Syracuse football head coach Dino Babers set the expectations for his transfers at his weekly presser. Here are all the details.
The bar has obviously been set extremely high for the Syracuse football team in 2019.
That is to be expected following a record-setting 10-3 campaign. A small contributor to that on the field last season was the two transfers:
- Trishton Jackson, wide receiver, Michigan State.
- Abdul Adams, running back, Oklahoma.
Due to the NCAA transfer rules both players had to sit out a year before they’d become eligible. But because of a relatively unknown clause in the transfer rule, both players were granted permission to participate in the Camping World Bowl for the Orange.
Adams contributed eight carries for 19 yards and two touchdowns. While Jackson also found the endzone finishing with three catches and 27 yards.
Just a small taste of what these two players could provide on a full-time basis in 2019.
Syracuse football head coach Dino Babers spoke at his weekly press conference and revealed what he’s most excited about regarding these two transfers and what expectations should be:
"“The thing I’m really excited about for both of those guys is that they’ve been fantastic practice players. Both of those guys have led our scout teams for the entire year. Obviously, the community and media got an opportunity to see them perform in the West Virginia game.But 2018 was just an entire year of being the scout team tailback and scout team wide receiver. It was like getting banged around by the varsity so to speak. They understood their role and didn’t complain about it. I really appreciated that, especially considering where they came from (Oklahoma and Michigan State respectively).They didn’t get to go through an entire season, so it’ll be fun to see their growth in this offense as well. Especially with them having the opportunity to help us out in 2019.”"
A lot of the hype for 2019 is primarily based on production that is no longer on the hill anymore. Guys like Eric Dungey, Jamal Custis, Dontae Strickland, and others helped the Orange reach the mountain top and now they’re gone.
The void of a No. 1 running back and wide receiver is up for grabs in this Orange is the New Fast offense and the two primary replacements are from blue blood programs in Michigan State and Oklahoma.
While they should be big-time playmakers in 2019, it’ll likely be a slow start for both players. Currently, Abdul Adams is listed as the backup to Moe Neal on the Week 1 depth chart. While Trishton is one of three starting wide receivers in this offense on the depth chart.
The Orange haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since 2012 and 2018 was the first season that a wide receiver didn’t take advantage of the Syracuse offense like Steve Ishmael and Amba Etta-Tawo did previously. 2019 will be a special year, but from a transfer perspective, it may take a bit of time for these two to make their impact known.