RF2044
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With the first game of the season nearly upon us, and things mostly quiet in terms of news filtering out of camp, I wanted to do a quick breakdown of how I see the positional units breaking down, compared to last year's team. Let's start at the top...
QUARTERBACK
2023 Trend: Better than last year
This is the first time since HS that Garret Shrader will be working in the same system, for the same coach [basically] since high school. Anae is gone, but Beck being promoted to OC means that the QB room has stability / continuity for the first time ever.
Shrader showed massive improvement in terms of his accuracy last year. I don't expect such a colossal jump in year 2, but even just some efficiency / decision making tweaks could make things better. Something to pay attention to: he had offseason surgery, will "dead arm" be an issue as we work into the season? Because otherwise, he seems poised for big things. Won't hurt that the WR corps / OL also appear to be better than last year.
Behind GS, Carlos Del Rio-Wilson returns for his second year, and now has been immersed in the system for a year. Reports out of camp are that he looked good, and he got the majority of snaps in the spring. CDRW looks better equipped to spell Shrader, and is positioned well to succeed him the following year. Chances are, if Shrader gets injured this year, we're in good, capable hands with CDRW.
Davis is new this year, after transferring in from South Carolina -- but he's a talent. QB room looks stacked for the foreseeable future, and positioned well to be a long-term strength.
RUNNING BACK
2023 Trend: Worse than last year... but with a lot of upside
You can't lose a player like Sean Tucker, who took the majority of snaps over the past two years before heading off to the NFL, and not take a step backwards. That's the bad news.
But the good news is that we've got a lot of interesting chess pieces to work with. LeQuint Allen was the NJ Gatorade player of the year, and looked terrific starting in lieu of Tucker in the bowl game. Now that his offseason issues are in the rear view mirror, he looks poised for a big year.
Juwan Price barely played last year, after nearly rushing for 700 yards at NMSU in 2021, but he's been in the system for a full year. Ike Daniels had a phenomenal offer list, and has impressed in preseason camp -- he might even be the backup.
We also signed a pair of JUCOs -- Hawkins and Branham -- who both look like they could emerge as potential starting caliber options, if circumstances unfold correctly down the road for them.
Strength in numbers. Largely unproven. But the talent is there. At the end of the season, we may look back on this group as being a position of relative strength instead of being worse than last year. Also wouldn't hurt if the OL performs better than last year, and opens up bigger holes for them to run through.
WIDE RECIEVER
2023 Trend: Better than last year
Yes, I understand that OG plays the Y-TE in our system, often lining up in the slot. But for the purposes of this breakdown I'm listing him here at WR, because that's really the role he plays for us. Gadsden has great bloodlines, and had a phenomenal season last year. This year, he's a preseason all-American. But too often, teams were able to double / triple team OG indiscriminately and dare us to throw to other receivers, and the other guys didn't always produce. Look for that to change this year.
Before being injured in game #3 last season, Jones had been touted by the coaching staff as being the best WR we had -- even over OG. He's back, and looking to ascend into a bigger role. Alford has been inconsistent his entire career, but has NFL size / physical attributes. Word out of camp is that he's stepped up and is poised for a HUGE year. Having those two alone should be enough to deter teams from selling out to take OG away, or burning them if they try.
Behind that nucleus, we have a group of experienced receivers in Adams / Pena who have both played and flashed. Hatcher, Long, and Brown are younger but have ability. All told, this group should provide quality competition for PT and contributions as the #4 / #5 WR in the rotation.
Our starting WR group [counting OG here] could go 6-4, 6-5, and 6-6. They are going to be a problem.
TIGHT END
2023 Trend: On par with last year
Again, I "counted" OG in the WR group, so not discussing him here. Max Mang returns, as primarily a blocker who isn't targeted much in the passing game beyond occasionally. Dan Villari offers some intriguing athletic potential at his new position at TE [after shifting from QB], and he flashed in the bowl game, but was a little dinged up in camp. Would love to see him return full strength to bolster this positional unit.
David Clement is HUGE for a true frosh [6-6 270 pounds]. Will be interesting to see what he's capable of delivering year 1, if anything. Steve Mahar got injured in camp and will miss the entire year.
