SWC75
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RUNNING BACKS
Seniors: None
Juniors: #1 LeQuint Allen 6-0 201(195), #24 Will Nixon 5-11 202
Sophomores:
Freshmen: #31 Tyler Chandler 5-8 157 (170 – wrong direction!), #22 Jaden Hart 5-11 203 (205), #36 Malachi James 5-11 195 (198), #27 Jordan Montanez 5-9 205 (205), #23 Yasin Willis 6-1 226 (215)
LeQuint Allen is an amazing story. A 3-star, (of course), He rose to #2 behind Sean Tucker as a freshman and, when Sean opted out of the Pinstripe Bowl, we didn’t miss him that much, (although we lost due to poor special teams play and a Pick 6: we outgained the Gophers 461-201). Allen led the team in both rushing, (94 yards on 15 carries) and receiving (11 catches for 60 yards). Unfortunately, he never found the end zone. The game displayed his versatility but also his lack of explosiveness.
Then came a weird yet ultimately encouraging offseason in which he was involved in a fight that didn’t seem to be his fault. A guy at a party was throwing punches at football players. Duce Chestnut, (see DBs), ran to get LeQuint, who tried to stop the fight and got punched himself for his troubles. He then got suspended by a school disciplinary board for violating the university’s code of conduct. He was told that he could not claim self-defense and that it was his responsibility to make sure the complainant was at the hearing, even though he’d been ordered to stay away from him. The board then suspended him, an act DA William Fitzpatrick called “Kafkaesque”. A proposal to do community service instead was rejected. Allen then went to court and got an injunction allowing him to play.
That’s all in the past now. Two things are still interesting about it: a sophomore, (Chestnut), ran to a freshman for help, indicating that LeQuint was already a team leader as a freshman and that LeQuint, who could have transferred to another school, fought to be allowed to play football for Syracuse, not someone else. He bleeds Orange and is from New Jersey, so Coach Brown couldn’t love him any more and he’s a hero to SU fans.
He had a fine year last year, rushing for 1,064 yards on 245 carries, (4.3) and scoring 9TDs. He also caught 9 passes for 38 yards and a score and returned 5 punts for 91 yards, (18.2). Our return men had an on-and-off acquaintance with the ball and the coaches wanted someone they could rely on and that’s LeQuint. He also threw a TD pass in 2022. Still, there were some plays where Sean Tucker might have taken it the distance and LeQuint couldn’t get away from the pursuit. His longest run was a 90 yard non-scoring run against Wagner in 2022. Wagner caught him! He gets through the hole quickly and makes good cuts but can’t outrun people. Here’s his highlight film:
I was impressed with his blocking both on pass plays and running plays where the QB kept the ball, as well as his “keep the motor tunning” attitude on every play. No play showed that better than a Shrader scramble against Western Michigan where he spotted Donovan Brown, perhaps the fastest player on our team, about 20 yards downfield along the right sideline. Brown caught the ball and cut across the field, running past everyone to the goal line. As he crossed it, I saw Allen escorting him across the goal line, looking around for somebody to block and then cheering for his teammate.
Syracuse's Garrett Shrader & Donovan Brown Turn Nothing Into 86-Yard TD
In the spring game, LeQuint finally broke one;
Syracuse RB LeQuint Allen Looks Ready To Go For 2024
They say he’s gotten more muscle in the offseason, (weight up to 201 from 195). Maybe he’s gained an extra step, as well?
Every other running back from last year’s team is gone, except for Tyler Chandler, a 5-8 157 walk-on who never played a down and probably won’t this year, either. Coach Brown saw that and brought in one veteran from the transfer portal and four freshman, one of whom looks like a star in the making.
Will Nixon is the son of our new (co-) offensive coordinator. You may have seen him in last year’s national championship game. A 3-star, he originally went to Nebraska as a wide-receiver, suffered a season-ending injury before the season started. He got a medical redshirt, then a normal redshirt, appearing in three games and catching a pass. then transferred to Washington where he played for three years, the first of which was a redshirt year. He played in 26 games for the Huskies, carrying the ball 54 times for 290 yards and 3TDs while catching 21 passes for 155 yards but no scores. In the title game he carried twice for 7 yards and caught 3 passes for 7 yards and didn’t score. Still, that’s good experience playing at a high level.
