is to force the other team to make incremental gains and progress downfield slow, (while we score quickly). Also, it’s difficult for mediocre college teams to run 10-12 plays in a row without making a big mistake. It’s been a very successful concept against Syracuse in recent years as we’ve had mediocre or worse offensive teams. But the good teams can do that very well. The power running teams, in particular, will be more than willing to take on the 4 defensive linemen, get 5 yards a play and keep our offense off the field. Our front four will not remind anyone of the Fearsome Foursome of the Rams or the Steel Curtain in Pittsburgh. We are pretty good at tackle but have nearly a void at both end positons. I’ll state this: if are weak at both offensive tackle and both defensive end positons, you aren’t going to have much of a season. You won’t be able to pressure the other team’s backfield and you won’t keep them out of yours.

One ongoing debate is whether a new coach who has inherited a roster of players he didn’t recruit should tailor their strategy to the players they have, win some games and then recruit the players they need to switch to what they really want to do or should they come out in the mode they intend to play in and use that the recruit the players they need to do it well. It’s a great thing that we essentially hired an entire staff of coaches who had worked as a unit to bring success to two other schools and who know and believe in what they are doing. But it seems logical to expect problems when they seem to be fitting a square peg into a round hole. And I think this defense, and this line in particular, is going to have some problems, especially against the better teams, (and we will be playing some good ones).

Rob Thompson was the best player on our team last year. He’d been recruited as a tight end and was regarded as a big-time prospect there. But he was such a good athlete that he was regarded as a big-timer prospect as a defensive end as well. The two coordinators both wanted him and, perhaps because Scott Shafer had become the head coach, the defensive unit won the tug of war. If Doug Marrone, an offensive guy, had stayed, Thompson might have remained a tight end. Injuries held Thompson back at first but in 2015 he blossomed into a star, the best defensive end we’ve had since Dwight Freeney, (Chandler Jones has had a strong NFL career but he never reached that peak here). On some plays, he looked like Freeney, out-quicking multiple blockers to make huge plays. He had 7 sacks and four forced fumbles, (the latter a Freeney specialty). Teams started game-planning around him, which limited their options and opened things up for Thompson’s teammates.

He’d have been the best player on this team, too, but he decided to declare for the NFL draft. He was struggling academically and was close to Shafer’s defensive line coach Tim Doast, who of course, lost his job when Shafer did. He decided it was time to go- and then didn’t get drafted. Ironically, he was signed as a free agent by Freeney’s old team- the Indianapolis Colts, who like players who have played in Domes, which is why many of the Colts players since they moved to Indy were Syracuse guys. Whether another year in college would have gotten him a spot in the draft, I don’t know. We all wish him well. But he could have made a HUGE difference for this Syracuse team. He left behind a void at defensive end, a position that might have been a strength with him.

It’s not a void just because he left. We no longer have Donnie Simmons or Luke Arciniega, the second and third best defensive ends. Promising freshmen Quaddir Sheppard and Amir Ealey were dismissed from the team for violating the school’s drug policy, (a bad time to do that because we’d just been pinched by the NCAA for our inconsistent application of it). Babers and his staff searched the world of Junior College transfers and graduate transfers for defensive ends. The first name we heard was California JUCO Justin Stewart who made 40 tackles, including 12 sacks in 11 games last year. But he went to Iowa State. It’s been said that SU coaches weren’t sold on his grades. If you look at the pre-season magazines, they all write in Gabe Sherrod as one of our ends. He was a grad transfer from Delaware State who ranked second in FCS in tackles for a loss last year with 25 and 8 sacks. Lindy’s called him SU’s “top newcomer” and said he “likely has the highest upside of any pass rusher in (our) pre-season camp”. But he never made it to our preseason camp. He hesitated so long to make a decision that the coaching staff decided to move on. Then Sherrod announced he was going to Michigan State, a top program that likely isn’t anywhere near as desperate for defensive ends as we are.

