Someone is going to benefit from the Orange is the New Fast offense. Could it finally be time for Syracuse football WR Jamal Custis to be THE guy?
While bowl wins may not have happened in the first two years of Dino Babers at the helm, offense has certainly been there.
Regardless of who was registered as the No. 1 wideout, they became the beneficiary of the Syracuse football machine. Records were no match for the ammunition delivered by the Orange is the New Fast offense.
In the initial year we saw Amba Etta-Tawo come on down the aisle and break historic marks at Syracuse: 94 receptions for 1,482 yards and 14 touchdowns. Despite marginal numbers at Maryland, Etta-Tawo quickly picked up the Syracuse system.
While he certainly put up gaudy numbers, he struggled to get off the line of scrimmage against good cornerbacks. That same concern has remained in the NFL, he currently is with the New York Giants.
Finally Steve Ishmael stepped up…
When he was first recruited by SU I was told by sources that this kid was the real deal and to watch out for him. Watching Steve Ishmael in the spring game confirmed what people had told me. Sadly in his first three years in Orange I was perplexed at the end of each season.
Why isn’t this supremely talented kid getting it? What’s the missing piece here?
I started to wonder if he would ever ‘get it’. But when the pressure was on and he only had one year of eligibility left, he had the best season of his career: 105 receptions for 1,347 yards and seven touchdowns.
Move over Marvin Harrison (Pro Football Hall of Famer), Ishmael became the new all-time career receiving yards leader. Now he’s with the Indianapolis Colts trying to live out his dream.
This is one of those stories where the lede was buried, but I hope you stuck around for the meaty part of this tale. Who is the next wide receiver to benefit from this offense? Was it the system or the talent that happened to be here?
It’s time for that question to be answered. So I looked across the Syracuse football roster, talked with some coaches, and the name that seems to make sense (and be a bit of a dark horse) is Jamal Custis.
Who?
Say hello to the newest slot receiver for the Orange. The size may fool you (6-foot-5 and 228 pounds), but this is a unique mismatch nightmare that the Cuse can take advantage of.
Speaking of the ‘slot’ receiver, usually these receivers are smaller in stature (like a Brisly Estime or Erv Philips type) that can quickly get in and out of their breaks. But Custis’s speed and size will be able to cause rifts in the defensive alignment that could create some special opportunities.
Plus those receivers I alluded to above always seem to be heavily involved in the offense, which seems to point to Jamal being one of the leaders offensively next season. Custis has a ton of potential.
The traits are there, but it hasn’t translated yet to the football field. His career numbers are admittedly marginal but so were Etta-Tawo’s before he exploded on the scene. If anyone can be ‘the guy’ next season for the Cuse it is Custis.
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Mainly throughout his career he’s been a red-zone threat, but this season working out of the slot will allow him to expand his route tree and test whether he can truly be a playmaker.