Imagine this scenario – Syracuse football enters the 2022 season with a new offensive coordinator, a new QB coach, a QB who can effectively throw the ball downfield, and a couple of new receiving threats who are happily pulled off the portal because they want to be a part of what this new offense can be.
Imagine adding all of that to an offense already featuring a Heisman Trophy contender.
Exciting isn’t it? What’s more exciting? This scenario is absolutely possible, and in fact, we may be already halfway there if the rumored additions of potential Offensive Coordinator Robert Anae and QB coach Jason Beck come to fruition.
These two coaches, who held the same roles with the University of Virginia this past season, helped to lead a dynamic and high-powered offense that was exciting to watch and delivered results. The Cavaliers led the ACC in yards-per-game (515.8) and passing yards-per-game (392.2), while finishing 4th in the conference in points-per-game (34.6).
Needless to say, Virginia vastly outperformed Syracuse in each of these categories.
Biggest offensive coaching infusion for Syracuse football in two decades?
I made the comment elsewhere that if these two hires both come to fruition, and as of this writing there were still some moving parts, that this could represent the greatest offensive coaching infusion into the Syracuse football program in two decades (part of that is because we historically have been dreadfully conservative when it comes to the offensive play-callers we bring into the progam). But could is the key word there — it’s not a given.
If Anae is brought in with a mandate to make his offensive scheme fit unto the box created by both Dino Babers’ coaching style and the limitations of Garrett Shrader, then it’s going to be another example of great potential wasted within the Syracuse football, much like Dino’s “Orange is the New Fast” campaign which fizzled to be more “Orange is the New ‘Hurry to the Line and Stare at the Sideline’” campaign.
However, if these new offensive coaches are brought in and allowed to, with slight modifications based on personnel, keep coaching the offense as they coached last year in Virginia, then there really is the potential for the offense to take a significant step forward fairly quickly. One big part of that means giving them the freedom to reach into the portal and pull a new starting QB into the program, if they believe that this is what is necessary to evolve Syracuse football’s “run because we can’t throw” offense into a “run and pass equally because we can do both” offense.
At the very least, Syracuse football will need to bring in another QB simply for insurance, as the depth chart is far too thin for a D-1 program as things currently stand. But why stop at depth? Why not go all in and bring in a talented QB, perhaps a true dual-threat, as I really believe, while I think he has a lot of heart and great wheels, Garrett Shrader is a DINO (Dual In Name Only…pun only partially intended). Clemson QB Taisun Phommachanh would be an absolutely perfect fit for this program. He is a true dual-threat QB from Connecticut who has been described as having a big arm with the ability to step up and make tight throws with a good ability to run.
Exactly what a true dual-threat should be able to do.
And it doesn’t hurt that his NFL comp is Lamar Jackson.
Look it doesn’t need to be Phommachanh. And honestly, maybe it can still be Shrader. Maybe Beck thinks he sees something that can elevate Shrader from an all run/no pass threat to a legit 50:50 dual-threat who can get the ball downfield consistently. But I still believe that if the opportunity to upgrade is there, this program absolutely needs to take it.
Anae and Beck are certainly not done deals, but the message applies regardless of who ultimately comes in to run this offense. Let these experienced coaches elevate this offense, through the use of a passing game, in this climate-controlled Dome. Let them bring balance to the offense. Let them finally, belatedly, install an aerial attack that uses all parts of the field, and puts the ball in the air on all three downs.
And don’t hinder them by confining them to the boxes that the Syracuse football program has, for decades now, refused to think outside of.