Excluding OG [who I understand that every publication is listing him as an AA TE instead of viewing him as a WR], I expect the remaining members of this group to provide about the same level of limited contributions as last year, but there is upside if Villari can do anything or if Clement produces as a true frosh.
And the future looks bright with 4-star Tremble / big Elijah Washington en route in the class of 2024.
OFFENSIVE LINE
2023 Trend: Better than last year
OL has been a position of struggle for the Syracuse football program for a LONG time. Injuries, guys having to move around to cover gaps in the rotation, and lack of depth have also contributed to the long-standing problem, and exposed players like Garret Shrader and Sean Tucker to extra punishment, which took it's toll over the course of the season. But things seem to be positioned better for 2023.
Yes, the team lost Matthew Bergeron who is off to the NFL, Davis [multi-year starting guard], and Carlos Vettererlo. But this year, depth is substantially improved, and we can field a legitimate two deep.
Enrique Cruz takes over for Bergeron at LT, and was our highest rated OL in a long time. Bleich had off-season surgery, and is finally healthy for the first time in his collegiate career. Dependable starters, but only 2/5 of the equation -- so why will this group be better?
Because unlike in recent years, we actually have the ability to field a full two-deep with guys who can play, instead of being "break-glass-in-case-of-emergency" stop gaps. At center, we have two guys competing for the job. Ilaoa has played a lot over the course of his three-year career, and started a game last year. J'Onre Reed was a quality "get" from the JUCO ranks who has different physical capabilities than the guys we've had play center in recent years. He played in one of the toughest JUCO conferences last year, against P5 caliber competition.
Ellis missed most of preseason camp with an injury, and it remains to be seen when he'll return. But behind him, we have Bradford [who started a game at RG last year] and Ilaoa as candidates to fill in, if Josh doesn't win the starting center battle. Joe More -- who played RT at the FCS level -- is another candidate for RG, and has played there a lot in camp. Joe Cruz is another guy who played both RG and RT.
RT is an interesting battle. If More doesn't fit there, then we could see legacy transfer Wohlabaugh step in, after starting a game last season there at Kentucky. Mark Petry is up to 292, and reports are that he had a terrific off-season where things finally "clicked" for him.
The downside here is that it sounds like things are still a bit unsettled. That's cause for concern.
But here is the potential two deep -- Cruz Jr / Bleich / Reed / More / Wohlabaugh in the first unit. Petry / Ellis / Ilaoa / Bradford / Cruz in the second unit. It's been a LONG time since we've had that kind of depth / quality. We also have some position versatility with Ilaoa [C/G], Cruz [G/T], and More [RT / RG] capable of playing multiple positions, if required. Hopefully, things become clearer after Saturday's game.
But in the past, a key injury or two would sink the entire positional unit, and hamstring the entire offense. That doesn't appear to be as big of a risk this season. And not only does better depth lead to increased competition for PT -- which is a good thing -- it also means that we won't be locked into having someone play who isn't performing well, or having to roll out a guy to play on basically one leg if they get injured because we have nobody behind them of quality. May the best players earn the PT.
DEFENSIVE LINE
2023 Trend: Better than last year
Heading into last season, most people pointed to the defensive line as being the weakest positional unit on the roster, due to the lack of proven experience. As it turned out, the DL rose to the occasion and greatly exceeded that projection, but experienced some setbacks due to injury that significantly compromised depth. After Lockett went down for the season early due to injuries, we pretty much only had former walk-on Darton inside at DT, and he had to be an iron man. Despite being out-sized, the kid was a stud. Even so, teams could line up and run right at us, and wear us down over the course of games.
I don't think they'll be able to do that as easily this year. Darton / Lockett both return, and both added some "good" size, which will better equip them to play against the run. Okechukwu is a senior captain at DE who is a fantastic player. Kevin Jobbity / Denis Vasquez flashed as true freshmen, and are poised for much bigger roles this year.
