Syracuse Football: Nebraska transfer adds depth, experience to secondary

Former Nebraska defensive back Myles Farmer, who finished second on the Cornhuskers in tackles a season ago, has transferred to Syracuse football, according to media reports and SU Athletics.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Farmer, who hails from Atlanta, is now listed on the Orange athletics department Web site. He is a redshirt junior who spent four seasons at Big Ten Conference member Nebraska, and he has moved to the ‘Cuse as a graduate transfer, with a reported two years of NCAA eligibility left.

In the 2022 campaign, when the Cornhuskers went 4-8 overall, Farmer started  11 games at safety. He tallied 73 total tackles as well as four pass break-ups, an interception and a tackle for a loss, per cuse.com.

Over his four-year tenure with Nebraska, according to SU Athletics, Farmer played in 31 games, including 16 starts. He had 110 total tackles, 62 solo tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss, eight pass break-ups, four picks and a forced fumble.

Syracuse football has picked up a commitment from an experienced defensive back.

Both the ‘Cuse and the Cornhuskers experienced some significant coaching changes prior to the 2023 stanza commencing. Matt Rhule, the former head coach of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and also at Baylor and Temple, is the new boss at Nebraska.

Former Syracuse football defensive coordinator Tony White took the same role with the Cornhuskers. Meanwhile, Orange head coach Dino Babers has Jason Beck as his new offensive coordinator and Rocky Long as his new defensive coordinator.

In late July, The Associated Press and others reported that Rhule suspended Farmer indefinitely due to “a failure to adhere to team standards.” Previously, per The AP, Farmer was suspended “for the game against Michigan last November after he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving.”

SyracuseOnSI publisher Mike McAllister, in a piece published on Sunday, said that Farmer entered the NCAA’s transfer portal in early August, and “Syracuse moved quickly to add him from that point.”

Farmer comes to the Hill as the ‘Cuse is in the midst of its fall camp. The Orange, in recent years, has put forth excellent defensive backfields, although the team’s secondary for the upcoming 2023 season has seen a fairly sizable makeover.

Garrett Williams headed to the NFL. Duce Chestnut transferred to LSU, while Ja’Had Carter transferred to Ohio State. Syracuse football coaches, meanwhile, relied on the portal to bring in several transfers, beyond Farmer.

Those defensive backs who transferred to the ‘Cuse have included Jaeden Gould and Jalil Martin, both formerly of Nebraska, and Jayden Bellamy, who previously attended Notre Dame.

Other defensive backs on the Orange’s 2023 roster, per the SU Athletics Web site, include Isaiah Johnson, Alijah Clark, Justin Barron, Jason Simmons Jr., Cornell Perry, Bralyn Oliver, Quan Peterson, Jeremiah Wilson, Aman Greenwood, Malcolm Folk, Jakobie Seabourn, Berry Buxton III, Gregory Delaine, Cam Reirden, Clay Masters and Tommy Porter.

I’ll be curious to see whether Farmer will end up contending for a starting role in the secondary. Even if he doesn’t, he does provide depth in the team’s defensive backfield, while bringing undeniable veteran experience and talent.

Farmer was a three-star prospect in the 2019 class, and he attended Westlake High School in Atlanta. The ‘Cuse, per 247Sports, offered him a scholarship in October of 2017.

Throughout his recruiting process, Farmer held around 20 offers from a range of high-major programs, including East Carolina, Louisville, Missouri, N.C. State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Syracuse football, UCF, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Nebraska, Minnesota, Memphis, Liberty, Rutgers and Tulane, among others.

In the 2019 cycle, Rivals.com had him as the No. 48 safety. The industry-generated 247Sports Composite rated him at No. 689 overall, No. 52 at safety and No. 67 in Georgia. The industry-generated On3 Industry Ranking, meanwhile, placed Farmer at No. 642 nationally, No. 64 at safety and No. 67 in Georgia.

Welcome to Orange Nation, Myles!