We settled for De’Jon Wilson, a graduate transfer from Colorado who had never started there but played in 22 games and recorded 2 tackles for a loss and ½ of a sack. He didn’t play last year at all. The story is the Buffs switched to a 3-4 defense and Wilson lacked the size for a DE in that set up or the mobility to be a linebacker. Now he’s back at his natural positon. Per the Post Standard: “The 6-3 250 pound Wilson brings size, strength and experience to a group of defensive ends that also didn’t play last season.” He’s supposed to have a good work ethic “Wilson won the iron Buffalo award for top defensive lineman in the weight room in the spring of 2015.” Jake Pickard, (see below) said "He brings extra strength, he brings an extra body and he brings extra competition.” I don’t think he’ll bring what Sherrod, Stewart or certainly Thompson would have brought us.

The coaches moved senior walk-on linebacker Hernz Laguerre and tight end Trey Dunkelberger to defensive end. Dunkelberger apparently didn’t work out because he’s been moved back to tight end. These are the sort of desperation moves that coaches make late in an injury plagued season. If they are making them before the season starts, it shows how dangerously thin or even under-manned we are at that position.

That leaves it to the freshman. The most touted one is Jake Pickard. Scott Shafer recruited him away from Wisconsin and Michigan and redshirted him last year. He was the #1 guy at one end positon in the spring. Last year Shafer said of Pickard: "I love his motor...There are times when his technique is absolutely horrendous. But his effort overcomes it. You can coach technique with a kid that has talent and has long arms like he does, but that effort, that high motor is something you can't." He’s now learning his role in the Tampa 2 scheme: “Learning whole new playbook is a lot. Learning the reads is a whole other step,” Pickard said. “Everyone has come into their own of learning reads and learning where the back is and determining what set you’re going to have.” He’ll need to figure it out fast. He’s been seen on the sidelines in fall practice in street clothes but is now back practicing with the team in a limited fashion. Hopefully, it’s a temporary problem. He’ll be one of the key players on the team this year.

The other end positon in the spring had Kenneth Ruff as the #1 guy. He was a true freshman, early enrollee who had been shifted from linebacker. He’d been a highly rated middle linebacker- #35 in his class. He’s built himself up from 240 to 258 pounds, so I guess he’ll stay at end. The highest rated defensive end in the new class is Jacquwan Nelson, who is a bit small yet at 6-3 235. He’s a 3 star, (like Ruff), who wanted to go to Georgia but was told they had no room for him there. His high school coach, Richard Dunbar said of him: "Once he gets the weight to go with his speed and first three steps, he's going to be a deadly player at Syracuse and in the ACC." Another true freshman, Josh Black, does not have to get bigger at 6-3 257. He decommitted form Illinois and is also rated 3 stars. Nunes: “Black hasn't been playing football very long, but you can see that he's been a quick learner thus far…if Brian Ward and the defensive staff are able to put in the time with the physically talented Black and help him develop within the system, he could round into a high-quality defender for SU by the time his career wraps up.“ Kendall Coleman was seen practicing with the first team a couple of days ago. PS: “At 6-3 252, Coleman has shown good hips and footwork early in camp.” Good hips are important. Ask Kim Kardasian. McKinley Williams is listed as a defensive tackle but at 6-4 253, he could play end, as well. His teammates have nicknamed him “The Bear” and “raved about his motor and effort in pursuit”. (Post Standard)

In a strong program the true freshmen would all likely be red-shirted. But they are being sent into the breach. And defensive end is a position where experience is really important. Inexperienced ends can over-pursue, leave lanes open or get over-powered. We will be facing a lot of mobile quarterbacks and these guys will have the primary responsibility to keep them in the pocket- or chase them down if they start to scramble. These seem like talented guys who will someday be part of a strong defensive line. But the total lack of any proven players at either defensive end position this year is a frightening situation.

“If I said the lions rule the jungle, that’s not true,” Babers said during an interview on NBC Sports Radio with Newy Scruggs on July 19. “Hippos rule the water and elephants rule the land. Until you get that, you’re going to have a hard time winning football games.” Dino loves metaphors even more than I do. I think he was talking about defensive tackles. Hippos are important, too.

