With Syracuse football training camp just a month away, The Daily Orange beat writers, Sam Blum, Jesse Dougherty, Matt Schneidman and Paul Schwedelson will reveal the top 15 preseason storylines with a new one every other day. Make sure to check dailyorange.com and click here to see all the posts as we count down to camp.  

A team that went 3-9 has likely never brought in the No. 1 recruit at a position the following season. But since that position was long snapper, Syracuse was able to do just that and will have a freshman to likely replace a four-year stalwart snapping field goals and punts.

Matt Keller, the top-rated long snapper by Kohl’s, the organization that runs kicking, punting and snapping camps, already spent last semester at SU so he has more familiarity with the team than other freshmen. According to Scout.com, SU was his only scholarship offer.

Walk-on long snappers Keith Mitsuuchi and Nathan Hines return to the team, but all likelihood would seem that Shafer won’t start a walk-on over someone he is giving a full scholarship to at that position.

The position’s predecessor, Sam Rodgers, started each of the 50 games the Orange played during his tenure and even drew the “the type of guy you want your daughter to date” tag from assistant athletics director for athletic performance Will Hicks.

They’re not easy shoes to fill, even for just snapping a ball between your legs. Keller will have to gel with returning punter Riley Dixon, and likely either incumbent Cole Murphy or freshman Sterling Hofrichter on field goals.

While addressing the media after Syracuse’s Pro Day, Rodgers gave a glimpse into the repetitions and precision that goes into the position. And it’ll be up to Keller, one would guess, to immediately fill in and polish those same nuances.