Coming out of high school, 247 said of him: “Compactly built offensive athlete with adequate height for likely role at the next level. Somewhat frame-limited but should get to 200-pound plateau with relative ease. Built well relative to listed size. Multi-sport athlete in football and baseball. Versatile playmaker with ample experience at receiver and running back who could foster creativity in personnel packaging. Shows good initial burst. Displays encouraging balance and body control. Runs with good pad level. Strong with the ball in his hands and can fight through arm tackles. Adequate long speed to hit the long ball but can improve top end, as well as overall explosion. Limited height/length put ceiling on physical development. Multi-positional playmaker with terrific football pedigree who projects to high-major level.” Sounds like LeQuint. Here’s his high school film;
William Nixon 2020 WR/RB
He looks fine as a runner, with an excellent initial explosion. But most of the highlights are of Will as a pass catcher. McCord is going to enjoy throwing to him out of the backfield. Will would make a good ‘slot’ guy if Pena isn’t available.
Brown brought in four interesting-looking freshmen to fill out the running back room. The gem appears to be Yasin Willis, a cannonball of a runner capable of punching holes in a defense himself but also of bursting through holes created by others and taking tacklers with him or going the distance. He’s also a good pass receiver. He showed those traits in the spring game, when he ran for 91 yards on 11 carries and scored a touchdown:
RB Yasin Willis Introduces Himself To The Syracuse Fans
Of course, he’s a 3-star on 247. Rivals has him a 4-star: “Willis, who is ranked 187th in the nation among all positions and the 16th running back, was among the most coveted recruits on the east coast.” He was either the 1st or second best recruit in New Jersey. Brown flipped him from one of our big rivals, Pittsburgh. He should make a great tandem with Allen: “We’ll have thunder and lightning with both of those kids able to play,” Brown said. Without a running quarterback, I’d like to see them playing in tandem: Mr. Inside, (Willis is 226 pounds), and Mr. Outside, (Allen is 201), to give our running game the versatility it needs. Both are good pass catchers and should provide McCord with good targets.
Here is his high school tape:
Yasin Willis St. Joes Montvale RB 2024 Named 4 Star by NUC Sports #coachschuman
He can run outside and even jump over guys. Eric Dungey will admire that.
Jaden Hart is a 3-star from Indiana. He “also ran track in high school, competing in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and 4x100-meter relays”. (Nunes). He’s a little bigger than Allen (203) but not nearly Willis’ size. Here is his highlight film:
Full Season Highlights
If Willis is a cannonball, Hart is more like a bowling ball. Most of his highlights are short, power runs. I bet he’ll wind up being a lot more than 205 pounds before he gets a big chance to play here.
Malachi James was unrated by the recruiting services. He’s 5-11 195 and blazing fast: “He won gold as a sophomore in the 100- and 200-meter dash at Willingboro High School in New Jersey at the 2022 NJSIAA Track and Field Meet of Champions. James clocked a 10.54 in the 100 and 21.73 in the 200… In nine games last season, James finished with 25 receptions for 609 yards and eight touchdowns. He also rushed for 479 yards and five touchdowns on 35 carries. In a memorable performance last fall, James scored on a 64-yard run, a 16-yard pass and a 95-yard pass for Burlington City in a 41-7 road win at Bordentown. James, who can play receiver and cornerback, also snagged an interception.” He could play on either side of the ball and could also return kicks.
Malachi James sets 100m state record at NJ Meet of Champions | 100 & 200 meter champion!
Oops! I meant this:
www.hudl.com
If he’s even, he’s leavin’.
Jordan Montanez is an unranked PWO from Texas. Nunes: “During his senior year, Montanez recorded 72 carries for 393 yards (5.5 YPC) and five touchdowns. He also doubled-up as a strong safety, ending up with 60 tackles, six pass breakups, two INTs, one forced safety, one forced fumble and one strip sack for a TD… There are plenty of freshman RBs on the team, and if the opportunity opens up, there’s a puncher’s chance he could get playing time. There’s also an intriguing scenario where he becomes a safety a year from now.” His highlights:
www.hudl.com
The offensive ones are good. The defensive ones are better.