We do have some of proven young talents at tackle. Last year that was the area where we were pressed into playing young players and now comes the pay-off. I remember our 2010 team was powered by veteran tackles who clogged up the middle and occupied blockers. They were all about 300 pounds and could take on the offensive linement who were as big or bigger than that. But they all graduated at once and in 2011 were replaced by freshmen and sophomores who were not only inexperienced but not as big as they had not been in our strength and conditioning program as long. They tended to weight about 275 and got pushed around by offensive linemen who out-weighed them by as much as 50 pounds. It was a big factor in our disappointing 5-7 record that year. But Shafer built them and his defense back up to where we had a bowl winning team in 2012 and 2013 and, despite the injuries that destroyed the offense, a defense in 2014 that was ranked 26th in the country in giving up yards. Then last year, like an etch-a-sketch, suddenly we were staring at a blank screen in the interior line. Our defensive numbers changed thusly between 2014 and 2015:

Rushing Yards: 2014 139 yards per game 31st in the country 2015 163 yards 77th in the country
Passing Yards: 2014 210 yards 38th 2015 257 yards 100th
Total Yards: 2014 349 yards 26th 2015 438.5 yards 98th
Scoring: 2014 24.3 points 37th 2015 31 points 90th

So the rush defense, while it got worse, didn’t collapse as far as the passing or total defense. Freshman Kayton Samuels, Stephen Clark, Chris Slayton and Anthony Giudice had been thrust into the breach. They actually did pretty well at times but everything fell apart around them. But now they are veterans and must anchor the line. Samuels has “senior size” at 6-0 314. So does Slayton at 6-4 296. Clark is 6-2 287. Guidice is 6- 273. Tyler Cross, who red-shirted is 6-2 279. Per Nunes: “During spring practice, Dino Babers commented that the defensive lineman, especially because they are all so young and inexperienced, are going to need to get stronger in the offseason.” Samuels, Slayton and Clark, at least seem to have heard him.

From the Daily Orange: “Samuels started all 12 games last season over Clark and was slotted ahead of him on the post-spring depth chart. Samuels finished his redshirt freshman year with 15 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. Clark had 21 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a pass defended and two fumble recoveries during his true freshman season.” Those are good numbers for tackles, who rarely get the glory.

Nate Mink on Syracuse.com said: “Chris Slayton has an NFL body with measurables scouts salivate over. And on a defensive line with few proven commodities, the time has come for Slayton to anchor the unit. "I have to step up, as far as being a leader because I was always used to being in the shadows," Slayton said… Physically, Slayton is advanced. It's his attention to detail in the film room that could further elevate his development and deliver the tools to be among the best linemen in the ACC. He said he watches film of Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett to pick off some of their techniques.

You have to be pleased with those guys. The whole problem is depth. Guidice and Cross are still under-sized for the wars in the trenches. And beyond them, it’s about moving the defensive end candidates over to fill in. They are all in the 250-260 range at best and would likely get pushed around. We are going to have a hard time dealing with any team with a power running game or getting pressure on the quarterback of a team with a quality passing game. And we aren’t going to be able to sustain anything beyond the normal injuries a team will suffer over a 12 game season and maybe not even that. Young players are going to have grow up fast and we are going to have be very lucky with injuries for this defensive line to meet the demands of the Tampa 2 system.

 

[SWC75]

Linebackers

The one area of the defense we can feel good about are the linebackers- we didn’t lose a single player in this unit from last year’s group. They are led by the man who is the defense’s leader and best player, (with Thompson gone), Zaire Franklin. He started as a freshman in the middle He has good size at 6-0 230, good speed and outstanding intelligence and leadership capabilities. He was voted team Captain as a sophomore, the first in 70 years. He led the team by a wide margin with 81 tackles, including 11 for a loss, 3 sacks and 2 forced fumbles.

His big problem will be the same as the other linebackers: the Tampa 2 makes the linebackers more like additional defensive backs than, well, line backers. Franklin’s instinct has been to go forward. Now it’s got to be to go backwards. He was limited in spring practice by an injury so his adjustment has been delayed. Weakside linebacker Parris Bennett told Stephen Bailey of Syracuse.com: “You definitely need a lot more patience," the junior linebacker said. "We were used to going downhill a little more often in the old defense. In this defense, you need to make sure you see things before you go. So I try to pause and take things in for a split second, then make things happen and just be quick." Can he who hesitates win? "Zaire's definitely a guy who likes to be downhill," Bennett said. "That pass coverage, that deep middle zone is something he had to do every once in a while in the old defense. Now it's a pretty big deal for him, but he's getting used to it."

