Syracuse Football: Orange have a monumental void to fill at linebacker
The biggest question on defense that has to be answered is the linebacking corps. Our Paul A. Esden Sr explores the void and explains who can fill it.
This article is fifth in a series previewing the Ninth Life (my name for this season as this cat has definitely gone through its first eight).
This one may be the toughest hurdle of them all for Syracuse football head coach Dino Babers. We need to improve the defense…
The challenge here is that the defense is the unsung hero of this newfangled offense. They are frequently trotting off the field only to be told by the coach to turn around as the offense has gone 3-and-out. The other large hurdle is that the heart and soul of our defense is gone and that production will have to be filled. Easier said than done.
Parris Bennett and Zaire Franklin are gone. They will quite possibly be the greatest 1-2 linebacker combination the Syracuse Football team has ever seen. As juniors they teamed up to become the only ‘Cuse teammates ever to combine for 100 plus tackles … EACH!
Zaire Franklin’s accomplishments are impressive. He is only the second person ever to be a 3 time Team Captain and to find the other one you have to go back quite a ways (Robert Adams 1894-96). He held down the Orange’s middle linebacker position for an incredible 39 starts!
Parris Bennett’s accolades are also noteworthy. He was the first Orange player to have back-to-back seasons with 100 plus tackles in over two decades. A 32 game starter who will be sorely missed and leaves a void which will be difficult to fill.
Even with these impressive linebackers the defense struggled mightily at times. Ending the year with the 105th ranked defense in Division one; giving up 444 yards per game at a 6.4 yards per play clip. The Orange did well in one category, third down conversions however this can be attributed to more to the fewer opportunities (at 6.4 yards per down third down wasn’t needed that often) than the skill set or play calling.
So let us break down the starting linebackers for the 2018 Squad:
- Kielan Whitner (listed as starter at weak side linebacker) he is a Junior who has seen playing time in 34 games in his Orange career. Whitner has a combined 76 tackles and has played both safety and linebacker. A solid player who has demonstrated talent. The only concern of this writer is his listed height 6’ and weight 202 lbs. Playing in the ACC and staying healthy will be a challenge.
- Ryan Guthrie (listed as starter at middle linebacker) he is a Senior transfer from Ellsworth Community College who played in 12 games for Orange in his first year 2017. In those games he registered 11 tackles including a game locking sack against Pittsburgh. Ryan is filled with potential and could be the hidden weapon. As a Sophomore at Ellsworth he was a first team all American and was third in the country with 139 tackles. It will be exciting to see what he can do as a starter.
An item of note for the Orange faithful is the OITNF has a new defensive scheme playing the 4-2-5 defense. This eliminates one of the linebackers. This as Madden fans are aware is more commonly referred to as the Nickel defense. This may be just what Dr. Esden ordered as this is more of an attacking defense rather than the sit down, laid back defense that has resulted in many lopsided losses. With the lack of depth at the linebacker position this is the right move to make. The key will be in the execution.
Next: Syracuse Football: Ranking every SU first round pick in NFL Draft history
As I wrap up my areas of biggest concerns I would like to say that I am excited for the upcoming campaign and I am fully on the Orange train. This is Dino’s third year and time to produce some much needed W’s.