Syracuse Football: Sean Tucker arrives as pre-season All-American again

Syracuse football record-setting running back Sean Tucker continues to rack up pre-season hardware ahead of the 2022 campaign, which is nearly upon us.

CBS Sports recently unveiled its 2022 pre-season All-America first and second teams. Tucker, who broke the Orange’s single-season rushing record with nearly 1,500 yards on the ground a stanza ago, is on the pre-season All-America second squad.

Joining him at running back on the second team is Kansas State junior Deuce Vaughn. The two running backs on the CBS Sports pre-season All-America first unit are Texas junior Bijan Robinson and Ohio State sophomore TreVeyon Henderson.

I’ve come across a variety of 2022 pre-season All-America teams lately, and the general consensus seems to be that these four guys are the top running backs in the country, at least prior to the upcoming campaign kicking off.

Experts believe that Syracuse football RB Sean Tucker will prove stellar in 2022.

In total, the Atlantic Coast Conference has seven players on either the first or second squads from CBS Sports, although only one guy is on the first team.

That designation belongs to Clemson’s star defensive tackle, redshirt sophomore Bryan Bresee. The remaining six ACC players found themselves as part of the CBS Sports pre-season All-America second group.

I’m not surprised in the least that Sean Tucker is the only ‘Cuse player on either the CBS Sports first or second team. That being said, I would lobby that Syracuse football linebacker Mikel Jones, as well as cornerbacks Garrett Williams and Duce Chestnut, are legitimate contenders for All-America status in 2022 as well.

Only a couple of days ago, another national media outlet, ESPN, divulged its power rankings of the top-100 players in college football prior to 2022 commencing.

Tucker landed at No. 15 across the country, and he is also the No. 2 ACC player in these ratings, just behind Bresee, who checks in at No. 13. Understandably, the three running backs ahead of Sean Tucker per ESPN are Robinson, Henderson and Vaughn.

In recent weeks, Tucker has picked up a flood of 2022 pre-season accolades. He is on the All-ACC team, several All-America squads and included in a handful of watch lists for national awards that will honor the top overall player and the premier running back in college football in 2022.

As we noted not too long ago, SU Athletics has launched a Heisman Trophy campaign for Tucker. If the Orange can navigate a daunting schedule and finish above .500 while going to a bowl game, and Tucker is equally as good or even better than he was in 2021, then I see no reason why Sean Tucker shouldn’t be deep in the conversation as a realistic contender for this season’s Heisman Trophy.