SWC75
Bored Historian
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
- Messages
- 33,279
- Like
- 64,036
RECEIVERS
Seniors: #0 Maxmillian Mang 6-7 267 (265), #7 Jackson Meeks 6-2 210 (205)
Juniors: #19 Oronde Gadsden II 6-5 236 (216), #5 Umari Hatcher 6-3 186 (183), #2 Trebor Pena 6-0 184 (190), #12 Justus Ross-Simmons 6-3 212 (215), #38 Max Runyon 6-0 231 (228), #89 Dan Villari 6-4, 241 (235)
Sophomores: #35 Kyle Acker 5-11 177 (174), #47 Carter Clark 6-5 (287) #86 David Clement 6-6 256 (275), #10 Braden Davis 6-5 195 (200), #82 Darrell Gill Jr. 6-3 173 (169),
Freshmen: #32 Nick Armentano 5-8 175 (171), #11 Ta’Ron Haile 6-0 180 (170), #8 Zeed Haynes 6-1 170 #3 Jaylen Hornsby 6-3 213 (185!), #18 Emanuel Ross 6-2 202 (190), #80 Ja’Meer Thomas 5-10 169 (170), #13 Jamie Tremble 6-4 208 (210), #84 Elijah Washington-Baker 6-230 (210!)
Kyle McCord may not have Marvin Harrison Jr. to throw the ball to anymore but Fran Brown has a roster with 13 different wide receivers and 8 different tight ends for him to throw to. We ought to find Kyle some pretty good targets to throw to from that group.
Oronde Gadsden II (a 3-star, of course), is no Marvin Harrison Jr. but he could become an Ozzie Newsome/Shannon Sharpe type of receiver. The last two years he lined up at tight end but was really just another wide receiver. He’s had 70 catches in his career for 1,066 yards and 7 scores. Much of that’s from his sophomore season of 61/975/6. This year he’s built himself up to 236 pounds, (from 216), he’ll be a true pass-catching tight end, but one who can run deep routes as well. He runs precise routes, (unlike the departed and similarly sized Damien Alford) and consistently makes catches, (also unlike Alford) and makes big, game winning catches, (like Alford). He’ll start as McCord’s #1 target and will probably continue to be the guy he most relies on. His size and consistency will make him someone Kyle is very comfortable with. Here are his highlights from two years ago, (he missed most of last season with a game 2 injury):
The question is: who will be Kyle’s favorite targets below that? Trebor Pena was another player who was injured much of last year. He’s our ‘slot; receiver and top kick returner. He’s got moves and speed, (but is a 3-star- 2 on Rivals), but has never really unleashed them as a receiver. He’s got 25 catches for 271 yards and a touchdown. But Clemson found out what he could do:
www.youtube.com
Here he is in high school:
www.youtube.com
I like the fact that the guy directly in front of him basically, doesn’t exist.
Dan Villari is acknowledged as one of the best athletes on the team. He started out as a 3-star QB from Long Island who went to Michigan and wanted to be closer to home. He was switched to tight end and even wound up playing some wildcat for us last when we crossed up Pitt by going to that. He caught 20 passes for 180 yards and 3 scores and ran the ball 55 times for 356 yards (5.9!) and 2 scores. His highlights and a bonus:
www.youtube.com
www.youtube.com
I hear this song when I hear his has name. Volare, which sounds like Villari, means ‘flying’ in Italian.
But will a quarterback we got from Ohio State throw the ball to a flying tight end we got from Michigan?
I’ve liked Umari Hatcher since I first saw his high school film, (even though he was a 3-star – 4 from On3). He finally climbed up high enough on the depth chart to make his present felt last year with 32 catches for 482 yards and 3 TDs. His SU highlights:
www.youtube.com
Actually, those are some rather spectacular highlights, even by the standards of highlight films. There are some really difficult catches in there and some elusive running. It’s not just a guy breaking away from a DB who bit on a running fake, etc.