The outside linebackers can be heavier, "ramrod-type guys," Babers said. Shafer wanted speed rushers. Bennett is 6-0 208. The strongside LB, Jonathan Thomas, is 6-1 209. Marquez Hodge, a starter last year, is 5-11 219. There are no less than eleven other linebackers listed on the squad but only two are listed as over 200 pounds (Tim Walton is 6-2 224 and Adam Dulka is 5-9 226. Both are freshmen, so whether they will play this year is unknown.) . So we’ve got our biggest linebacker running around trying to cover people and a bunch of guys 10-20 pounds lighter are “ramrod guys”. A classic example of fitting square pegs into round holes. I would think the lighter weighs would make them more effective in coverage, but less so against the running game, so maybe the Tampa 2 will be a better defense for them.

Franklin wasn’t the only injured linebacker in the spring. Bennett and Hodge were also on the shelf. It gave the younger players a chance to show what they can do so maybe that will pay some dividends, too. Stephen Bailey, in an article on Syracuse.com, questioned Hodge’s future in the Tampa 2: “Hodge's firm hold on a starting job last season was a questionable decision by the old staff. He was a liability in coverage (-6.7 Pro Football Focus grade), allowing receptions on 24 of the 25 times he was thrown at (the last one was a drop), and consistently failed to shed blocks in the run game. He was also a better fit for the aggressive scheme run by Scott Shafer and Chuck Bullough.”

Ted Taylor isn’t a young guy – he’s a senior who was a JUCO transfer last year and filled in for Bennett when he was injured during the season. He played in all 12 games, starting the last 4 and impressively had 27 tackles, 5 for a loss and 2 sacks. Another senior, Eric Anthony, is a local kid, (Baldwinsville) who walked on as a defensive back and has played mostly on special teams.

The juniors include Jonathan Thomas, who came out of the spring as the starting SAM, (strong-side linebacker), despite being only 6-1 209. He’s the guy who has to take on tight ends. He comes from a soccer background so you know he can run all day. Bailey: “Thomas brings speed and athleticism, but was fooled in the open field a couple times by running back Dontae Strickland.” (Strickland can fool a lot of people.) Franklin has a more positive view: ““The biggest growth I've seen from JT is mentally," Franklin said. "I think the way he approaches the game, the way he prepares for the game, just his overall understanding of where he needs to be, is at a whole different level than anything since I've been here." Other juniors are ex-wrestler Terell Drayton who at 5-11 219 might be that “ramrod” guy Babers is looking for and Alryk Perry who has made one tackle in his career – against Rhode Island.

There’s one sophomore linebacker: Kyle Kleinberg, who came out of Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey, perennially one of the top high schools in the country in this sport. He played some as a true freshman last year, mostly on special teams.

Then there the freshmen. Andrew Armstrong, whom we recruited away from Oklahoma, is moving up the depth chart. He’s the third string SAM right now. "He's just a real athletic player," Bennett said. "He's one of those guys who comes in and can move really well. That's something you need as a linebacker so it'll definitely make his transition to college easier." Franklin said the 6-2 217 Armstrong “has avoided the ‘stupid mistakes’ that plague most freshmen”. "He's definitely studied the game a lot more recently," Bennett said. "He's in his book, a lot, and just making sure he knows what to do before he even does it. Because he's such a fast-paced guy and wants to play fast, knowing his assignment to the best of his ability can help him go full speed." (Syracuse.com) Shyheim Cullin reshirted last year Nunes: “Cullen came to Syracuse as a high upside player; a strong athlete on the outside who could pressure the QB. It was a perfect fit for Scott Shafer's scheme. Utilizing that same strength and speed on the outside now, he'll be tasked with run-stopping instead.” Tim Walton is the biggest LB other than Franklin (6-2 224) in terms of height and weight. Nunes: “At Michigan's Cass Tech, Walton was a standout inside linebacker, and you can probably see him doing more of the same at Syracuse. It's likely he redshirts this year, especially given the logjam of youth in front of him. But whether he first plays this year or next, he's a proven strong tackler and a player that can drop back in coverage -- a perfect fit for what the position calls for.” Troy Henderson also red-shirted last year. Nunes: “Henderson came to Syracuse with some high expectations in 2015, and this season, we'll see if he gets to start fulfilling them. Franklin has largely fulfilled the entire MLB role with minimal assistance, meaning this is a golden opportunity for the slimmer (down to 216 pounds) Henderson to make an impact. As a high school player, he was much more focused on getting behind the line of scrimmage, which could slow the transition to his new, key coverage role.” Zack Lesko and Adam Dulka are true freshmen walk-ons form Ohio who played both ways in high school. “and that athleticism appeals to what (DC Brian) Ward wants to implement on this side of the ball.” (Nunes) Lesko is a former wide receiver so he has some speed. Dulka “may be on the smaller end at 5-foot-9, but he made a living both giving out and taking hits as a two-way (linebacker, running back) player in high school. A sure tackler -- 106 stops as a junior -- that already appears close to college playing weight at 226 pounds, he seems to be a natural fit for the heavy-on-run-stopping weakside role as it currently stands.” (Nunes)

