S
yracuse begins its 137th season on Saturday at home against Colgate, ushering in the eighth season of the Dino Babers era. After a 7-6 season in which the Orange climbed to No. 14 in the national rankings and earned a bowl game berth, Syracuse lost both of its coordinators and three position coaches. On the field, numerous defensive starters left for the transfer portal and NFL draft. In their place, Rocky Long — the creator of the 3-3-5 scheme — took over the defense while Jason Beck was elevated to offensive coordinator.
With quarterback Garrett Shrader on the mend from elbow surgery in March, the Orange returned top receiving threat Oronde Gadsden II and welcomed back LeQuint Allen after a dropped school-issued suspension. All three will operate behind an offensive line that is replacing three former starters. Amidst the backdrop of conference realignment, including the possibility of the Atlantic Coast Conference adding three new programs, the Orange will begin their trek toward a second-straight bowl appearance for the first time since 2012-13.
Here is how our beat writers think the Orange will fare this season.
Anthony Alandt
Transition Year
Record: 5-7
MVP: Rocky Long
X-Factor: Offensive line
Syracuse stunned the college football world through six games last season. It started 6-0 and reached No. 14 in the AP Top 25 poll while introducing the country to Shrader and Gadsden’s improvisational link-up play. But then, it buckled under the realities of a 12-game season and an ACC schedule that included three top-25 teams and a series of substantial injuries. Taken as a whole, it’s hard not to view last season, and the ensuing offseason, as a success for Babers.
The assistant coaching hires, highlighted by Long, show a commitment to bringing in experience to a roster with plenty of turnover. They’re the best crop of coaches I’ve ever seen under Babers.
I love Gadsden’s potential to blossom into a top receiving threat in the league but Shrader coming off elbow surgery gives me pause that he can work in other receivers down field. I’m given further pause when looking at a mostly new offensive line and a secondary that lost top-end talent like Ja’Had Carter, Duce Chestnut and Garrett Williams.
This team, like last year, is going to have to walk a fine line to get to a bowl game. The Orange have shown nothing that says they can pluck wins against top opponents. The new faces boast promise for Syracuse, but I just don’t see this team getting over the hump consistently.
Henry O’Brien
Just enough to squeak in
Record: 6-6
MVP: Oronde Gadsden II
X-Factor: Offensive depth
Injuries are inevitable in college football and they have always exposed Syracuse’s lack of depth. After starting 6-0 in 2022, the Orange’s injuries started to catch up with them as they faced a tougher schedule and dropped five straight.
This year, however, the defense should have the depth to deal with players going on the injury reserve. Babers said the defensive line is as deep “as we’ve been in a long time.” Though many of the key linebackers are returning, questions remain for the offense. Can Shrader deal with injuries? Can Carlos Del Rio-Wilson or Braden Davis take a step up? If Allen goes down, can Juwuan Price or Ike Daniels fill the void? Gadsden will be an NFL draft pick but will a No. 2 wide receiver emerge? These questions remain unanswered for now, but I think the Orange squeak by when the time comes.
After a projected 3-1 start, SU will have a tough stretch at the end of September and start of October. It faces three straight preseason top-25 teams (No. 9 Clemson, No. 21 North Carolina and No. 8 Florida State). Yet, Syracuse has a chance to finish with a bowl berth if they can conquer Babers’ achilles heel — November. There are winnable games against Boston College and Georgia Tech. A postseason appearance will likely come down to road matchups against the Yellow Jackets or Virginia Tech in October, but Syracuse will have enough to make back-to-back bowl appearances.
Wyatt Miller
Same old Syracuse
Record: 5-7
MVP: The Secondary
X-Factor: Garrett Shrader
Syracuse gave up the 19th fewest passing yards per game in the Football Bowl Subdivision last season, ranking second in the ACC. Now, they’ve hired Long, the creator of the 3-3-5 scheme that has been so successful over the past three seasons. That’s a recipe for success on defense.
Long’s scheme is all about deception and Syracuse has the athletes to cause it consistently. Justin Barron is proficient all over the field, Isaiah Johnson is quietly one of the top tackling cornerbacks in college football and Marlowe Wax can drop in coverage just as well as he can dip past 300-pound linemen. Despite losing multiple starting pieces in the offseason, this defensive backfield has a chance to expand on their success from last season.
The questions, as usual, are on offense. Syracuse ranked 123rd out of 131 FBS schools in sack rating last year at 13.3% (once in every seven-and-a-half plays), according to Football Outsiders. Plus, Shrader ranked 15th in the FBS in average depth of target last season (min. 304 dropbacks).
Assuming there’s no magical fix for Syracuse’s offense, the adjustment will fall on Shrader and Beck. Beck was the quarterbacks coach last season, so he’s had a year of experience with Shrader to pull from. If this offense is to succeed, they’ll need to hold the ball less and get playmakers in space more. That hasn’t been the formula for the past few seasons, making it difficult to predict another bowl appearance with a tough schedule in 2023.
Photo by Jacob Halsema | Staff Photographer
Published on August 30, 2023 at 10:31 pm
