SWC75
Bored Historian
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
- Messages
- 33,279
- Like
- 64,036
In the following sections the size of the player is what was reported on the current Cuse.com roster. The weight in parenthesis is their weight last year, either from the 2023 Cuse.com roster or the roster, if I could find it, of the school they played for last year or, if they are true freshmen, from the 247 listing. If there was no change, there will be no parenthesis. There’s been much talk about how the players are bigger and stronger this year due to the strength and conditioning the coaches and our S&C staff, Chad Smith, Jordan Barber, (who came from…Georgia), Nick Raszeja and “Stack” Williams. Imagine lifting weights with a guy named “Stack”!
QUARTERBACKS
Seniors: #6 Kyle McCord 6-3 220 (215), Michael Johnson Jr. 6-3 213 (210)
Juniors: #16 Carlos Del Rio-Wilson 6-2 213 (222)
Sophomores: 10 Braden Davis 6-5 195 (200)
Freshman: ##17 Patrick Grusser 6-2 186 (194), #14 AJ Miller 6-3 198 (200) #4 Jakhari Williams 6-2 203 (190)
(Braden Davis was a 4-star recruit as a quarterback but is being tried out at wide receiver. He’s gotten snaps in practice at both positions so I’m listing him under both.)
When Dino Babers came here, he said it was his preference not to have a running quarterback. He wanted his guy to stand in the pocket and pick the defense apart. He recruited Tommy DeVito for that role. But, for six of his eight years here, he had Eric Dungey and Garrett Shrader, both dual-threat QBs and good ones. Both men built themselves up to the size of fullbacks and that was their role in the rushing game: the alternative to the smaller quicker halfback, the Larry Csonkas to the ‘running’ back’s Floyd Little. They could also scramble and create on the run. The other two years Tommy got beat up because our lines couldn’t protect hm and he got hurt each year. He was actually the most sacked quarterback in America in 2019-2020, (54 times). When Dino decided on Shrader early in the 2021 season, Tommy hit the transfer portal to Illinois where he had a good senior season and then went on to make some noise as a New York Giants third-stringer because people were actually blocking for him.
Kyle McCord shocked the football world when he transferred here. Why would an Ohio State QB decide he’d rather be Syracuse’s QB? He had a fine season in his one year as a starter: 229/348 (65.8%) 3,170 yards, 24 TDs and 6 interceptions while his team had an 11-1 record. If he did that for SU this year, it would be one of the best seasons a QB ever had here. Only Ryan Nassib has ever passed for more yards, (3,749), completions (294) or more touchdowns (26). Ryan had 10 interceptions and a lower completion percentage (62.4). But there were criticisms of McCord’s consistency and that ‘1’ in the 11-1 record was Michigan, (he opted out of their bowl game), although that was some Michigan team.
Maybe a comparison to McCord’s predecessors in Columbus makes the picture clearer:
2012 Braxton Miller 148/254 (58.3%) 2,039y 13.8y/comp 8.0 y/att 15TD 6int 227c 1,271y 13TD = 3,310y 28TD Ohio State went 12-0 but were on probation.
2013 Braxton Miller 162/255 2,094y 12.9y/comp 8.2 y/att 24TD 7int 171c 1,068y 12TD Miller also caught 16 passes for 147 yards and 3 TDs = 3,909y 45TDs Ohio State went 12-2.
2014 JT Barrett and Cardell Jones 252/393 (64.1%) 3,580y 14.2y/comp 9.1 y/att 39TD 12int 231c 1,150y 12TD = 4,730y 51TD. Ohio State went 14-1 and won the national championship.
2015 Braxton, Barrett and Jones combined for 204/324 (63.0%) 2,455y 12.0 y/comp 7.6y/att 19TD 9 int 221c 1,135y 14TD and Miller caught 26r 341y and 3TD = 3,931y 36TD. Despite the ‘lousy’ year, the Buckeyes still sent 12-1.
2016 JT Barrett and Joe Burrow, (yes, THAT Joe Burrow), 255/407 (62.7%) 2,781y 10.9y/comp 6.8y/att 26TD 7int 217c 903y 10TD = 3,684y 36TD. Ohio State went 11-2.
