Syracuse Football: Is quarterback Garrett Shrader, Eric Dungey 2.0?

When the Syracuse football season started, I didn’t take a side in the Tommy DeVito versus Garrett Shrader debate except to say I expected Tommy to start based on experience with the staff and system. I also leaned with the assessment that Tommy was the better passer and Garrett the better runner.

If one wanted to be “the guy,” they’d likely have to show they could excel at what the other did to prove their point. And while Tommy did show he could be mobile and Garrett showed he can hit shorter passes, neither really ran away with the job, although Garrett maybe showed flashes of another successful Orange quarterback.

From 2015-2018, Eric Dungey played a huge role in the success of the Syracuse football program. During that time frame, he passed for over 9,000 yards with 58 touchdowns and 30 interceptions, and he also rushed for over 1,900 yards and 35 touchdowns.

Eric was a fan favorite for the excitement he brought every time he walked out on that field and the ability to make plays however he had to make them, especially on his feet though his passing ability was no slouch at times as well. Over time, he also grew into the leader we all will tell our children about.

Could Syracuse football quarterback Garrett Shrader have a career like Eric Dungey did?

When I watch Garrett play, I can’t help but think maybe the staff and to some extent, the fans as well, are hoping Garrett will grow into another version of Eric. I would even guess they think that with experience while he does learn it, Garrett will continue to improve his passing game more and more working with the young receivers just as Eric did as well.

One can only hope he sees similar success especially like the 2018 season, which lest we forget Tommy also helped provide some support that season as well.

Or maybe it’s just me when I watch him make the most out of a play whether it’s a high snap, collapsed pocket or covered receivers while also limiting mistakes/turnovers. To be fair to Tommy, he’s a great field manager at quarterback also limiting turnovers and can make great throws but when Garrett plays, he adds that unpredictability factor that Eric also brought where you never know if he will escape danger or hurdle a player to get a first down.

And for a coach who came to Syracuse football with expectations of a high-octane offense, I think maybe Head Coach Dino Babers sees those elements of excitement more in Garrett than Tommy right now.

So while I don’t normally like putting labels on people because suddenly people base expectations on that comparison, I do think those of us who watched Eric play likely see similar attributes in Garrett.

Even in the loss to FSU, Syracuse football scored 30 points with Garrett scoring three of the touchdowns himself and that type of performance does leave me wondering if he could be the next Eric Dungey, but this time with arguably a better defense and a running back who has been mentioned in discussions for the Maxwell Award as well as the Heisman Trophy.

Time will tell but for now, I can definitely see enough similarities to believe he could be a great leader for this team like Eric was and a reason for some optimism for the future of the program.

Let’s Go Orange!!!!