Behind them, we have experienced guys like Simmons and Fuentes-Cundiff. And we added a 300 pound transfer from Alabama who was a highly rated recruit coming out of HS. Incoming frosh Jalil Smith looked good in spring practice, and fellow frosh Gordon / Perry [who is a physical freak] drew praise from the coaching staff in preseason camp. Lots of speed / talent / versatility for new DC Rocky Long to work with.
I'd also expect to see more four-man fronts, which will also make it more difficult for teams to line up and expect to blow us off the ball like they could last season. Imagine [for example] us fielding a group that includes Okechukwu / Lockett / Ingraham / Perry in those types of situations.
Overall, depth is substantially improved at DL [and I haven't even mentioned Noulton / Bazille], hence the favorable projection.
LINEBACKER
2023 Trend: Better than last year
Mikel Jones is off to the NFL -- so how can the projection be "better than last year?" Again, because of both quality and depth.
Marlowe Wax is a stud, and is an NFL caliber prospect. Stefon Thompson got injured in the first game of the year last season, and missed the majority of the year -- but he's back. Thompson wore a green jersey for the majority of camp, and the staff might slow roll him in the first few games to give him extra time to get closer to 100%. If he gets there, he's a difference-maker.
After Thompson got injured last season, McDonald filled in and performed capably -- he's back in 2023, and is now experienced. Lowery / Sparrow also played a TON and were both playmakers. And Kadin Bailey started in the bowl at MLB and played great; he's got great bloodlines [son of Boss Bailey, nephew of Champ Bailey].
That's six guys who are proven. Behind them, you also have rising sophomore Mekhi Mason, and true frosh Zyian Moultrie-Goddard and David Omopariola. ZMG is 240 pounds -- as an incoming frosh -- and Omopariola looked great in spring practice [he could also play DE]. We also added West Florida transfer Khalib Gilmore.
It wasn't that long ago that we were starting fast but undersized LBs who struggled to detach from blockers, often got swallowed up by pulling O-Lineman, and who struggled against the run. Not anymore.
This group is BIG, hostile, and mobile. Competition for PT is going to be fierce. We could literally [knock on wood] sustain an injury or two and not drop off in terms of quality.
DEFENSIVE BACK
2023 Trend: Worse than last year... but trending favorably
You can't lose a lockdown corner like Garrett Williams [NFL], a playmaker like Ja'had Carter, and a quality CB like Duce Chestnut and not take a short-term hit. But the good news is that we return 3 out of 5 starters, and added a TON of quality talent via the transfer portal. Additionally, we have a bunch of younger guys who were already on the roster who early indications suggest are ready to ascend into bigger roles. As with OL, LB, WR, etc. -- depth and quality are cause for guarded optimism.
Let's start with the known quantities. Alijah Clark transferred in last year and was an impact starter. Justin Barron is a stud at Rover, who provides both coverage and run support. And Isaiah Johnson filled in admirably after we lost Williams to a season-ending injury. Reports out of camp are that he's stepped it up, and is positioned to be a lockdown corner in his final campaign.
At corner, we have returnees Wilson / Peterson / Delanie, all of whom are poised for bigger roles. And at Safety, Simmons is highly experienced, Oliver drew favorable reviews from his teammates in preseason camp. We also have Folk / Greenwood, who have some game experience, and Perry is coming off of a redshirt year.
We also bolstered this returning nucleus extensively via the transfer portal, landing a CB from Notre Dame and three safeties from Nebraska. Coming out of HS, Jayden Bellamy signed with Notre Dame, but also had elite offers from Clemson, Penn State, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Tennessee, as well as tons of quality offers from Nebraska, Wisconsin, Pitt, Louisville, VT, UVa, etc. This is the highest rated corner we've landed in a LONG time.
His high school teammate, Jaeden Gould, originally committed to USC, then switched to Nebraska [over Alabama, Penn State, Clemson, Florida State, Florida, Michigan, Texas, Oklahoma, as well as Ole Miss, Pitt, Michigan State, VT, Maryland, Louisville, Tennessee, Wisconsin, etc.].
Syracuse also landed two other Nebraska transfers. Myles Farmer started 11 games at safety for the Cornhuskers, finishing second on the team with 73 tackles. And Jalil Martin is another highly rated safety prospect who had great offers.
