The Syracuse football squad is going to have some new faces in 2019. Here are the top ones to watch next season who could have the biggest impact.
Last season was a breakout year for Dino Babers and the Syracuse football squad. The team broke several records that have been held for over 18 years including winning 10 games last season. But how do they top that in 2019?
It won’t be easy, but Syracuse will have to rely on some tried and true stars like Kendall Coleman and Alton Robinson on defense. But that won’t be enough, the Orange are going to need some help from some fresh faces if they hope to top what they did last season.
SU has over 20 new players being added to the mix for next season at a variety of positions. Some players are destined for bench roles, while others will have an opportunity to make an immediate impact.
Here are the top five newcomers who could have a major impact in 2019 for the Orange. Check out our list here, then share your thoughts on if there was anyone we missed in the comments below.
Honorable mention:
- 6-foot-4, 235 pounds
- A three-star defensive lineman out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida was a late steal for the Orange. Jason was initially committed to ACC rival, the Miami Hurricanes, but after a late head coaching change (Mark Richt retired), Jason wanted to go to a different school.
- Per 247 Sports:
- 57th best defensive end in the country.
- 110th best defensive lineman in the state of Florida.
- 6-foot-5, 250 pounds
- Listed as an offensive lineman on 247 Sports, but will play defensive end for the Orange.
- In case you missed it, Cooper Dawson had one of the best-recruiting announcements you’ll ever hear (watch the full story above).
Both of these players play on the defensive line and are highly touted. Although this article was designed to breakdown the top-five new faces who are projected to have the biggest impact in 2019.
We mentioned it in the opening monologue, Syracuse has two studs along the defensive line returning in Kendall Coleman and Alton Robinson who will eat up the majority of the playing time in the trenches.
5. Geoff Cantin, LB
In general pro-player comparisons is a love vs hate kind of relationship. But I can’t help but think of Lawrence Taylor when I see Geoff Cantin play. Now I know people are going to start to lose their minds when they read this but watch the tape yourselves:
- Cantin possesses great instincts whether that be in pass coverage or in run defense.
- The Lawrence Taylor comp is from his ferocity laying the lumber. He seems to enjoy punishing his opponents.
Geoff is a three-star outside linebacker prospect out of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Recruits that come outside of the United States are severely under-recruited. Thus their ratings don’t always indicate the type of player you’re receiving.
He’s going to have a ton of opportunities to get immediate playing time at the linebacker position. For the third straight season, Syracuse will be replacing their entire starting linebacker corps. Although the deck will be stacked against Geoff a little bit because historically Dino Babers has preferred his starting linebackers to be upperclassmen.
4. Lee Kpogba, LB
You’ll notice a theme in this article: linebackers, linebackers, and more linebackers. To be honest it’s one of the biggest question marks heading into the 2019 season for the Orange. But one of the answers could be four-star linebacker Lee Kpogba.
Lee is from Winston Salem and he had a slew of power-five offers to sort through before ultimately picking the Orange. He stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs 210 pounds which isn’t bad but he’ll need to add some Brutus Beefcake.
One of the better linebackers Syracuse has had in recent memory was Zaire Franklin and he weighs between 235-245 pounds, so Lee has some room for improvement. One thing he won’t need to improve on is his athleticism.
When you watch the tape it’s obvious. Lee played linebacker and running back in high school and he is an explosive athlete. Lee’s versatility playing inside and outside linebacker will come in handy for the Orange. Als,o his ability to rush the passer will be looked upon fondly come 2019.
3. Mikel Jones, LB
ANOTHER LINEBACKER! Mikel Jones was one of the highest rated recruits coming in for the 2019 class for the Orange. He bonded with the No. 4 player on our list in fellow linebacker Lee Kpogba. That’s great because Syracuse could arguably use both of these youngsters early and often in 2019.
As we’ve mentioned already countless times throughout this piece, Syracuse will be replacing their starting linebacking corps for the third straight season, hardly ideal. But SU has options: they could go with some veterans on the roster or turn the reins over to the young dogs on defense.
Speaking of young dogs, Syracuse had one in 2018 named Andre Cisco who took college football by storm. Andre led all of NCAA in interceptions and ironically enough used to be a teammate of Mikel Jones in high school.
The reason why I bring up Cisco is for this reason alone: despite Andre being a freshman he EARNED his way into the starting lineup and with his stellar play never relinquished the role. Those same opportunities can be EARNED this upcoming season for Mikel Jones and Lee Kpogba, but ultimately it’s up to them to seize the opportunity.
2. Abdul Adams, RB
This is the one prospect on this list that was on the roster last season but played sparingly due to the transfer rules. Although Abdul did end up playing in the Camping World Bowl due to a loophole and still has two years of eligibility remaining.
The reason why Abdul is so high on this list is two-fold:
- Syracuse hasn’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since 2012 (Jerome Smith). Adams is one of the most talented running backs Syracuse has had in a LONG time.
- In our top-3 burning questions piece ahead of 2019 (read here), we highlighted how Eric Dungey’s running ability helped Syracuse. With a new quarterback at the helm in Tommy DeVito who hasn’t proven he can run the ball, SU will need a strong running game to support their quarterback.
Although the Orange should have one of their best rushing attacks overall because not only does SU have Abdul, but they also return Moe Neal, Jarveon Howard, and Markenzy Pierre who should all bring some different flavors to the mix.
1. Ryan Alexander, OL
Let’s be honest with ourselves, it’s all about the big boys. We don’t give them enough credit for what they do. What is often the case in football: if we’re talking about offensive linemen, it’s never for a good reason. It’s usually because someone blew an assignment, but let’s stop that narrative right here, right now.
The straw that will stir the drink for the Orange in 2019 is going to be trench warfare. Tommy DeVito is going to need a clean pocket to throw from and the new and improved running game will need lanes.
That conversation starts and ends with the newest addition to the SU offensive line: Ryan Alexander. He’s a grad-transfer from South Alabama and Ryan brings a ton of size and potential at 6-foot-4 and weighing over 300 pounds.
Remember the impact grad-transfer Koda Martin had on the team last season? If Ryan Alexander can do the same thing for the Orange this season, they’ll be in great shape. Syracuse lost both of their starting tackles from last season with Cody Conway and the aforementioned Martin moving on.