Syracuse Football: Following injuries, these SU players will have to step up

As Syracuse football prepares to travel to UConn on Saturday night, the Orange roster took a sad and unfortunate hit with the loss of two key players who suffered injuries during last Saturday’s win over fellow Atlantic Coast Conference squad Louisville on the Hill.

Both redshirt senior fullback/tight end Chris Elmore and sophomore linebacker Stefon Thompson are out for the remainder of the 2022 season, head coach Dino Babers said earlier this week.

Thompson, along with veterans Mikel Jones and Marlowe Wax, has formed what I believe is one of the top linebacker trios in the country. Elmore is a versatile player who plays fullback and tight end, and he has suited up on the offensive and defensive lines as well.

Injuries are unfortunately part of the game in college football, and the ‘Cuse will have to move forward this fall with other guys who, hopefully, can effectively replace Elmore and Thompson. That’s no easy task, though.

It’s time for several other Syracuse football players to make their mark.

On the Orange’s depth chart for the week-two battle at the Huskies, redshirt freshman Derek McDonald is listed as the starter to replace Thompson.

McDonald played extended minutes versus the Cardinals after Thompson got injured, and McDonald was impressive. He intercepted a pass from Louisville’s dual-threat quarterback, Malik Cunningham, and returned it 30 yards.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds on cuse.com, McDonald attended the Marist School in Brookhaven, Ga., near Atlanta. I’ve come across numerous articles where other Syracuse football defensive players have spoken highly of McDonald’s abilities, although replacing Thompson will prove a huge challenge.

In the Orange’s week-two depth chart, with Elmore out, there is no fullback listed. At tight end, the starter on the depth chart is listed as either Oronde Gadsden II or Maximilian Mang.

The 6-foot-5, 216-pound Gadsden, a sophomore who moved from wide receiver in 2021 to tight end this fall, caught three passes for 36 yards and hauled in a receiving touchdown when Syracuse football drubbed the Cardinals in week one, 31-7.

He attended the American Heritage School in Plantation, Fla., prior to joining the Orange.

That brings us to the 6-foot-7, 262-pound Mang, a sophomore who went to Leibniz-Gymnasium Potsdam in Nuthetal, Germany. In 2021, Mang appeared in all 12 games and had five starts, per cuse.com.

Elmore weighs about 25 pounds more than Mang, and my sense is that Elmore has more power in blocking for the run and also in pass protection.

Conversely, Mang is about seven inches taller than Elmore, so perhaps his longer frame could prove advantageous in terms of catching passes from quarterback Garrett Shrader.

While McDonald shouldn’t be expected to fully “replace” Thompson right away, he does have vets in Jones and Wax alongside him, so I think the line-backing core will still be strong.

But it will be interesting to see how Elmore’s absence affects the team’s offense, both on the ground and in the air. Gadsden and Mang do possess their own positive attributes, but Elmore is a versatile player who surely will be missed.