So what does this all mean? Three reasons for the guarded optimism. First, we have a solid returning nucleus to lean upon early, while the others prove things on the field. Second, we have some quality returnees who are ready to step-up and help fill the void. And third, the transfers bring to the table offers the likes of which we rarely have at the 'Cuse. I'm guessing that there will be some inconsistency initially, but that our outstanding defensive coaching staff will be able to capitalize on having quality chess pieces to work with, and that this group will end up being much deeper and more solid than what early prognostications seem to indicate.
SPECIAL TEAMS
2023 Trend: On par with last year... but trending favorably
Let's get the negative thing out of the way first -- PK Andre Szyzmt is gone, and he was a solid kicker. Whoever gets the nod behind him has big shoes to fill [early favorite is Brady Denaburg]. Also need to replace LS.
But on the other hand, Punter was such a glaring weakness last year, and for a team that couldn't afford to yield field position having inconsistency there was a huge problem. We added Missouri transfer Jack Stonehouse, who is a massive upgrade.
Overall, the depth on the roster also means that we can use starting caliber players on special teams for coverage, so I expect quality performance in terms of coverage.
OVERALL
2023 Trend: Better than last year
Last year's team started off great, before injuries did us in. But we still managed to get 7 regular season wins, and qualified for a bowl.
IT IS IMPERATIVE that we get back to one this year. The class of 2024 is shaping up nicely, indicating what the coaching staff can do when they finally have something positive to sell on the recruiting trail. Getting to two bowls in a row would continue that trend, and make Syracuse continue to be viewed as a favorable transfer portal destination -- we've capitalized on adding quality transfers these past several off-seasons, and sustained winning seasons will help continue that trend.
In recent years, several seasons have gotten sunk by injuries pilling up. This year, we FINALLY seem to have the depth across almost all positional units to stave off those impacts. And perhaps, instead of being so depleted that we aren't even competitive in November, we'll be able to weather the storm and carve out another win or two.
Need to beat some peer teams, as well. We have the talent / personnel to do so.
My prediction 8 wins, with an outside chance of 9, despite the mid-season grueling stretch.
QUARTERBACK
2023 Trend: Better than last year
This is the first time since HS that Garret Shrader will be working in the same system, for the same coach [basically] since high school. Anae is gone, but Beck being promoted to OC means that the QB room has stability / continuity for the first time ever.
Shrader showed massive improvement in terms of his accuracy last year. I don't expect such a colossal jump in year 2, but even just some efficiency / decision making tweaks could make things better. Something to pay attention to: he had offseason surgery, will "dead arm" be an issue as we work into the season? Because otherwise, he seems poised for big things. Won't hurt that the WR corps / OL also appear to be better than last year.
Behind GS, Carlos Del Rio-Wilson returns for his second year, and now has been immersed in the system for a year. Reports out of camp are that he looked good, and he got the majority of snaps in the spring. CDRW looks better equipped to spell Shrader, and is positioned well to succeed him the following year. Chances are, if Shrader gets injured this year, we're in good, capable hands with CDRW.
Davis is new this year, after transferring in from South Carolina -- but he's a talent. QB room looks stacked for the foreseeable future, and positioned well to be a long-term strength.
RUNNING BACK
2023 Trend: Worse than last year... but with a lot of upside
You can't lose a player like Sean Tucker, who took the majority of snaps over the past two years before heading off to the NFL, and not take a step backwards. That's the bad news.
But the good news is that we've got a lot of interesting chess pieces to work with. LeQuint Allen was the NJ Gatorade player of the year, and looked terrific starting in lieu of Tucker in the bowl game. Now that his offseason issues are in the rear view mirror, he looks poised for a big year.
Juwan Price barely played last year, after nearly rushing for 700 yards at NMSU in 2021, but he's been in the system for a full year. Ike Daniels had a phenomenal offer list, and has impressed in preseason camp -- he might even be the backup.
We also signed a pair of JUCOs -- Hawkins and Branham -- who both look like they could emerge as potential starting caliber options, if circumstances unfold correctly down the road for them.