2017 Barrett, Burrow and Dwayne Haskins went 287/439 for 3,679y 12.8y/comp 8.4y/att 39TD 10int 192c 849y 12TD = 4,428y 51TD. Buckeyes went 12-2
2018 Haskins blew the doors off with 373/533 (70.0%) 4,831y 13.0y/comp 9.1y/att 50TD 8int but only 108y in 79 carries for 4 TDs = 4,939y 54TD. Ohio State went 13-1.
2019 Justin Fields was 238/354 (67.3%) 3,273y 13.8y/comp 9.2y/att 41TD 3int (3!!) 137c 484y 10TD = 3,757y 51TD. Ohio State went 13-1.
2020 In the Covid year, they only played 8 games, and went 7-1. Fields was 158/225 ((70.2%) 2,100y 13.3y/comp 9.3y/att 22TD 6 int 81c 383y 5TD = 2,483y 27TD.
2021 CJ Stroud was 317/441 (71.9%) for 4,435y 14.0y/comp 10.1y/att 44TD 6int 32 ‘carries’ for -20 yards, (when is the NCAA going to created sacks as a separate QB stat?) 0TD = 4,415y 44TD. The Buckeyes went 11-2.
2022 Stroud went 258/389 (66.3%) for 3,688y 14.3y/comp 9.5y/att 41TD 6int 47c 108y 0TD = 3,796y 41TD. Ohio State went 11-2
2023 Kyle McCord 229/348 (65.8%) got 3,170y 13.8y/comp 9.1y/att 24TD 6int 32c -65y 0TD = 3,105y 24TD. Ohio State went 11-2.
So, while McCord’s numbers look wonderful to us, they don’t come up to his predecessors, (and what predecessors!). Buckeye fans looked at him as a “plug and play” guy who, surrounded by and Ohio State line and an Ohio State running game and throwing to the best receiver in the country, (Marvin Harrison Jr. son on the SU Hall of Famer), put up decent but unspectacular numbers. They felt he could be easily recruited over and they can get back to having Heisman Trophy candidates behind their center.
The joke could be on the Buckeyes, though who are using Kansas State transfer Will Howard, who beat out sophomore Devin Brown in the spring. Per Lindys, “Howard is a better runner than McCord but McCord is statistically a better passer…at the end of last season, Howard was had lost reps at K-State to talent freshman Avery Johnson and, in the spring at OSU, he struggled as a deep passer, so it’s not quite as though Howard is a ‘plug and play superstar’.” They are thinking ‘national championship, (as they always do), but do they have the right guy for it at QB? And how will he do without Marvin Jr.?
Meanwhile, what are the SU coaches saying about McCord? Our QB coach, Nunzio Campanile:
“I mean, he's got a lot of strengths. But he's a really accurate passer. He's really smart. He's doing a great job of understanding the scheme... I've been super impressed with his leadership, his work ethic, his preparation. I mean, he carries himself like a pro every day. And I think he's a great example to the guys in the room." 247 basketball analyst Brad Crawford rates Kyle the 20th best QB in the country and says "The new staff essentially gave McCord total control of Syracuse's scheme and that should benefit an efficient passer formerly of Ohio State." Efficient is good.
247 had Kyle as a 4-star coming out of high school, (On3 had him a 5-star) and said:
“Wide-shouldered frame with good height and size. Strong arm and accurate. Spins ball well. Poised under pressure. Great leadership qualities. Plays with high IQ. Can throw 15-yard out on line. Touch to throw over linebackers on intermediate routes. Has quick release with good arm angle. Fits balls into tight windows. Accurate throwing on run. Moves in pocket. Extends plays. Needs to continue to develop escapability. More consistency needed on deep balls. Multi-year starter at top 15 program. Projects to be an early round NFL draft pick.”
McCord has a weakness?
(Chuck Connors played a guy named ‘McCord’)
Here is his highlight package from Ohio State last year:
Kyle McCord || Ohio State Buckeyes Quarterback || 2023 Junior Highlights
His passing looks good, including throwing deep balls. His protection is very good but he helps it with a quick release and he can take a few steps to buy time if he has to. Here’s McCord a few months later in our spring game:
QB Kyle McCord Puts On A Show For Syracuse Fans
He looks just as good, although there was an interception he threw right into the hands of a linebacker he didn’t see that they didn’t show here. Hey! It was his first game in Orange! There were a couple plays where the pocket seemed to be collapsing but the ball was out before any damage could be done.