I see numbers here. I see talent. I see experience. I see speed. I don’t see a lot of size and I don’t know how the shift from an aggressive defense with frequent blitzes to a conservative defense that emphasizes coverage will impact the players recruited for and used to Shafer’s system.

 

[SWC75]

Defensive Backfield

The big problem on defense last year was the backfield, which was our worst in memory. While we were completing 53.6% of our passes for 6.2 yards per pass and 11.5 per catch our opposition was completing 64.7% of their passes for 7.9 yards per pass and 12.2 per catch. That came to exactly 100 yards per game more than we generated through the air. This was largely due to the youth of the players so there was hope for improvement. It couldn’t get much worse- could it?

Then, on April 16, Naesean Howard, a former SU player who had lost his position in the depth chart for the defensive backfield and then been dismissed from the team for violating team rules, barged into a barbeque and stabbed Chauncey Scissum and Corey Winfeild. Scissum, who was already recovering from surgery and had only one free arm, was stabbed “ on right side of his neck, right upper chest, left shoulder and bottom lip” and Winfield, who had moved to assist his teammate, was stabbed in the “lower right back, upper right chest, and left abdomen and left wrist”. Both players recovered from their wounds, (and Scissum form his surgery) , and have been practicing with the team while Howard, who had been a star running back for West Genesee, was being evaluated by mental health professionals and the legal system, (his lawyer is having him examined for concussion syndrome) . Was it an omen of bad things to come?

One thing we definitely have in the backfield is numbers. No less than 15 players on the roster are listed as defensive backs. Unfortunately, the refs probably won’t let us use them all at once.

The seniors are Wayne Morgan and Joe Stanard. Morgan was considered a major recruiting coup when we got him and he has played a lot but his star has faded. He came out of the spring listed as second string behind Corey Winfield. One of Baber’s preferences is for his cornerbacks to be “longer and stronger” and Winfield is 6-1 to Morgan’s 5-11. Stanard is 5-10 and the fourth string strong safety. He’s a walk-on who has never played in a game yet.

The juniors are Winfield, Scissum and Antwan Cordy. All will play a big roles this year, assume the first two aren’t impacted by their knife injuries. Winfield is probably the best athlete of the bunch, with a 40 inch vertical leap. He “recorded 30 tackles (26 solo), including two sacks, three pass breakups, one forced fumble, and tied for the team lead with two interceptions”. (Cuse.com) He adapted to the Tampa 2 look well in the spring: “"We thought it was going to be kind of hard. But once we put it together, put it on the field and watched film of ourselves, it became, 'Now we know our mistakes. Now we know how to do it.' It made it easier." Cordy and Scissum are battling it out for the free safety positon. Cordy is small: 5-8 175 but plays big. He’s the team’s biggest hitter on defense. “Second on the team in tackles (68) ... Had eight games with at least five tackles ... Led the Orange and set the SU season record for most tackles for loss by a defensive back (12). Cordy’s 12 TFLs ranked second among ACC defensive backs behind Duke All-American Jeremy Cash (18) ... Tied for the team lead in interceptions (2) and fumble recoveries (2)” (Cuse.com) His nickname is “Giant”. He was one of Shafer’s favorite players and admired Shafer so much he almost left when was fired but Coach Babers convinced him to stay. He should be one of Baber’s favorite players, too. Scissum is big: 6-2 201. ”Fourth on the team and second among SU defensive backs with 43 tackles (27 solo) ... Recorded six games with five or more tackles.” (Cuse.com) NFL Draft.com rates him 30th of 122 safeties evaluated,so he’s got what it take sto be a good player.