Strength in numbers. Largely unproven. But the talent is there. At the end of the season, we may look back on this group as being a position of relative strength instead of being worse than last year. Also wouldn't hurt if the OL performs better than last year, and opens up bigger holes for them to run through.
WIDE RECIEVER
2023 Trend: Better than last year
Yes, I understand that OG plays the Y-TE in our system, often lining up in the slot. But for the purposes of this breakdown I'm listing him here at WR, because that's really the role he plays for us. Gadsden has great bloodlines, and had a phenomenal season last year. This year, he's a preseason all-American. But too often, teams were able to double / triple team OG indiscriminately and dare us to throw to other receivers, and the other guys didn't always produce. Look for that to change this year.
Before being injured in game #3 last season, Jones had been touted by the coaching staff as being the best WR we had -- even over OG. He's back, and looking to ascend into a bigger role. Alford has been inconsistent his entire career, but has NFL size / physical attributes. Word out of camp is that he's stepped up and is poised for a HUGE year. Having those two alone should be enough to deter teams from selling out to take OG away, or burning them if they try.
Behind that nucleus, we have a group of experienced receivers in Adams / Pena who have both played and flashed. Hatcher, Long, and Brown are younger but have ability. All told, this group should provide quality competition for PT and contributions as the #4 / #5 WR in the rotation.
Our starting WR group [counting OG here] could go 6-4, 6-5, and 6-6. They are going to be a problem.
TIGHT END
2023 Trend: On par with last year
Again, I "counted" OG in the WR group, so not discussing him here. Max Mang returns, as primarily a blocker who isn't targeted much in the passing game beyond occasionally. Dan Villari offers some intriguing athletic potential at his new position at TE [after shifting from QB], and he flashed in the bowl game, but was a little dinged up in camp. Would love to see him return full strength to bolster this positional unit.
David Clement is HUGE for a true frosh [6-6 270 pounds]. Will be interesting to see what he's capable of delivering year 1, if anything. Steve Mahar got injured in camp and will miss the entire year.
Excluding OG [who I understand that every publication is listing him as an AA TE instead of viewing him as a WR], I expect the remaining members of this group to provide about the same level of limited contributions as last year, but there is upside if Villari can do anything or if Clement produces as a true frosh.
And the future looks bright with 4-star Tremble / big Elijah Washington en route in the class of 2024.
OFFENSIVE LINE
2023 Trend: Better than last year
OL has been a position of struggle for the Syracuse football program for a LONG time. Injuries, guys having to move around to cover gaps in the rotation, and lack of depth have also contributed to the long-standing problem, and exposed players like Garret Shrader and Sean Tucker to extra punishment, which took it's toll over the course of the season. But things seem to be positioned better for 2023.
Yes, the team lost Matthew Bergeron who is off to the NFL, Davis [multi-year starting guard], and Carlos Vettererlo. But this year, depth is substantially improved, and we can field a legitimate two deep.
Enrique Cruz takes over for Bergeron at LT, and was our highest rated OL in a long time. Bleich had off-season surgery, and is finally healthy for the first time in his collegiate career. Dependable starters, but only 2/5 of the equation -- so why will this group be better?
Because unlike in recent years, we actually have the ability to field a full two-deep with guys who can play, instead of being "break-glass-in-case-of-emergency" stop gaps. At center, we have two guys competing for the job. Ilaoa has played a lot over the course of his three-year career, and started a game last year. J'Onre Reed was a quality "get" from the JUCO ranks who has different physical capabilities than the guys we've had play center in recent years. He played in one of the toughest JUCO conferences last year, against P5 caliber competition.
Ellis missed most of preseason camp with an injury, and it remains to be seen when he'll return. But behind him, we have Bradford [who started a game at RG last year] and Ilaoa as candidates to fill in, if Josh doesn't win the starting center battle. Joe More -- who played RT at the FCS level -- is another candidate for RG, and has played there a lot in camp. Joe Cruz is another guy who played both RG and RT.
RT is an interesting battle. If More doesn't fit there, then we could see legacy transfer Wohlabaugh step in, after starting a game last season there at Kentucky. Mark Petry is up to 292, and reports are that he had a terrific off-season where things finally "clicked" for him.