We don’t have Marvin Jr. but we have some interesting targets for Kyle to throw to. But we have to protect him to allow him to do what he does well. That’s why Coach Brown is bringing in a bunch of big strong guys. We don’t want Kyle’s one-year career here to go like Tommy DeVito’s. The other thing is that he’s not going to provide that second running back Dungey and Scrader provided. I’m hopeful, (but not confident) that Brown and his staff will use two running backs in tandem in some situations to give McCord an extra blocker. Both LeQuint Allen and Yasin Willis showed the ability to catch the ball as well as run it in the spring game, (with McCord).
Then there’s the biggest question SU fans have been discussing going into this season: What if McCord gets hurt? What do we have behind him? Since Nassib set those records in 2012, we’d had quarterbacks get hurt every year. The only year when the same guy started every game was 2018, the year we went 10-3. Even then, Dungey missed time in several games. One of Dino’s failures was the failure to develop competent back up QBs who could at least kept us in the game. In the McPherson-Pasqualoni Era we had guys like Todd Philcox, Mark McDonald, Kevin Mason, Keith Downing, Troy Nunes and RJ Anderson who could come into games and it didn’t mean we were going to lose them. Dino inherited a junior college walk-on named Zach Mahoney who quarterbacked us in 24-34 and 27-37 losses to top ten LSU and Clemson teams that were as close as the score indicated and who threw 5 TD passes in a loss to Pittsburgh. The only other good back-up we had in the Dino Era was DeVito, the heir apparent, when Dungey was still here. Why can’t we at least get a guy like Mahoney? I asked Dino that on his show and he said there just isn’t time at practice to give a back-up time with the first team or against the 1st team defense. But when the 1st team QB, (annually) got injured, his seasons would fall apart. It can happen again if Fran Brown and Campanile can’t find us at a Mahoney – or a DeVito - out of the other QB’s on the roster.
Last year I thought we had the problem licked. We had three QB’s who had been 4 star recruits, all of whom were successfully recruited by SEC schools but who couldn’t win the starting job there and had transferred here. Garrett Shrader had gone to Mississippi State. Carlos Del Rio-Wilson had gone to Florida and Braden Davis to South Carolina. If Fran Brown had gotten three 4 star SEC QB recruits to transfer to Syracuse, this town would have gone crazy over it. But Dino did that and it seemed to insure that we’d have plenty of depth. Instead, it was an object lesson about recruit ratings.
Firstly, Carlos Del Rio-Wilson and Braden Davis are 3-stars on 247 now that they are Syracuse players. They were 4 stars when I first wrote about them. (Per Nunes, Carlos was 4 stars with ESPN, Rivals and On3, Braden with ESPN). They’ve been less than either when they’ve actually gotten out on the field, although the circumstances in each case were less than ideal. Carlos first came here two years ago. He has good size and a strong arm but lacks touch. The first time he got a chance to play any significant action was in a 2022 a game against Notre Dame where he looked pretty good, directing a couple of second half scoring drives but also throwing a big interpretation in a 24-41 loss. The next week he started against Pittsburgh, the school with the most sacks in the country since 2019, (at least going into that game). He was sacked 8 times. That was it for that season. He was a nifty 10 for 13 for 149 yards and 3 scores vs. Colgate in the 65-0 blow-out that opened last season. Then he was 5 for 9 for 57 yards vs. Western Michigan in a 48-6 blow-out. He saw no more significant action until a 2 for 9 stint vs. Florida State in a 3-41 loss. He then got a start against Boston College who was all over him. He was 7 for 17 with 4 interceptions. He did manage to rush for 67 yards and a touchdown but he was so beat up he didn’t play for the rest of the season. People here are really down on him but if Coach Brown’s “bring in the big guys” plan works, maybe we’ll see why Carlos got those 4, (sorry 3), stars and what the Gators had seen in him.