Darrell Gill Jr., (a 3-star from Texas with 4.4 speed), shouldn’t get lost in the mix. He’s shown good hands and good legs and can also return kicks. At first Coach Brown tried to convince him that he should switch to defensive back, which would have been a shame considering what he can do with the ball in his hands. Darrell at first announced for the portal but Brown changed his mind, (maybe after seeing the films below), and so did Darrell. Darrell only had 7 catches for 60 yards and 1 score, (and 18 yarder vs. Colgate but he had a big catch in the spring game. Here he is in high school:
As I said last year, “He looks talented and cocky, which can be a good combination if they come in equal amounts.”
Jackson Meeks and Justus Ross-Simmons are experienced (3-star) transfers. Meeks played for Georgia teams that went 42-2 the last three years. He caught 10 passes for 132 years but no scores. He’s very experienced at sideline celebrations but came here as a senior to see if he could catch more balls. Reports from practice indicate he’s very much in the mix at WR after overcoming a hairline foot fracture. Here’s an ‘all targets’ film from 2022:
www.youtube.com
Nice staying in bounds at 50 seconds and nice effort to do so at 1:45.
Ross-Simmons got to play a lot more, (because he was at Colorado State), catching 71 passes in two years for 1,148 yds and 6TDs. He came back to New York to be near his ailing father who has a heart condition and cannot travel on planes to see his son play. That’s to Syracuse’s benefit. Per Nunes, “Ross-Simmons said the Syracuse coaching staff told him it expects him to play immediately and, given his size, speed and leaping ability, he expects to operate as a deep threat.” Here’s his highlight film from last year:
www.youtube.com
He looks like a rugged possession receiver to me.
(Ya)Zeed Haynes is another transfer from Georgia but he was there just one year, caught one 20 yard pass and redshirted, which means he’ll be here, (maybe) for four years. He gets a lot of attention as a potential deep threat because of his speed. And, he was a “consensus four-star… Zeed is one of the highest-rated Syracuse recruits of all time. Only two receivers had higher composite scores than him: Johnnie Morant (2000) and Andrey Baskin (2006).” (I hope he does better than they did.) And he was named SU’s “offensive MVP” for the spring. Also, he has an interesting name. “Whatever the coaches need me to contribute to, that’s what I can do,” Haynes said. “You need me to be the receiver to go deep, go short, run a screen, whatever it is, I can do that.” Here he is doing that:
He probably wants to get thrown to by a quarterback who can throw the ball as far as he can run. Brent Axe, (on Syracuse.com): “Syracuse football defensive tackle Dion “Tank” Wilson Jr. didn’t have to think long and hard when I asked him this week the offensive players giving the Orange defense the biggest headaches in training camp so far. “That’s easy,” Wilson Jr. said. “(Orange QB) Kyle McCord and (wide receiver) Yazeed (Haynes). Those two right there are a deadly connection. As soon as I think I’m getting close to Kyle McCord to get a sack, I just see the ball leave his hand and see Yazeed catching it. I’m glad I’m going into the season with those two guys. That’s going to be hard to cover.”
There’s another highly rated freshman, Emanuel Ross, who was a 4-star when he agreed to come here but is now a 3 star on 247, (everybody else still has him a 4-star). “Ross had 29 catches for 615 yards and 11 touchdowns this season”, which seems pretty good. SI: “Ross has all of the traits you look for in an elite offensive playmaker at the wide receiver position. He has good size at 6-2 and blazing speed. On top of that, he possesses great ball skills, is dangerous after the catch and runs good routes. He does have to get a bit stronger to combat with physical corners at the power five level and work on blocking fundamentals. But this is a player with a tremendously high ceiling.” His highlight film:
www.youtube.com
Size, speed, and God’s on his side. What more could you want?
Three more 3-star wide-outs: Ta’ Ron Haile, Jaylen Hornsby and Ja’Meer Thomas.
Haile is a track man: “he had personal bests of 11.35 seconds in the 100 meter and 22.57 seconds in the 200 meter dash - his best long jump is 21-5.25” (Nunes) His film:
Frankley, these WR highlight films are starting to look all alike. This guy’s good but seems a little smaller than the rest.
