Syracuse Football 2025 Preview: The Orange's offensive line undergoes a huge makeover

Few positions have seen more turnover for Syracuse football this offseason than the offensive line. Starters Savion Washington, Josh Ilaoa and Jakob Bradford exhausted their eligibility. Meanwhile, J’onre Reed, Enrique Cruz, David Wohlabaugh Jr. and Kalan Ellis all left Syracuse via the transfer portal. Finally, Mark Petry required surgery in the spring that essentially ended his college career before his final season of eligibility began.

That’s no fewer than eight players with experience who could have factored into the offensive line in 2025 and have been lost for one reason or another. Naturally, the offensive line was a position of need for Fran Brown in the transfer portal, as the Orange added five offensive linemen through the portal. After all of that turnover, what will the Syracuse offensive line look like in 2025? Let’s take a look and try to make sense of everything.

The starters

The one returning starter for the Syracuse offensive line will be Da’Metrius Weatherspoon, who started 10 games at left tackle in 2024. Florida State transfer TJ Ferguson will likely line up next to him at left guard. Ferguson started seven games at left guard for the Seminoles last year, and also saw time there with Alabama, where he started his career. Meanwhile, the starting center is likely to be Louisville transfer Austin Collins. He’ll be among the most experienced offensive linemen the Orange has this season.

The right side of the offensive line is a little less settled. South Carolina transfer Kam Pringle is the likely starter at right tackle. He was an Under Armour All-American two years ago, but played just one game at South Carolina last year before transferring to Syracuse. He has the size and talent to step in right away, but still lacks experience. The Orange will try to put an experienced player next to him, with North Carolina transfer Zach Rice being the best option. Rice can play most positions on the offensive line, but most of his game time with the Tar Heels came at right guard.

The backups

Depth is always vital along the offensive line, so players who begin the season as backups will likely be pressed into duty at some point. Redshirt junior Joe Cruz has four career starts and could deputize at several positions. Redshirt sophomore Joshua Miller has limited experience, although he could push for a starting job at either guard spot. Trevion Mack, another redshirt sophomore, saw some game action last season and figures to be a viable backup at either tackle position. Alabama transfer Naquil Betrand also figures to provide depth at tackle.

There are also a few freshmen who have a chance to crack the two-deep this season. True freshman Byron Washington already looks the part, as he’s listed at 6’7’’ and 400 pounds. Kahlil Stewart is another true freshman to watch, as he has a chance to become the backup center in his first year on campus.

The rest

In total, there are about two dozen offensive linemen on the Syracuse roster. Most will be buried on the depth chart, although you never know how young players at this position will develop. Redshirt freshmen Travis Brown-Miller and Vito Shevchenko could be ready to serve as extra depth despite not appearing in any games last season. Jayden Mann, Skylar Harvey, Kardiear Shepherd, Matthew Hawn and D’Joni Scatliffe are all part of the 2025 recruiting class, and most of them are likely to redshirt this season.

Beyond those new faces, redshirt sophomore Ted Olsen could be worth watching because of his background as a long snapper. The roster also includes several walk-ons who play offensive line, including Adam Boeheim, Jackson Iak, Carter Clark and redshirt senior Patrick Alberga.

The skinny

There was certainly an infusion of talent into the offensive line thanks to the transfer portal. Such an emphasis was needed after losing more than half a dozen offensive linemen from last year’s roster. All five offensive linemen to join through the portal came from power-conference schools, including three from other ACC programs. While that speaks to the talent Syracuse has added upfront, this position group is still lacking experience, not to mention continuity, with just one returning starter from last season.

Even with plenty of size and talent, there are questions about how this unit will perform. The offensive line could potentially be a strength for Syracuse this season if everything comes together. But if this position group needs time to get comfortable playing as a unit or a lack of experience in several positions becomes a problem, there could be plenty of growing pains for the Orange offensive line in 2025.