The sophs are Rodney Williams, Juwan Dowells, Daivon Ellison, Cordell Hudson and Kielan Whitner, Whitner, Williams and Ellison were 1-2-3 at strong safety at the end of the spring. Whitner played immediately as a true freshman and “led all Orange true freshmen with 33 tackles (23 solo)”. (Cuse.com) He’s his own worst critic. After making a big mistake in the South Florida game he tweeted: “Thankful for all my coaches and teammates having my back. Apologize to them for my poor performance just gonna work hard to bounce back.” How many players would do that? “He calls the battle between the two (vs. Williams) “more us trying to get each other better” rather than a competition. …I want to be great in everything I do on the field, off the field,” (Daily Orange) Williams started the first 5 games of the season before being injured. He had been injured in the second game in 2014 and was granted a medical redshirt, thus his ‘sophomore’ status. He’s actually more experienced than that. He made 17 tackles (13 solo) last year. Ellison is another Don Bosco guy. He’s on the small side at 5-9 175. He was a big hitter on special teams last year. Shafer described him thusly: "Ellison is just a good football player."

Hudson is #1 at the corner positon opposite Winfield. Like Wayne Morgan he’s only 5-11 but has good jumping ability and has gotten stronger so he can “jam” receivers. He’s another who doesn’t seem to mind the switch to the Tampa 2: “It hasn't been too hard," Hudson said. "In high school, we played zone mostly. I like Cover 2 because you get to make plays. You get to see everything happen." Dowells is behind Hudson. He started the last 5 games and wound up with “40 tackles (29 solo) and led the Orange in passes defended (6) and pass breakups (5)”. NFL draft At their request, this network is being blocked from this site. has ranked 45th of 176 cornerbacks evaluated.

You can see what the problem was last year: experience, not talent. We just had too many young guys who had to play immediately. Dino Babers did a radio interview I heard today in which he predicted both of the defensive line and the backfield that “in a year or two” they have a chance to be excellent units. He compared it to Novocain: it take a while to take effect. We could have used some Novocain watching them last year. A year of experience and the switch to a zone with the linebackers helping out could make a big difference. So might an attitude change. ”Secondary coach Nick Monroe has preached for every defensive back to do their “one-11th” or their “one-fourth.” Whitner constantly harped on the mantras, symbolizing a player’s need to be responsible for his individual piece of the 11-man defense or the four-man secondary. Among the defensive backs, the saying “We all we got, we all we need” fosters cohesiveness among the unit.” (Daily Orange)

And there is help on the way. JUCO cornerback Michael Moore failed to qualify but redshirt freshman Christopher Fredrick and true freshmen Evan Foster, Carl Jones, Scoop Bradshaw and Devon Clarke are here. Nunes: “Fredrick has the stature to be plugged in quickly and perhaps pick up where he left off at Cedar Grove High School in Conley, Ga. There he was an apt tackler and defended receivers well -- skills he’ll need right away as SU cycles in a long list of corners.” Stephen Bailey, after viewing his highlight film on Syracuse.com: “Fredrick shows strong ball skills in coverage and a nose for the football while tackling. He gets his helmet on the ball to jar it loose multiple times. Fredrick isn't tested much in coverage deep down the field, but plays against the run fairly well. He also flashes his speed and vision in the return game.”

Foster is a big safety at 6-2 208 “and is well situated to be a major contributor to the future of this defense. Never say never for all of these true freshman -- Babers has indicated that the best players will start, regardless of class/experience. But with Foster, it’s likely we’re waiting until next year to see what the impressive arrival can do for the Orange.” (Nunes)

Nunes on Carl Jones: “Typically, you’re trying to redshirt a true freshman defensive back, but that may not be an option for Jones or the Orange in 2016. Jones is the type of athlete Dino Babers staff will continue to recruit more of: quick, great hands, played both sides in high school (and played basketball as well). Like the other younger DBs on the roster, he has an ability to get his hands on the football. There’s a chance you see him on the field a bit in year one.” He’s 6-1 177.