Hornsby is a Jersey kid, (from Camden, where Fran Brown and Elijah Robinson grew up), with good size who we flipped from Texas A&M. Here’s his, (brief), highlight film:
www.youtube.com
Nice leaping grab at 20 seconds.
Thomas went to Bennet High in Buffalo with Rashad Perry. He’s a lot smaller than Rashard and the other guys in the receiver room at 5-10 169. He’s got speed but so do some of the bigger people.
His film:
It does seem as if the film is speeded up a couple of times. Do they do that with these high school films?
Jamie Tremble, a 4-star tight end from Georgia, is actually the last big Dino Babers recruit. It will be interesting to see if he gets any play this year behind Gadsden, Villari and Max Mang. At 6-4 208 he may need to build himself up before it will be his turn to play. "The coaches already have a set plan for me and what they expect me to play," Tremble said. "The tight end position, the Y position there. They want me to kind of fill in Oronde Gadsden's position. They said once he leaves, they're probably going to mold me into someone like him. Split out and split in at the same time. Just kind of a mismatch, fast tight end who's versatile.” His is maybe the most impressive HS highlight film I’ve seen among the receivers. He looks like a man vs. boys, (and is):
www.hudl.com
He’s a legit deep threat and also a pretty good ‘edge; on defense.
Elijah Washington-Baker is another is a (3-star) tight end prospect from Virginia. He’s a big target at 6-7 230. Per Nunes, “Had 50 receptions for 947 yards (over 18 yards per catch) last year as TE. Also saw time at linebacker, where he recorded 106 tackles, 12.5 sacks and 11 blocked passes.” He also “averaged a ridiculous 15 points, 14.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks” as a basketball player. Does Red Autry know about this guy? Here’s his football tape:
Note that they are primarily defensive highlights.
Max Mang and David Clement are big-bodied run-blocking tight ends, although Mang could make a big target at the goal line or short yardage and Clement said last year “I like to think of myself as well-rounded tight end who can block, catch, catch over somebody, catch in traffic, will block someone until they hit the turf.” He was a 3-star. Max, like Mark Petry in the interior line, is from Germany. They both came stateside to learn the game and have turned out to be good players for Syracuse. Mang managed to get 3 stars for his high school play (2 per Rivals and ESPN).
I'm not sure what to make of Braden Davis as a receiver: He's a good athlete and could make the switch. I've never seen him as a receiver and he's not really needed here. He'll probably turn into an All-America - for somebody else.
Kyle Acker, Nick Armento, Carter Clark and Max Runyan are walk-ons, unlikely to play beyond special teams.
The receiver room is a crowded and deep one. I want to see Gadsden and Pena have healthy seasons and just see who gives us the most at the wide-outs. We could go with two tight ends with Villari at times and still have two wide-outs and also pass to the running backs as well. Lots of versatility there, and maybe some extra blocking, too. I asked on Brian Higgins show if Kyle McCord could be throwing to a deeper receiver corps than he had at Ohio State last year. Nobody thought that was a possibility. I looked up their numbers: Harrison had 67/1211/14. Egbuka had 41/515/4. Stover had 41/576/5, Fleming 26/270/0, Tate, 18/264/1. We could do that. Harrison is better than Gadsden but we can match the other guys and have several guys beyond that who can make plays for us as well.
Seniors: #0 Maxmillian Mang 6-7 267 (265), #7 Jackson Meeks 6-2 210 (205)
Juniors: #19 Oronde Gadsden II 6-5 236 (216), #5 Umari Hatcher 6-3 186 (183), #2 Trebor Pena 6-0 184 (190), #12 Justus Ross-Simmons 6-3 212 (215), #38 Max Runyon 6-0 231 (228), #89 Dan Villari 6-4, 241 (235)
Sophomores: #35 Kyle Acker 5-11 177 (174), #47 Carter Clark 6-5 (287) #86 David Clement 6-6 256 (275), #10 Braden Davis 6-5 195 (200), #82 Darrell Gill Jr. 6-3 173 (169),
Freshmen: #32 Nick Armentano 5-8 175 (171), #11 Ta’Ron Haile 6-0 180 (170), #8 Zeed Haynes 6-1 170 #3 Jaylen Hornsby 6-3 213 (185!), #18 Emanuel Ross 6-2 202 (190), #80 Ja’Meer Thomas 5-10 169 (170), #13 Jamie Tremble 6-4 208 (210), #84 Elijah Washington-Baker 6-230 (210!)
