As Syracuse football continues onward with its pre-season camp ahead of the 2022 campaign, which begins in early September when the Orange will host Louisville, there is excitement brewing about various areas of the ‘Cuse team.
Without question, one component of the Syracuse football 2022 roster that is likely to make waves on a national scale this fall is the Orange secondary.
First and foremost, the cornerback duo of Garrett Williams and Duce Chestnut should be one of the best CB pairs across the entire country.
Williams is a veteran leader on the ‘Cuse squad. Chestnut had a stellar freshman campaign, and he is one of the top returning interception leaders in the Atlantic Coast Conference. In my humble opinion, both Williams and Chestnut will be playing on Sundays down the line.
Syracuse football has an opportunity to possess a premier secondary in 2022.
According to a recent cuse.com announcement, ESPN and ACC Network analyst Eric Mac Lain recently published his rankings of the top cornerbacks in the ACC. Williams, at No. 1, and Chestnut, at No. 3, made the Orange the only league member with two cornerbacks in the top five.
SU Athletics also recently noted that ESPN has named Chestnut as a second-year star to watch ahead of the 2022 season.
Beyond Chestnut and Williams, though, there is a deep and talented group of defensive backs that defensive coordinator Tony White can rely on for his 3-3-5 system. This includes ‘Cuse guys who will be battling it out for back-up cornerback roles, along with at safety and the rover position.
Certainly, ‘Cuse coaches need more practices and scrimmages throughout the pre-season camp before making final decisions on who starts, but there appears to be a lot of talent in the Syracuse football secondary.
Guys to keep an eye on include Justin Barron, Rob Hanna, Jason Simmons Jr., Ja’Had Carter, Alijah Clark (transfer from Rutgers), Bralyn Oliver (transfer from Louisville), Eric Coley and Aman Greenwood.
When asked by Josh Crawford of SyracuseOnSI about the Orange secondary, Barron said in part, “Definitely exciting to see everyone progressing and getting better every day.”
SyracuseOnSI publisher Mike McAllister recently conducted a Q&A with Williams and asked him about what he’d like to see from the ‘Cuse defense in 2022.
"Williams responded, “Top 10 defense. Bunch of turnovers. Winning games. Just everything you can think of to help us win.”"
I personally believe that Syracuse football can have a stellar defense in 2022. The secondary should be excellent. The same goes for the linebackers. The key is the defensive line, a group that holds promise but is also young.