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Syracuse freshman Duce Chestnut is one of 37 players on the Shaun Alexander Award watchlist, an honor given to the nation’s best freshman. 

The Camden, New Jersey, native has started all nine games at cornerback for the Orange, becoming just the third defensive back to start a game as a rookie in the last 40 years (the others are Andre Cisco in 2018 and Markus Paul in 1985).

Chestnut leads the Orange in interceptions (two) and has the seventh-most tackles this season (36). He’s also broken up five passes and recorded 1.5 tackles for loss.

In Chestnut’s debut for Syracuse, he had a team-high eight tackles and an interception against Ohio. Head coach Dino Babers raved about the freshman’s performance after the game and added that Chestnut had earned a game ball in his first collegiate game, a feat Babers had never witnessed during his 35 years as a coach. 

“Hopefully he stays around a lot longer than the last three (Cisco, Ifeatu Melifonwu and Trill Williams),” Babers said on Sept. 27. “But when (he’s) ready to go, you have an opportunity to get drafted in the top three rounds … I’ll be the first one to tell him.”

Chestnut is one of six Atlantic Coast Conference players on the watch list for the award. Ten semi-finalists will be announced in early December, and then the field will be narrowed to three finalists later that month before the winner is announced in January.

Syracuse has three games remaining against Louisville, No. 21 NC State and No. 25 Pitt. The Orange need one more win to become bowl eligible.

Published on November 9, 2021 at 4:35 pm

Contact Roshan: rferna04@syr.edu | @Roshan_f16