Kyle McCord may not have Marvin Harrison Jr. to throw the ball to anymore but Fran Brown has a roster with 13 different wide receivers and 8 different tight ends for him to throw to. We ought to find Kyle some pretty good targets to throw to from that group.
Oronde Gadsden II (a 3-star, of course), is no Marvin Harrison Jr. but he could become an Ozzie Newsome/Shannon Sharpe type of receiver. The last two years he lined up at tight end but was really just another wide receiver. He’s had 70 catches in his career for 1,066 yards and 7 scores. Much of that’s from his sophomore season of 61/975/6. This year he’s built himself up to 236 pounds, (from 216), he’ll be a true pass-catching tight end, but one who can run deep routes as well. He runs precise routes, (unlike the departed and similarly sized Damien Alford) and consistently makes catches, (also unlike Alford) and makes big, game winning catches, (like Alford). He’ll start as McCord’s #1 target and will probably continue to be the guy he most relies on. His size and consistency will make him someone Kyle is very comfortable with. Here are his highlights from two years ago, (he missed most of last season with a game 2 injury):
The question is: who will be Kyle’s favorite targets below that? Trebor Pena was another player who was injured much of last year. He’s our ‘slot; receiver and top kick returner. He’s got moves and speed, (but is a 3-star- 2 on Rivals), but has never really unleashed them as a receiver. He’s got 25 catches for 271 yards and a touchdown. But Clemson found out what he could do:
Syracuse's Trebor Pena Spins Away From Clemson For A 62-Yard Touchdown | ACC Must See Moment
Syracuse was desperate for a big play when Garrett Shrader threw the ball deep down the middle of the field to Trebor Pena who caught the ball, made a spin m...
www.youtube.com
Here he is in high school:
2020 Signing Class | Trebor Pena
www.youtube.com
I like the fact that the guy directly in front of him basically, doesn’t exist.
Dan Villari is acknowledged as one of the best athletes on the team. He started out as a 3-star QB from Long Island who went to Michigan and wanted to be closer to home. He was switched to tight end and even wound up playing some wildcat for us last when we crossed up Pitt by going to that. He caught 20 passes for 180 yards and 3 scores and ran the ball 55 times for 356 yards (5.9!) and 2 scores. His highlights and a bonus:
Dan Villari 2023 Regular Season Highlights | Syracuse TE
Tight end Dan Villari was way more than just a tight end for Syracuse in 2023. He was a Swiss army knife, being used as a receiver, a full back, and a quarte...
www.youtube.com
Luciano Pavarotti - Volare
Just Music. Luciano Pavarotti sings "Volare" in this recording with the Orchestra Del Teatro Comunale Di Bologna conducted by Henry Mancini.
www.youtube.com
I hear this song when I hear his has name. Volare, which sounds like Villari, means ‘flying’ in Italian.
But will a quarterback we got from Ohio State throw the ball to a flying tight end we got from Michigan?
I’ve liked Umari Hatcher since I first saw his high school film, (even though he was a 3-star – 4 from On3). He finally climbed up high enough on the depth chart to make his present felt last year with 32 catches for 482 yards and 3 TDs. His SU highlights:
Umari Hatcher 2023 Regular Season Highlights | Syracuse WR
Umari Hatcher took a major step as a top contributor for Syracuse in his redshirt sophomore season. After just three receptions last season, Hatcher emerged ...
www.youtube.com
Actually, those are some rather spectacular highlights, even by the standards of highlight films. There are some really difficult catches in there and some elusive running. It’s not just a guy breaking away from a DB who bit on a running fake, etc.