Scoop Bradshaw had quite a high school career: “Made more than 300 tackles, intercepted 15 passes, tallied 13 sacks, and scored 11 touchdowns in his high school career.” Like the others, he’s a three star guy- projected to be at least a college starter.

Devon Clarke is another big guy: 6-2 186. Nunes: “Clarke brings good size to the safety position at 6-foot-2 and 186 pounds. With a potential year to redshirt and continuing growing into a college safety, Clarke’s one to keep an eye out for come 2017.” He was on the sidelines for fall practice with “a medical issue”. Hopefully that will be a temporary situation. (Update: Morgan, Williams and Foster were also sidelined for a time in the fall- no details available at this time.)

Like the offense, there’s plenty of talent- and plenty of young talent- in the backfield. It’s all about what happens up front. Both units are full of stallions but the linemen have to open up the gate to the corral so they can prance. The other concern is implementing whole new concepts on either side of the ball. I think we’re going to be inconsistent at best and I really think this defense is going to have trouble stopping teams this year.

 

[SWC75]

The Kicking Game

Besides being the scene of a never-ending aerial circus, the Carrier Dome should also be heaven for kickers. We’ve had some good ones over the years, and some mediocre ones. We lost one of the very good ones in punter Riley Dixon. He’ll be replaced by redshirt freshman Sterling Hofrichter. Chris Carlson wrote in the Post Standard: “Hofrichter won’t punt the ball as high as Riley Dixon. He won’t punt it as far. He will, however replace the former Syracuse star the best he can.” There’s a ringing endorsement.

Cole Murphy is the placekicker. He’s been pretty good but not dazzling. . He’s hit 29 of 38 field goals in two years, 76%. He made a couple of 50 yarders two years ago but was 3 for 7 from the 40 or beyond last year.

Brisley Estime is the primary kick returning threat. He averaged 18.2 yards per punt return and took two the distance, one from 74 yards out. He averaged 22 yards a kickoff return. With all the exciting runners and receivers we’ve collected we should have plenty of depth back there. I really wish we’d have two primary returners back on kick-offs. Brisley returned 30 of them last year and four other guys totaled 9 returns. There’s a lot of area to cover and I think two guys can cover it better and give us some versatility, including those reverse hand-offs we used to use so effectively back in the Kirby Dar Dar days. Heck, I wouldn’t mind seeing two guys back for punts, too. Why not? We have a bunch of guys who could do this. Why not use them?

The injury to George Morris hurts our kicking units, as he was one of the most active players covering kick returns. We’ve also got a bunch of guys with the speed and toughness to be “gunners”, so we should be able to find a replacement here. Those same guys might be able to block some kicks. I wish we’d get more aggressive in that department than we have been in recent years. Let’s pull out all the stops.

Overall, I think we’ll at least see “flashes”, (to use a Greg Robinson term), of what we are going to be someday on offense, have a lot of frustration getting off the field on defense but could make some big plays in the kicking game if we choose to go after them. I hope it will be enough.

Last year’s stats and rankings, offensive and defensive:
Rushing yards per game: 163 (77th) vs. 182 (78th)
Passing yards per game: 157 (116th) vs. 257 (100th)
Total Yards per game: 320 (118th) vs. 438.5 (98th)
Scoring per game: 27 (77th) vs. 31 (90th)
Turnover Margin: +5 (32nd)
Total Sacks: 23 (78th) vs. 21 (49th)


(Tomorrow: Part 3: The Schedule)

 

[bnoro]

You're truly a legend, SWC.

 

[texascpa]

SWC, you're retired, right?

 

[RICuse44]

Unbelievable detail. Thanks SWC

 

[SoBristol]

Just great. A nit or two. I don't believe the roster weights have been updated. And Custis does not run a 4.37. More like 4.5 at best. There was an error on Scout and people just continue to cite that - trust your eyes.
For some other observations on what Moe Neal can do, you need to check the video of the Spring game. He lacks size, but he brings quick moves - best on the team.

 

[SWC75]

SWC, you're retired, right?

Idle hands are the devil's tool.

 

[Ish88888]

Serious? Is this Phil steele? Crazy long, i have a job, no time to read it.

 

[SWC75]

Serious? Is this Phil steele? Crazy long, i have a job, no time to read it.

I don't, so I had time to type it.

Ironically, all three parts, (including tomorrow), totaled 44 pages on WORD.