Here's Carlos vs. Notre Dame in 2022:
www.youtube.com
and Colgate in 2023:
www.youtube.com
Nothing to wow you there but it shows that when he isn’t being clobbered, he can run plays the way they look on the blackboard. Here’s a breakdown SI did about him when he was recruited:
www.si.com
Braden Davis came in last year. He completed one pass for -6 yards against Georgia Tech, then found himself at quarterback for the bowl game. Not much went right but he showed a decent form passing the ball for 6 completions in 13 attempts for 84 yards. That doesn’t sound like much but it was the best thing we had going for us in that game. Like CDRW, Davis really hasn’t much of a chance to show what he’s capable of and people are down on him as a result. Unfortunately, some of those people appear to be Fran Brown and his coaches, who have Davis trying out to become a receiver. That’s what happened to Shrader at Mississippi State and is why he came here.
247: “Excellent frame with length. Athletic with escapability. Does not panic under pressure. Good pocket awareness. Good arm strength that will improve with maturity. Shows very good touch on intermediate and deep balls. Throws catchable ball. Gets through progressions. Extends plays. Strong work ethic. Good foot speed and feet work in unison with arm. Has to tighten lengthy delivery. Drops elbow at times. Must continue to get stronger and add weight. Added strength will increase arm strength. Multi-year starter at high-major program with long-term NFL Draft potential.”
Braden doesn’t have a package of college highlights so here he is in high school, a tall, lanky kid who can scramble, (interesting that that is what they start out showing us), who can throw a good spiral and seems to have a quick release;
www.youtube.com
Maybe Michael Johnson Jr. is the guy we are looking for. He’ll certainly get a good look, being the son of our ‘co’-offensive coordinator. A 3-star from San Jose, (ESPN had him a 4), he signed with Penn State, redshirted and left for Florida Atlantic, where, after recovering from a shoulder injury, he completed 10 of 23 passes for 140 yards and 7 scores. 10 completions for 7 scores is a pretty good rate! 247: “Frame can hold 205 pounds. Has receiver athleticism. Ran 4.58 in 40. Elusive and athletic. Can turn negative play into big gain. Allows for pocket to move. Hard worker. Son of coach. At best when play breaks down. Elite change of direction and burst. Could move to receiver if quarterback does not work out. Must improve throwing mechanics. Accuracy needs work. Has to get more comfortable in pocket. Can contribute as an athlete quickly at a Power 5 schools. NFL free agent as quarterback. Could be late draft pick as a receiver.” They don’t seem too enthusiastic about him as a QB.
Here’s a lengthy highlight film of him from when he was in high school:
Michael Johnson Jr UNCOMMON // Ultimate High School Highlights
The guy runs through the defense like an eel swimming through the water. He looks like an exciting dual threat QB who can pass pretty well and has great moves and speed as a runner. The question is: why, in four seasons on this level, hasn’t he become a star? Maybe under his father’s guidance, he can become one. He’s got two years here to do it. One more thought: the offense we use for Mike Jr. would have to be a very different offense than the one we had for McCord. Can everybody else switch gears when MJ Jr. comes in? How much practice time would that take?
There are three freshmen. The name that matters is Jakhari Williams, the first big Fran Brown QB recruit. He’s a…3-star from Georgia. But Georgia 3-stars may be as good as New York 4-stars. 247: “A dual-threat talent with a stronger arm that can whip the ball to all different levels. Owns an athletic build and is pushing 6-foot-2, 190 pounds. Tested in the upper percentile spring before senior season, which isn’t surprising as he can also attack the rim on the hardwood. Ability to extend plays and evade pressure is without a doubt one of his biggest strengths at this stage in his development. So is his vision as a runner in the open field. Might have no issues trying to move chains with his legs, but has also shown that he can stand in the pocket and go through his progressions. Prep highlight tape is loaded up with some impressive throws, but must continue to improve accuracy after completing just under 60 of his passes as a junior in one of the Peach State’s lower classifications. Should be viewed as a plus athlete at the quarterback position with a higher ceiling that can win games at the Power Five level on Saturdays if he keeps progressing.”
Sounds good: but could he help us this year?
His highlight film looks good:
He’s got a strong arm and puts some air under the ball to allow his receivers to run under it. That goes well with the fast guys Fran & company have recruited. Throwing long was also noted as a supposed weakness of Kyle McCord. Jahkari also has quick feet, some speed and toughness as a runner. He may be ‘the guy’ here one day. But will he have to be in November?
Patrick Grusser and AJ Miller are walk-ons. We once had a walk-on start for us in the G-Rob era: Cameron Dantley, (Adrian’s kid). We don’t want to go back to those bad old days.