Darrell Gill Jr., (a 3-star from Texas with 4.4 speed), shouldn’t get lost in the mix. He’s shown good hands and good legs and can also return kicks. At first Coach Brown tried to convince him that he should switch to defensive back, which would have been a shame considering what he can do with the ball in his hands. Darrell at first announced for the portal but Brown changed his mind, (maybe after seeing the films below), and so did Darrell. Darrell only had 7 catches for 60 yards and 1 score, (and 18 yarder vs. Colgate but he had a big catch in the spring game. Here he is in high school:
As I said last year, “He looks talented and cocky, which can be a good combination if they come in equal amounts.”
Jackson Meeks and Justus Ross-Simmons are experienced (3-star) transfers. Meeks played for Georgia teams that went 42-2 the last three years. He caught 10 passes for 132 years but no scores. He’s very experienced at sideline celebrations but came here as a senior to see if he could catch more balls. Reports from practice indicate he’s very much in the mix at WR after overcoming a hairline foot fracture. Here’s an ‘all targets’ film from 2022:
Jackson Meeks 2022 Film - All Targets
All of Jackson Meek's targets during the 2022 season.Stats:6 rec - 65 yards
www.youtube.com
Nice staying in bounds at 50 seconds and nice effort to do so at 1:45.
Ross-Simmons got to play a lot more, (because he was at Colorado State), catching 71 passes in two years for 1,148 yds and 6TDs. He came back to New York to be near his ailing father who has a heart condition and cannot travel on planes to see his son play. That’s to Syracuse’s benefit. Per Nunes, “Ross-Simmons said the Syracuse coaching staff told him it expects him to play immediately and, given his size, speed and leaping ability, he expects to operate as a deep threat.” Here’s his highlight film from last year:
JUSTUS ROSS-SIMMONS (COLORADO STATE) II 2023 Highlights
Justus Ross-Simmons6'3 - 212 lbs Receiving: 45 rec. - 724 yards. - 3 td. I dont claim ownership of the clips in this video
www.youtube.com
He looks like a rugged possession receiver to me.
(Ya)Zeed Haynes is another transfer from Georgia but he was there just one year, caught one 20 yard pass and redshirted, which means he’ll be here, (maybe) for four years. He gets a lot of attention as a potential deep threat because of his speed. And, he was a “consensus four-star… Zeed is one of the highest-rated Syracuse recruits of all time. Only two receivers had higher composite scores than him: Johnnie Morant (2000) and Andrey Baskin (2006).” (I hope he does better than they did.) And he was named SU’s “offensive MVP” for the spring. Also, he has an interesting name. “Whatever the coaches need me to contribute to, that’s what I can do,” Haynes said. “You need me to be the receiver to go deep, go short, run a screen, whatever it is, I can do that.” Here he is doing that:
He probably wants to get thrown to by a quarterback who can throw the ball as far as he can run. Brent Axe, (on Syracuse.com): “Syracuse football defensive tackle Dion “Tank” Wilson Jr. didn’t have to think long and hard when I asked him this week the offensive players giving the Orange defense the biggest headaches in training camp so far. “That’s easy,” Wilson Jr. said. “(Orange QB) Kyle McCord and (wide receiver) Yazeed (Haynes). Those two right there are a deadly connection. As soon as I think I’m getting close to Kyle McCord to get a sack, I just see the ball leave his hand and see Yazeed catching it. I’m glad I’m going into the season with those two guys. That’s going to be hard to cover.”
There’s another highly rated freshman, Emanuel Ross, who was a 4-star when he agreed to come here but is now a 3 star on 247, (everybody else still has him a 4-star). “Ross had 29 catches for 615 yards and 11 touchdowns this season”, which seems pretty good. SI: “Ross has all of the traits you look for in an elite offensive playmaker at the wide receiver position. He has good size at 6-2 and blazing speed. On top of that, he possesses great ball skills, is dangerous after the catch and runs good routes. He does have to get a bit stronger to combat with physical corners at the power five level and work on blocking fundamentals. But this is a player with a tremendously high ceiling.” His highlight film:
Emanuel Ross | Red Bank Catholic | 2023 JSZ Zoneman Finalist Highlight Reel
visit jerseysportszone.com for high definition video highlights and features from NJ high school sports
www.youtube.com
Size, speed, and God’s on his side. What more could you want?