The downside here is that it sounds like things are still a bit unsettled. That's cause for concern.
But here is the potential two deep -- Cruz Jr / Bleich / Reed / More / Wohlabaugh in the first unit. Petry / Ellis / Ilaoa / Bradford / Cruz in the second unit. It's been a LONG time since we've had that kind of depth / quality. We also have some position versatility with Ilaoa [C/G], Cruz [G/T], and More [RT / RG] capable of playing multiple positions, if required. Hopefully, things become clearer after Saturday's game.
But in the past, a key injury or two would sink the entire positional unit, and hamstring the entire offense. That doesn't appear to be as big of a risk this season. And not only does better depth lead to increased competition for PT -- which is a good thing -- it also means that we won't be locked into having someone play who isn't performing well, or having to roll out a guy to play on basically one leg if they get injured because we have nobody behind them of quality. May the best players earn the PT.
DEFENSIVE LINE
2023 Trend: Better than last year
Heading into last season, most people pointed to the defensive line as being the weakest positional unit on the roster, due to the lack of proven experience. As it turned out, the DL rose to the occasion and greatly exceeded that projection, but experienced some setbacks due to injury that significantly compromised depth. After Lockett went down for the season early due to injuries, we pretty much only had former walk-on Darton inside at DT, and he had to be an iron man. Despite being out-sized, the kid was a stud. Even so, teams could line up and run right at us, and wear us down over the course of games.
I don't think they'll be able to do that as easily this year. Darton / Lockett both return, and both added some "good" size, which will better equip them to play against the run. Okechukwu is a senior captain at DE who is a fantastic player. Kevin Jobbity / Denis Vasquez flashed as true freshmen, and are poised for much bigger roles this year.
Behind them, we have experienced guys like Simmons and Fuentes-Cundiff. And we added a 300 pound transfer from Alabama who was a highly rated recruit coming out of HS. Incoming frosh Jalil Smith looked good in spring practice, and fellow frosh Gordon / Perry [who is a physical freak] drew praise from the coaching staff in preseason camp. Lots of speed / talent / versatility for new DC Rocky Long to work with.
I'd also expect to see more four-man fronts, which will also make it more difficult for teams to line up and expect to blow us off the ball like they could last season. Imagine [for example] us fielding a group that includes Okechukwu / Lockett / Ingraham / Perry in those types of situations.
Overall, depth is substantially improved at DL [and I haven't even mentioned Noulton / Bazille], hence the favorable projection.
LINEBACKER
2023 Trend: Better than last year
Mikel Jones is off to the NFL -- so how can the projection be "better than last year?" Again, because of both quality and depth.
Marlowe Wax is a stud, and is an NFL caliber prospect. Stefon Thompson got injured in the first game of the year last season, and missed the majority of the year -- but he's back. Thompson wore a green jersey for the majority of camp, and the staff might slow roll him in the first few games to give him extra time to get closer to 100%. If he gets there, he's a difference-maker.
After Thompson got injured last season, McDonald filled in and performed capably -- he's back in 2023, and is now experienced. Lowery / Sparrow also played a TON and were both playmakers. And Kadin Bailey started in the bowl at MLB and played great; he's got great bloodlines [son of Boss Bailey, nephew of Champ Bailey].
That's six guys who are proven. Behind them, you also have rising sophomore Mekhi Mason, and true frosh Zyian Moultrie-Goddard and David Omopariola. ZMG is 240 pounds -- as an incoming frosh -- and Omopariola looked great in spring practice [he could also play DE]. We also added West Florida transfer Khalib Gilmore.
It wasn't that long ago that we were starting fast but undersized LBs who struggled to detach from blockers, often got swallowed up by pulling O-Lineman, and who struggled against the run. Not anymore.
This group is BIG, hostile, and mobile. Competition for PT is going to be fierce. We could literally [knock on wood] sustain an injury or two and not drop off in terms of quality.