QUARTERBACKS
Seniors: #6 Kyle McCord 6-3 220 (215), Michael Johnson Jr. 6-3 213 (210)
Juniors: #16 Carlos Del Rio-Wilson 6-2 213 (222)
Sophomores: 10 Braden Davis 6-5 195 (200)
Freshman: ##17 Patrick Grusser 6-2 186 (194), #14 AJ Miller 6-3 198 (200) #4 Jakhari Williams 6-2 203 (190)
(Braden Davis was a 4-star recruit as a quarterback but is being tried out at wide receiver. He’s gotten snaps in practice at both positions so I’m listing him under both.)
When Dino Babers came here, he said it was his preference not to have a running quarterback. He wanted his guy to stand in the pocket and pick the defense apart. He recruited Tommy DeVito for that role. But, for six of his eight years here, he had Eric Dungey and Garrett Shrader, both dual-threat QBs and good ones. Both men built themselves up to the size of fullbacks and that was their role in the rushing game: the alternative to the smaller quicker halfback, the Larry Csonkas to the ‘running’ back’s Floyd Little. They could also scramble and create on the run. The other two years Tommy got beat up because our lines couldn’t protect hm and he got hurt each year. He was actually the most sacked quarterback in America in 2019-2020, (54 times). When Dino decided on Shrader early in the 2021 season, Tommy hit the transfer portal to Illinois where he had a good senior season and then went on to make some noise as a New York Giants third-stringer because people were actually blocking for him.
Kyle McCord shocked the football world when he transferred here. Why would an Ohio State QB decide he’d rather be Syracuse’s QB? He had a fine season in his one year as a starter: 229/348 (65.8%) 3,170 yards, 24 TDs and 6 interceptions while his team had an 11-1 record. If he did that for SU this year, it would be one of the best seasons a QB ever had here. Only Ryan Nassib has ever passed for more yards, (3,749), completions (294) or more touchdowns (26). Ryan had 10 interceptions and a lower completion percentage (62.4). But there were criticisms of McCord’s consistency and that ‘1’ in the 11-1 record was Michigan, (he opted out of their bowl game), although that was some Michigan team.
Maybe a comparison to McCord’s predecessors in Columbus makes the picture clearer:
2012 Braxton Miller 148/254 (58.3%) 2,039y 13.8y/comp 8.0 y/att 15TD 6int 227c 1,271y 13TD = 3,310y 28TD Ohio State went 12-0 but were on probation.
2013 Braxton Miller 162/255 2,094y 12.9y/comp 8.2 y/att 24TD 7int 171c 1,068y 12TD Miller also caught 16 passes for 147 yards and 3 TDs = 3,909y 45TDs Ohio State went 12-2.
2014 JT Barrett and Cardell Jones 252/393 (64.1%) 3,580y 14.2y/comp 9.1 y/att 39TD 12int 231c 1,150y 12TD = 4,730y 51TD. Ohio State went 14-1 and won the national championship.
2015 Braxton, Barrett and Jones combined for 204/324 (63.0%) 2,455y 12.0 y/comp 7.6y/att 19TD 9 int 221c 1,135y 14TD and Miller caught 26r 341y and 3TD = 3,931y 36TD. Despite the ‘lousy’ year, the Buckeyes still sent 12-1.
2016 JT Barrett and Joe Burrow, (yes, THAT Joe Burrow), 255/407 (62.7%) 2,781y 10.9y/comp 6.8y/att 26TD 7int 217c 903y 10TD = 3,684y 36TD. Ohio State went 11-2.
2017 Barrett, Burrow and Dwayne Haskins went 287/439 for 3,679y 12.8y/comp 8.4y/att 39TD 10int 192c 849y 12TD = 4,428y 51TD. Buckeyes went 12-2
2018 Haskins blew the doors off with 373/533 (70.0%) 4,831y 13.0y/comp 9.1y/att 50TD 8int but only 108y in 79 carries for 4 TDs = 4,939y 54TD. Ohio State went 13-1.
2019 Justin Fields was 238/354 (67.3%) 3,273y 13.8y/comp 9.2y/att 41TD 3int (3!!) 137c 484y 10TD = 3,757y 51TD. Ohio State went 13-1.