Seniors: None
Juniors: #1 LeQuint Allen 6-0 201(195), #24 Will Nixon 5-11 202
Sophomores:
Freshmen: #31 Tyler Chandler 5-8 157 (170 – wrong direction!), #22 Jaden Hart 5-11 203 (205), #36 Malachi James 5-11 195 (198), #27 Jordan Montanez 5-9 205 (205), #23 Yasin Willis 6-1 226 (215)
LeQuint Allen is an amazing story. A 3-star, (of course), He rose to #2 behind Sean Tucker as a freshman and, when Sean opted out of the Pinstripe Bowl, we didn’t miss him that much, (although we lost due to poor special teams play and a Pick 6: we outgained the Gophers 461-201). Allen led the team in both rushing, (94 yards on 15 carries) and receiving (11 catches for 60 yards). Unfortunately, he never found the end zone. The game displayed his versatility but also his lack of explosiveness.
Then came a weird yet ultimately encouraging offseason in which he was involved in a fight that didn’t seem to be his fault. A guy at a party was throwing punches at football players. Duce Chestnut, (see DBs), ran to get LeQuint, who tried to stop the fight and got punched himself for his troubles. He then got suspended by a school disciplinary board for violating the university’s code of conduct. He was told that he could not claim self-defense and that it was his responsibility to make sure the complainant was at the hearing, even though he’d been ordered to stay away from him. The board then suspended him, an act DA William Fitzpatrick called “Kafkaesque”. A proposal to do community service instead was rejected. Allen then went to court and got an injunction allowing him to play.
That’s all in the past now. Two things are still interesting about it: a sophomore, (Chestnut), ran to a freshman for help, indicating that LeQuint was already a team leader as a freshman and that LeQuint, who could have transferred to another school, fought to be allowed to play football for Syracuse, not someone else. He bleeds Orange and is from New Jersey, so Coach Brown couldn’t love him any more and he’s a hero to SU fans.
He had a fine year last year, rushing for 1,064 yards on 245 carries, (4.3) and scoring 9TDs. He also caught 9 passes for 38 yards and a score and returned 5 punts for 91 yards, (18.2). Our return men had an on-and-off acquaintance with the ball and the coaches wanted someone they could rely on and that’s LeQuint. He also threw a TD pass in 2022. Still, there were some plays where Sean Tucker might have taken it the distance and LeQuint couldn’t get away from the pursuit. His longest run was a 90 yard non-scoring run against Wagner in 2022. Wagner caught him! He gets through the hole quickly and makes good cuts but can’t outrun people. Here’s his highlight film:
I was impressed with his blocking both on pass plays and running plays where the QB kept the ball, as well as his “keep the motor tunning” attitude on every play. No play showed that better than a Shrader scramble against Western Michigan where he spotted Donovan Brown, perhaps the fastest player on our team, about 20 yards downfield along the right sideline. Brown caught the ball and cut across the field, running past everyone to the goal line. As he crossed it, I saw Allen escorting him across the goal line, looking around for somebody to block and then cheering for his teammate.
Syracuse's Garrett Shrader & Donovan Brown Turn Nothing Into 86-Yard TD
In the spring game, LeQuint finally broke one;
Syracuse RB LeQuint Allen Looks Ready To Go For 2024
They say he’s gotten more muscle in the offseason, (weight up to 201 from 195). Maybe he’s gained an extra step, as well?
Every other running back from last year’s team is gone, except for Tyler Chandler, a 5-8 157 walk-on who never played a down and probably won’t this year, either. Coach Brown saw that and brought in one veteran from the transfer portal and four freshman, one of whom looks like a star in the making.
Will Nixon is the son of our new (co-) offensive coordinator. You may have seen him in last year’s national championship game. A 3-star, he originally went to Nebraska as a wide-receiver, suffered a season-ending injury before the season started. He got a medical redshirt, then a normal redshirt, appearing in three games and catching a pass. then transferred to Washington where he played for three years, the first of which was a redshirt year. He played in 26 games for the Huskies, carrying the ball 54 times for 290 yards and 3TDs while catching 21 passes for 155 yards but no scores. In the title game he carried twice for 7 yards and caught 3 passes for 7 yards and didn’t score. Still, that’s good experience playing at a high level.
