Syracuse Football: 2018 season report card, looking ahead to 2019
Syracuse Orange. LINEBACKERS . C+. .
This grade isn’t meant to insult, it’s actually damn impressive to be honest. This unit went through a literal transformation on the field, but it didn’t start that way. Two of the best linebackers in program history (Zaire Franklin and Parris Bennett) both moved on to NFL gigs and left a cataclysmic hole in the middle of the defense.
A bunch of converted guys had to adjust and get thrown into the mix (Kielan Whitner, former member of secondary and Ryan Guthrie, a former member of defensive line). Whitner had some time to adjust learning under Franklin and Bennett and Guthrie had some prior experience at linebacker, but that’s a pretty monumental shift.
Guthrie somehow ended up second team all ACC and Babers said he sees him playing on Sundays in the pros. He’s another guy who transferred over to the Orange and also led team in tackles with 101, a crazy transformation.
Whitner and Guthrie relied on senior leadership to guide the Orange and did a remarkable job, this grade arguably could be a B-, but it was the Achilles heel for the Orange defense and often was the matchup the opposing offense tried to exploit.