2020 In the Covid year, they only played 8 games, and went 7-1. Fields was 158/225 ((70.2%) 2,100y 13.3y/comp 9.3y/att 22TD 6 int 81c 383y 5TD = 2,483y 27TD.
2021 CJ Stroud was 317/441 (71.9%) for 4,435y 14.0y/comp 10.1y/att 44TD 6int 32 ‘carries’ for -20 yards, (when is the NCAA going to created sacks as a separate QB stat?) 0TD = 4,415y 44TD. The Buckeyes went 11-2.
2022 Stroud went 258/389 (66.3%) for 3,688y 14.3y/comp 9.5y/att 41TD 6int 47c 108y 0TD = 3,796y 41TD. Ohio State went 11-2
2023 Kyle McCord 229/348 (65.8%) got 3,170y 13.8y/comp 9.1y/att 24TD 6int 32c -65y 0TD = 3,105y 24TD. Ohio State went 11-2.
So, while McCord’s numbers look wonderful to us, they don’t come up to his predecessors, (and what predecessors!). Buckeye fans looked at him as a “plug and play” guy who, surrounded by and Ohio State line and an Ohio State running game and throwing to the best receiver in the country, (Marvin Harrison Jr. son on the SU Hall of Famer), put up decent but unspectacular numbers. They felt he could be easily recruited over and they can get back to having Heisman Trophy candidates behind their center.
The joke could be on the Buckeyes, though who are using Kansas State transfer Will Howard, who beat out sophomore Devin Brown in the spring. Per Lindys, “Howard is a better runner than McCord but McCord is statistically a better passer…at the end of last season, Howard was had lost reps at K-State to talent freshman Avery Johnson and, in the spring at OSU, he struggled as a deep passer, so it’s not quite as though Howard is a ‘plug and play superstar’.” They are thinking ‘national championship, (as they always do), but do they have the right guy for it at QB? And how will he do without Marvin Jr.?
Meanwhile, what are the SU coaches saying about McCord? Our QB coach, Nunzio Campanile:
“I mean, he's got a lot of strengths. But he's a really accurate passer. He's really smart. He's doing a great job of understanding the scheme... I've been super impressed with his leadership, his work ethic, his preparation. I mean, he carries himself like a pro every day. And I think he's a great example to the guys in the room." 247 basketball analyst Brad Crawford rates Kyle the 20th best QB in the country and says "The new staff essentially gave McCord total control of Syracuse's scheme and that should benefit an efficient passer formerly of Ohio State." Efficient is good.
247 had Kyle as a 4-star coming out of high school, (On3 had him a 5-star) and said:
“Wide-shouldered frame with good height and size. Strong arm and accurate. Spins ball well. Poised under pressure. Great leadership qualities. Plays with high IQ. Can throw 15-yard out on line. Touch to throw over linebackers on intermediate routes. Has quick release with good arm angle. Fits balls into tight windows. Accurate throwing on run. Moves in pocket. Extends plays. Needs to continue to develop escapability. More consistency needed on deep balls. Multi-year starter at top 15 program. Projects to be an early round NFL draft pick.”
McCord has a weakness?
(Chuck Connors played a guy named ‘McCord’)
Here is his highlight package from Ohio State last year:
Kyle McCord || Ohio State Buckeyes Quarterback || 2023 Junior Highlights
His passing looks good, including throwing deep balls. His protection is very good but he helps it with a quick release and he can take a few steps to buy time if he has to. Here’s McCord a few months later in our spring game:
QB Kyle McCord Puts On A Show For Syracuse Fans
He looks just as good, although there was an interception he threw right into the hands of a linebacker he didn’t see that they didn’t show here. Hey! It was his first game in Orange! There were a couple plays where the pocket seemed to be collapsing but the ball was out before any damage could be done.
We don’t have Marvin Jr. but we have some interesting targets for Kyle to throw to. But we have to protect him to allow him to do what he does well. That’s why Coach Brown is bringing in a bunch of big strong guys. We don’t want Kyle’s one-year career here to go like Tommy DeVito’s. The other thing is that he’s not going to provide that second running back Dungey and Scrader provided. I’m hopeful, (but not confident) that Brown and his staff will use two running backs in tandem in some situations to give McCord an extra blocker. Both LeQuint Allen and Yasin Willis showed the ability to catch the ball as well as run it in the spring game, (with McCord).