Coming out of high school, 247 said of him: “Compactly built offensive athlete with adequate height for likely role at the next level. Somewhat frame-limited but should get to 200-pound plateau with relative ease. Built well relative to listed size. Multi-sport athlete in football and baseball. Versatile playmaker with ample experience at receiver and running back who could foster creativity in personnel packaging. Shows good initial burst. Displays encouraging balance and body control. Runs with good pad level. Strong with the ball in his hands and can fight through arm tackles. Adequate long speed to hit the long ball but can improve top end, as well as overall explosion. Limited height/length put ceiling on physical development. Multi-positional playmaker with terrific football pedigree who projects to high-major level.” Sounds like LeQuint. Here’s his high school film;
William Nixon 2020 WR/RB
He looks fine as a runner, with an excellent initial explosion. But most of the highlights are of Will as a pass catcher. McCord is going to enjoy throwing to him out of the backfield. Will would make a good ‘slot’ guy if Pena isn’t available.
Brown brought in four interesting-looking freshmen to fill out the running back room. The gem appears to be Yasin Willis, a cannonball of a runner capable of punching holes in a defense himself but also of bursting through holes created by others and taking tacklers with him or going the distance. He’s also a good pass receiver. He showed those traits in the spring game, when he ran for 91 yards on 11 carries and scored a touchdown:
RB Yasin Willis Introduces Himself To The Syracuse Fans
Of course, he’s a 3-star on 247. Rivals has him a 4-star: “Willis, who is ranked 187th in the nation among all positions and the 16th running back, was among the most coveted recruits on the east coast.” He was either the 1st or second best recruit in New Jersey. Brown flipped him from one of our big rivals, Pittsburgh. He should make a great tandem with Allen: “We’ll have thunder and lightning with both of those kids able to play,” Brown said. Without a running quarterback, I’d like to see them playing in tandem: Mr. Inside, (Willis is 226 pounds), and Mr. Outside, (Allen is 201), to give our running game the versatility it needs. Both are good pass catchers and should provide McCord with good targets.
Here is his high school tape:
Yasin Willis St. Joes Montvale RB 2024 Named 4 Star by NUC Sports #coachschuman
He can run outside and even jump over guys. Eric Dungey will admire that.
Jaden Hart is a 3-star from Indiana. He “also ran track in high school, competing in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and 4x100-meter relays”. (Nunes). He’s a little bigger than Allen (203) but not nearly Willis’ size. Here is his highlight film:
Full Season Highlights
If Willis is a cannonball, Hart is more like a bowling ball. Most of his highlights are short, power runs. I bet he’ll wind up being a lot more than 205 pounds before he gets a big chance to play here.
Malachi James was unrated by the recruiting services. He’s 5-11 195 and blazing fast: “He won gold as a sophomore in the 100- and 200-meter dash at Willingboro High School in New Jersey at the 2022 NJSIAA Track and Field Meet of Champions. James clocked a 10.54 in the 100 and 21.73 in the 200… In nine games last season, James finished with 25 receptions for 609 yards and eight touchdowns. He also rushed for 479 yards and five touchdowns on 35 carries. In a memorable performance last fall, James scored on a 64-yard run, a 16-yard pass and a 95-yard pass for Burlington City in a 41-7 road win at Bordentown. James, who can play receiver and cornerback, also snagged an interception.” He could play on either side of the ball and could also return kicks.
Malachi James sets 100m state record at NJ Meet of Champions | 100 & 200 meter champion!
Oops! I meant this:
Malachi James on Hudl
Watch Malachi James's videos and highlights on Hudl. More info: Burlington City High School - Blue Devils / CB, WR / Class of 2024 / Burlington, NJ
www.hudl.com
If he’s even, he’s leavin’.
Jordan Montanez is an unranked PWO from Texas. Nunes: “During his senior year, Montanez recorded 72 carries for 393 yards (5.5 YPC) and five touchdowns. He also doubled-up as a strong safety, ending up with 60 tackles, six pass breakups, two INTs, one forced safety, one forced fumble and one strip sack for a TD… There are plenty of freshman RBs on the team, and if the opportunity opens up, there’s a puncher’s chance he could get playing time. There’s also an intriguing scenario where he becomes a safety a year from now.” His highlights:
Jordan Montanez on Hudl
Watch Jordan Montanez's videos and highlights on Hudl. More info: Foster High School - JV Football / RB, TE / Class of 2024 / Richmond, TX
www.hudl.com
The offensive ones are good. The defensive ones are better.
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