DEFENSIVE BACK
2023 Trend: Worse than last year... but trending favorably
You can't lose a lockdown corner like Garrett Williams [NFL], a playmaker like Ja'had Carter, and a quality CB like Duce Chestnut and not take a short-term hit. But the good news is that we return 3 out of 5 starters, and added a TON of quality talent via the transfer portal. Additionally, we have a bunch of younger guys who were already on the roster who early indications suggest are ready to ascend into bigger roles. As with OL, LB, WR, etc. -- depth and quality are cause for guarded optimism.
Let's start with the known quantities. Alijah Clark transferred in last year and was an impact starter. Justin Barron is a stud at Rover, who provides both coverage and run support. And Isaiah Johnson filled in admirably after we lost Williams to a season-ending injury. Reports out of camp are that he's stepped it up, and is positioned to be a lockdown corner in his final campaign.
At corner, we have returnees Wilson / Peterson / Delanie, all of whom are poised for bigger roles. And at Safety, Simmons is highly experienced, Oliver drew favorable reviews from his teammates in preseason camp. We also have Folk / Greenwood, who have some game experience, and Perry is coming off of a redshirt year.
We also bolstered this returning nucleus extensively via the transfer portal, landing a CB from Notre Dame and three safeties from Nebraska. Coming out of HS, Jayden Bellamy signed with Notre Dame, but also had elite offers from Clemson, Penn State, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Tennessee, as well as tons of quality offers from Nebraska, Wisconsin, Pitt, Louisville, VT, UVa, etc. This is the highest rated corner we've landed in a LONG time.
His high school teammate, Jaeden Gould, originally committed to USC, then switched to Nebraska [over Alabama, Penn State, Clemson, Florida State, Florida, Michigan, Texas, Oklahoma, as well as Ole Miss, Pitt, Michigan State, VT, Maryland, Louisville, Tennessee, Wisconsin, etc.].
Syracuse also landed two other Nebraska transfers. Myles Farmer started 11 games at safety for the Cornhuskers, finishing second on the team with 73 tackles. And Jalil Martin is another highly rated safety prospect who had great offers.
So what does this all mean? Three reasons for the guarded optimism. First, we have a solid returning nucleus to lean upon early, while the others prove things on the field. Second, we have some quality returnees who are ready to step-up and help fill the void. And third, the transfers bring to the table offers the likes of which we rarely have at the 'Cuse. I'm guessing that there will be some inconsistency initially, but that our outstanding defensive coaching staff will be able to capitalize on having quality chess pieces to work with, and that this group will end up being much deeper and more solid than what early prognostications seem to indicate.
SPECIAL TEAMS
2023 Trend: On par with last year... but trending favorably
Let's get the negative thing out of the way first -- PK Andre Szyzmt is gone, and he was a solid kicker. Whoever gets the nod behind him has big shoes to fill [early favorite is Brady Denaburg]. Also need to replace LS.
But on the other hand, Punter was such a glaring weakness last year, and for a team that couldn't afford to yield field position having inconsistency there was a huge problem. We added Missouri transfer Jack Stonehouse, who is a massive upgrade.
Overall, the depth on the roster also means that we can use starting caliber players on special teams for coverage, so I expect quality performance in terms of coverage.
OVERALL
2023 Trend: Better than last year
Last year's team started off great, before injuries did us in. But we still managed to get 7 regular season wins, and qualified for a bowl.
IT IS IMPERATIVE that we get back to one this year. The class of 2024 is shaping up nicely, indicating what the coaching staff can do when they finally have something positive to sell on the recruiting trail. Getting to two bowls in a row would continue that trend, and make Syracuse continue to be viewed as a favorable transfer portal destination -- we've capitalized on adding quality transfers these past several off-seasons, and sustained winning seasons will help continue that trend.
In recent years, several seasons have gotten sunk by injuries pilling up. This year, we FINALLY seem to have the depth across almost all positional units to stave off those impacts. And perhaps, instead of being so depleted that we aren't even competitive in November, we'll be able to weather the storm and carve out another win or two.
Need to beat some peer teams, as well. We have the talent / personnel to do so.
My prediction 8 wins, with an outside chance of 9, despite the mid-season grueling stretch.
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