Then there’s the biggest question SU fans have been discussing going into this season: What if McCord gets hurt? What do we have behind him? Since Nassib set those records in 2012, we’d had quarterbacks get hurt every year. The only year when the same guy started every game was 2018, the year we went 10-3. Even then, Dungey missed time in several games. One of Dino’s failures was the failure to develop competent back up QBs who could at least kept us in the game. In the McPherson-Pasqualoni Era we had guys like Todd Philcox, Mark McDonald, Kevin Mason, Keith Downing, Troy Nunes and RJ Anderson who could come into games and it didn’t mean we were going to lose them. Dino inherited a junior college walk-on named Zach Mahoney who quarterbacked us in 24-34 and 27-37 losses to top ten LSU and Clemson teams that were as close as the score indicated and who threw 5 TD passes in a loss to Pittsburgh. The only other good back-up we had in the Dino Era was DeVito, the heir apparent, when Dungey was still here. Why can’t we at least get a guy like Mahoney? I asked Dino that on his show and he said there just isn’t time at practice to give a back-up time with the first team or against the 1st team defense. But when the 1st team QB, (annually) got injured, his seasons would fall apart. It can happen again if Fran Brown and Campanile can’t find us at a Mahoney – or a DeVito - out of the other QB’s on the roster.
Last year I thought we had the problem licked. We had three QB’s who had been 4 star recruits, all of whom were successfully recruited by SEC schools but who couldn’t win the starting job there and had transferred here. Garrett Shrader had gone to Mississippi State. Carlos Del Rio-Wilson had gone to Florida and Braden Davis to South Carolina. If Fran Brown had gotten three 4 star SEC QB recruits to transfer to Syracuse, this town would have gone crazy over it. But Dino did that and it seemed to insure that we’d have plenty of depth. Instead, it was an object lesson about recruit ratings.
Firstly, Carlos Del Rio-Wilson and Braden Davis are 3-stars on 247 now that they are Syracuse players. They were 4 stars when I first wrote about them. (Per Nunes, Carlos was 4 stars with ESPN, Rivals and On3, Braden with ESPN). They’ve been less than either when they’ve actually gotten out on the field, although the circumstances in each case were less than ideal. Carlos first came here two years ago. He has good size and a strong arm but lacks touch. The first time he got a chance to play any significant action was in a 2022 a game against Notre Dame where he looked pretty good, directing a couple of second half scoring drives but also throwing a big interpretation in a 24-41 loss. The next week he started against Pittsburgh, the school with the most sacks in the country since 2019, (at least going into that game). He was sacked 8 times. That was it for that season. He was a nifty 10 for 13 for 149 yards and 3 scores vs. Colgate in the 65-0 blow-out that opened last season. Then he was 5 for 9 for 57 yards vs. Western Michigan in a 48-6 blow-out. He saw no more significant action until a 2 for 9 stint vs. Florida State in a 3-41 loss. He then got a start against Boston College who was all over him. He was 7 for 17 with 4 interceptions. He did manage to rush for 67 yards and a touchdown but he was so beat up he didn’t play for the rest of the season. People here are really down on him but if Coach Brown’s “bring in the big guys” plan works, maybe we’ll see why Carlos got those 4, (sorry 3), stars and what the Gators had seen in him.
Here's Carlos vs. Notre Dame in 2022:
Michael Johnson Jr UNCOMMON // Ultimate High School Highlights
**WE DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE VIDEO IN THIS TAPE**
www.youtube.com
and Colgate in 2023:
Syracuse QB Carlos Del Rio-Wilson Highlights vs. Colgate
In a blow out win over Colgate, Carlos Del Rio-Wilson came into the game in relief of Garrett Shrader and he excelled in limited work. Throwing just 13 passe...
www.youtube.com
Nothing to wow you there but it shows that when he isn’t being clobbered, he can run plays the way they look on the blackboard. Here’s a breakdown SI did about him when he was recruited:
Five Play Prospect: Florida Gators QB Carlos Del Rio-Wilson
Get to know one of Florida's newest quarterbacks, Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, with this five play breakdown of his high school film.
