Syracuse Football 2020 Positional Preview: Linebackers
The Syracuse football season is approaching and we take a look at the roster position by position. Today we will dive into the team’s linebackers.
Syracuse football will undergo another facelift in 2020, and it starts with the coaches. New defensive coordinator Tony White will begin his first season with the Orange. He brings a new scheme called 3-3-5.
In this set, ‘Cuse will have three linebackers on the field, and more secondary players allow for more speed and blitz packages. However, it’s pivotal in this concept that the linebackers step up to the challenge.
To start the year, head coach Dino Babers needs to find the correct personnel to anchor the defense. He will be doing so without Lakiem Williams and Andrew Armstrong, who held down the fort at that position last season.
Williams led the defense with 110 tackles and 12.5 tackles for loss. Armstrong sat just behind him in second place with 78 tackles. With the loss of both of these players to graduation, it is up to the current roster to fill the void.
‘Cuse will need to rely on youth and coaching as there are no senior linebackers on the roster and limited experience as well. However, there are qualified players to step up in the system. We will look through the options and categorize them into starters, second-teamers, and reserves.
On the roster, the Orange list 10 linebackers, and each one has a chance to play this year. Additionally, Syracuse lost a pair of dynamic pass rushers Kendall Coleman and Alton Robinson to the NFL draft as well. While both of them were defensive linemen, that still affects how the defense functions.
Specifically, the pass-rush will be different for the Orange. Without a dominant pass-rushing threat off the edge, the Orange will need to get creative. That may mean sending some defensive backs to pressure the quarterback. But that also means constant pressure from the linebackers.
So as the team learns the defense, let’s take a look at our preliminary linebacker depth chart. Some players listed at the position may transition to the defensive line spot, but for this article, every linebacker listed will be treated as a linebacker.