Syracuse Football: With Braylen Ingraham out, these defensive linemen must step up

It was recently announced that Syracuse football defensive lineman Braylen Ingraham tore his Achilles, according to various media reports.

He is out for the season, and barring something unexpected, it's the end of his college career. Ingraham transferred to Syracuse before the 2023 season.

In 2023, as a redshirt junior, Ingraham played in all 13 games, recording 16 tackles, three tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, and two pass deflections, according to SU Athletics. Prior to that, Ingraham spent four years at Alabama, winning the 2020 National Championship, although he later tore his ACL and lateral meniscus, missing the 2021 and 2022 seasons and medically retired in 2022.

Any career-ending injury is awful. But it especially sucks for a guy whose career has already been ravaged by injuries. Additionally, Ingraham was set to be a key contributor and possibly a starter for a Syracuse football defensive line going through changes. Under new defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson, the Orange will move on from their 3-3-5 in favor of a 4-2-5.

This move requires an additional defensive lineman and the position group is already thin with last season's starter Kevon Darton transferring to Arizona. With that, here are some 'Cuse players who I think have to (and will) step up to replace Ingraham.

Syracuse football defensive linemen who will have to step up to replace the injured Braylen Ingraham.

Dion Wilson Jr.
Dion Wilson Jr. was one of two portal additions for the interior of Syracuse's defensive line (more on the other soon), one that is even more important now. Wilson comes to Upstate New York via one year at New Mexico State and three with Arizona. He started four games a season ago, appearing in 14 while recording 31 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and forcing a fumble for an Aggies team that won 10 games and beat Auburn. Wilson stands an impressive 6-foot-5, 296 pounds, and he is a veteran player who I'm high on.

Isaiah Hastings
The other transfer, Isaiah Hastings, comes to the Hill after two years at Alabama. The former four-star prospect was originally committed to Missouri but flipped shortly to Syracuse football after Mizzou defensive coordinator Blake Baker left for LSU. Hastings only played in one game but was a higher-rated transfer than Wilson in the portal and coming out of high school. The Toronto, Ontario, native comes in at 6-foot-4, 294 pounds, and has three years of eligibility remaining.

Elijah Fuentes-Cundiff
Veteran DL Elijah Fuentes-Cundiff is now much more important to Syracuse football. The fourth-year player from Bronx, N.Y., powerhouse Cardinal Hayes High Schoolhas been a rotation player the past few years, but I think he'll step up. He's slightly smaller than Ingraham and the two players named above at 6-foot-4, 289 pounds, but that's size that hasn't been seen on the defensive line in years past. I think Fuentes-Cundiff will benefit from fewer double teams with four defensive linemen and have his best season yet.