Three more 3-star wide-outs: Ta’ Ron Haile, Jaylen Hornsby and Ja’Meer Thomas.
Haile is a track man: “he had personal bests of 11.35 seconds in the 100 meter and 22.57 seconds in the 200 meter dash - his best long jump is 21-5.25” (Nunes) His film:
Frankley, these WR highlight films are starting to look all alike. This guy’s good but seems a little smaller than the rest.
Hornsby is a Jersey kid, (from Camden, where Fran Brown and Elijah Robinson grew up), with good size who we flipped from Texas A&M. Here’s his, (brief), highlight film:
Jaylan Hornsby Commits to Texas A&M! | Hornsby Junior Season Highlights
visit jerseysportszone.com for high definition video highlights and features from NJ high school sports
www.youtube.com
Nice leaping grab at 20 seconds.
Thomas went to Bennet High in Buffalo with Rashad Perry. He’s a lot smaller than Rashard and the other guys in the receiver room at 5-10 169. He’s got speed but so do some of the bigger people.
His film:
It does seem as if the film is speeded up a couple of times. Do they do that with these high school films?
Jamie Tremble, a 4-star tight end from Georgia, is actually the last big Dino Babers recruit. It will be interesting to see if he gets any play this year behind Gadsden, Villari and Max Mang. At 6-4 208 he may need to build himself up before it will be his turn to play. "The coaches already have a set plan for me and what they expect me to play," Tremble said. "The tight end position, the Y position there. They want me to kind of fill in Oronde Gadsden's position. They said once he leaves, they're probably going to mold me into someone like him. Split out and split in at the same time. Just kind of a mismatch, fast tight end who's versatile.” His is maybe the most impressive HS highlight film I’ve seen among the receivers. He looks like a man vs. boys, (and is):
Jamie Tremble on Hudl
Watch Jamie Tremble's videos and highlights on Hudl. More info: Wesleyan School - Boys Varsity Basketball / SF / Class of 2024 / Norcross, GA
www.hudl.com
He’s a legit deep threat and also a pretty good ‘edge; on defense.
Elijah Washington-Baker is another is a (3-star) tight end prospect from Virginia. He’s a big target at 6-7 230. Per Nunes, “Had 50 receptions for 947 yards (over 18 yards per catch) last year as TE. Also saw time at linebacker, where he recorded 106 tackles, 12.5 sacks and 11 blocked passes.” He also “averaged a ridiculous 15 points, 14.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks” as a basketball player. Does Red Autry know about this guy? Here’s his football tape:
Note that they are primarily defensive highlights.
Max Mang and David Clement are big-bodied run-blocking tight ends, although Mang could make a big target at the goal line or short yardage and Clement said last year “I like to think of myself as well-rounded tight end who can block, catch, catch over somebody, catch in traffic, will block someone until they hit the turf.” He was a 3-star. Max, like Mark Petry in the interior line, is from Germany. They both came stateside to learn the game and have turned out to be good players for Syracuse. Mang managed to get 3 stars for his high school play (2 per Rivals and ESPN).
I'm not sure what to make of Braden Davis as a receiver: He's a good athlete and could make the switch. I've never seen him as a receiver and he's not really needed here. He'll probably turn into an All-America - for somebody else.
Kyle Acker, Nick Armento, Carter Clark and Max Runyan are walk-ons, unlikely to play beyond special teams.
The receiver room is a crowded and deep one. I want to see Gadsden and Pena have healthy seasons and just see who gives us the most at the wide-outs. We could go with two tight ends with Villari at times and still have two wide-outs and also pass to the running backs as well. Lots of versatility there, and maybe some extra blocking, too. I asked on Brian Higgins show if Kyle McCord could be throwing to a deeper receiver corps than he had at Ohio State last year. Nobody thought that was a possibility. I looked up their numbers: Harrison had 67/1211/14. Egbuka had 41/515/4. Stover had 41/576/5, Fleming 26/270/0, Tate, 18/264/1. We could do that. Harrison is better than Gadsden but we can match the other guys and have several guys beyond that who can make plays for us as well.
