Written By
Written By
Written By
Written By
The quarterback position belongs to Steve Angeli. The Orange were 3-1 before his Achilles injury. He was also leading the nation in passing yards (1,317) at the time of the injury. With him, things are different. The Orange have added Amari Odom (Kennesaw State), Malachi Nelson (UTEP), and Danny Lauter (Georgetown) as reinforcements.
The running back room doesn’t return anyone who rushed for more than 130 yards last season. Redshirt freshman Malachi Coleman will see action. The additions of Ju’Juan Johnson (LSU) and Ahmad Miller (Jackson State) provide experience. Miller rushed for over 1,000 yards last season.
The wide receiver room will need transfers to emerge as Darien Williams, Darius Johnson, and Tyshawn Russell don’t have much experience. Umari Hatcher is returning from an injury. The additions Matt Outten (Penn State), Cole Weaver (Miami OH), Elijah Moore (Florida State), and Zamondre Merriweather (JUCO) will all play big roles.
The offensive line returns experience in Joe Cruz, Byron Washington, Kam Pringle, Trevion Mack, and Naquil Betrand. Many redshirt and true freshmen will be in the mix. The additions of Oluwafunto Akinshilo (UCLA) and David Ndukwe (Houston) provide Power 4 starting experience to this unit.
The defensive line room returns experience in Nathan Nyandoro, Rashard Perry, and David Omopariola. The additions of Dillan Fontus (Maryland), Tunmise Adeleye (UNLV), Keyshawn Johnson (UT Martin, FCS All-American), Jartavius Flounoy (Georgia State), and Kordae Houston (Alabama) will all play big roles. This scheme will shift between a 4-3 and a 3-4, so communication will be key.
The linebacker room returns experience in Antoine Deslauriers, Gary Bryant, Jamie Tremble, and Zyian Moultrie-Goddard. The addition of Chris D’Appolonia (Toledo) provides someone with experience in new Defensive Coordinator Vince Kehres’ system and how it functions properly.
The secondary returns experience in Davien Kerr, Chris Peal, Demetres Samuel, Braheem Long Jr., and Cornell Perry. The additions of Jai Eugene Jr. (Western Kentucky), Amare Snowden (Toledo), Nazir Ward (Western Kentucky), and true freshmen Tedarius Hughes and Chase Geter give this unit even more depth.
Kicker Tripp Woody returns and is nothing but consistent. Punting duties should belong to true freshman Jimmy Gregg. He was the number one punter in last year’s class. Demetres Samuel Jr. is a weapon returning punts and kicks.
Fran Brown and the Orange went from 10-3 to 3-9 over one season. Proving how important quarterback play is to a team, especially this Syracuse offense. A healthy Angeli gives them a chance in every game. Developing QB2 will be key. The schedule also sets up for a bounce back season.