Braden Davis came in last year. He completed one pass for -6 yards against Georgia Tech, then found himself at quarterback for the bowl game. Not much went right but he showed a decent form passing the ball for 6 completions in 13 attempts for 84 yards. That doesn’t sound like much but it was the best thing we had going for us in that game. Like CDRW, Davis really hasn’t much of a chance to show what he’s capable of and people are down on him as a result. Unfortunately, some of those people appear to be Fran Brown and his coaches, who have Davis trying out to become a receiver. That’s what happened to Shrader at Mississippi State and is why he came here.
247: “Excellent frame with length. Athletic with escapability. Does not panic under pressure. Good pocket awareness. Good arm strength that will improve with maturity. Shows very good touch on intermediate and deep balls. Throws catchable ball. Gets through progressions. Extends plays. Strong work ethic. Good foot speed and feet work in unison with arm. Has to tighten lengthy delivery. Drops elbow at times. Must continue to get stronger and add weight. Added strength will increase arm strength. Multi-year starter at high-major program with long-term NFL Draft potential.”
Braden doesn’t have a package of college highlights so here he is in high school, a tall, lanky kid who can scramble, (interesting that that is what they start out showing us), who can throw a good spiral and seems to have a quick release;
Braden Davis, 2019 Highlights, Middletown High School
Class of 2022. Middletown High School - Middletown, DE#5 Nationally ranked dual threat Quarterback.
www.youtube.com
Maybe Michael Johnson Jr. is the guy we are looking for. He’ll certainly get a good look, being the son of our ‘co’-offensive coordinator. A 3-star from San Jose, (ESPN had him a 4), he signed with Penn State, redshirted and left for Florida Atlantic, where, after recovering from a shoulder injury, he completed 10 of 23 passes for 140 yards and 7 scores. 10 completions for 7 scores is a pretty good rate! 247: “Frame can hold 205 pounds. Has receiver athleticism. Ran 4.58 in 40. Elusive and athletic. Can turn negative play into big gain. Allows for pocket to move. Hard worker. Son of coach. At best when play breaks down. Elite change of direction and burst. Could move to receiver if quarterback does not work out. Must improve throwing mechanics. Accuracy needs work. Has to get more comfortable in pocket. Can contribute as an athlete quickly at a Power 5 schools. NFL free agent as quarterback. Could be late draft pick as a receiver.” They don’t seem too enthusiastic about him as a QB.
Here’s a lengthy highlight film of him from when he was in high school:
Michael Johnson Jr UNCOMMON // Ultimate High School Highlights
The guy runs through the defense like an eel swimming through the water. He looks like an exciting dual threat QB who can pass pretty well and has great moves and speed as a runner. The question is: why, in four seasons on this level, hasn’t he become a star? Maybe under his father’s guidance, he can become one. He’s got two years here to do it. One more thought: the offense we use for Mike Jr. would have to be a very different offense than the one we had for McCord. Can everybody else switch gears when MJ Jr. comes in? How much practice time would that take?
There are three freshmen. The name that matters is Jakhari Williams, the first big Fran Brown QB recruit. He’s a…3-star from Georgia. But Georgia 3-stars may be as good as New York 4-stars. 247: “A dual-threat talent with a stronger arm that can whip the ball to all different levels. Owns an athletic build and is pushing 6-foot-2, 190 pounds. Tested in the upper percentile spring before senior season, which isn’t surprising as he can also attack the rim on the hardwood. Ability to extend plays and evade pressure is without a doubt one of his biggest strengths at this stage in his development. So is his vision as a runner in the open field. Might have no issues trying to move chains with his legs, but has also shown that he can stand in the pocket and go through his progressions. Prep highlight tape is loaded up with some impressive throws, but must continue to improve accuracy after completing just under 60 of his passes as a junior in one of the Peach State’s lower classifications. Should be viewed as a plus athlete at the quarterback position with a higher ceiling that can win games at the Power Five level on Saturdays if he keeps progressing.”
Sounds good: but could he help us this year?
His highlight film looks good:
He’s got a strong arm and puts some air under the ball to allow his receivers to run under it. That goes well with the fast guys Fran & company have recruited. Throwing long was also noted as a supposed weakness of Kyle McCord. Jahkari also has quick feet, some speed and toughness as a runner. He may be ‘the guy’ here one day. But will he have to be in November?
Patrick Grusser and AJ Miller are walk-ons. We once had a walk-on start for us in the G-Rob era: Cameron Dantley, (Adrian’s kid). We don’t want to go back to those bad old days.
