Syracuse cornerbacks Julian Whigham and Wayne Morgan don’t know if Brandon Reddish will suit up against No. 3 Clemson on Saturday, but they’re preparing to play significant snaps in various packages regardless.

“I’m just focused on film,” Whigham said Tuesday night. “Studying everything, making sure I know everything and when I get in there, play my game.”

Reddish, a junior cornerback, suffered a lower-body injury in the first half of Syracuse’s 52-17 pummeling of Tulane on Sept. 21 and didn’t return to the game. Syracuse head coach Scott Shafer listed Reddish as questionable during his weekly teleconference Tuesday. Reddish hasn’t practiced since then, Morgan said, but he expects him to return Wednesday.

Defensive backs coach Fred Reed said Reddish’s status for Saturday is still up in the air.

“Really toward the end of the week we’ll have a better indication of what’s going on (with Reddish),” Reed said. “His rehab really went well, so we’ll see how it goes.”

In the event Reddish doesn’t play, Morgan said he’s re-familiarized himself with the playbook in the past week just in case.

If he does take Reddish’s playing time on Saturday, he’ll be rudely greeted by the nightmare that is the high-octane Clemson offense. Highlighted by quarterback Tajh Boyd and wide receivers Sammy Watkins and Martavis Bryant, the Tigers’ offense is among the most explosive in the country.

Reed said Watkins is the best receiver Syracuse has faced this season. He called Watkins dynamic and said his speed is “legit.”

“He can really fly,” Reed said.

Penn State’s Allen Robinson and Northwestern’s Tony Jones combined for 318 receiving yards against the Orange. That was with Robinson missing the first half of the Penn State-Syracuse game.

SU’s depleted secondary will be in for its toughest task Saturday in the Orange’s first-ever Atlantic Coast Conference matchup. Reddish’s potential absence would make the task that much more difficult.

“They don’t make mistakes often,” Whigham said. “We’ve really got to be on top of our game.”

Published on October 2, 2013 at 1:05 am

Contact Trevor: tbhass@syr.edu | @TrevorHass