As we start the new year and await all the changeover for the Syracuse Orange football team in 2025, the next eight months or so will be interesting to cover, I am sure. But nonetheless, there are things we can look at in the new year.
One thing we can explore is the youth that is on this team just waiting for their chance to prove themselves on the field. At the core of a quality football team will have to be youth and depth to help continue the vision that the coaching staff has for the future.
You can only get so much from the portal but you also have to recruit and develop young players who want to stay and build it up. And head coach Fran Brown has said emphatically that he is looking for certain guys who will play for the S on their chest and also do the right things away from the field and in the classrooms, plus practice and prepare the right way.
And with that said, here are five young players who haven't seen much playing time but I think if they have a good spring session at practice and do the things Coach Brown is looking for, could be big-time players in 2025.
Five younger players who should have bigger roles for Syracuse football in the 2025 season.
KingJoseph Edwards
I am starting with KingJoseph Edwards because he came to Syracuse and immediately made a positive impact with so many Syracuse fans on social media. So much so that when he didn't play even after he had three sacks against Holy Cross, Coach Brown often had people questioning his playing time. When asked, as I stated above and even KingJoseph himself reiterated in a post on Twitter/X recently, for some players, especially younger guys, there are things the coaches want to see happen not just to be players but to be a representative of the university. KingJoseph is a young guy who I believe not only can make a big impact on the field but also one day be that guy who can be a leader in the locker room who the community embraces as he grows with the program showing exactly what type of player Fran Brown and the staff want on their team on the field and off the field as well.
So much more goes into getting on the field than just football. As players we have a multitude of responsibilities. Many boxes have to be checked off, lots of work on and off the field. https://t.co/FOFMlm9YyL
— KingJoseph Edwards (@KingjosephE) December 29, 2024
Jamie Tremble
With Oronde Gadsden II moving on to the NFL and Maximilian Mang graduating, that leaves a lot of room for Dan Villari and four-star Jamie Tremble. And while Dan is definitely a reliable pick for the role, I think there is so much potential in Tremble over time. And with Dan going into his senior year, the Orange will hopefully give Jamie a chance to prove he’s the tight end of the future as he possibly puts on more size and gets experience, although at 6'4 208, look out world if he does either of those.
"These teams aren't going to let us have what we want- so we have to go 1-0 every week."
— Ashley Wenskoski (@AshleyWenskTV) September 21, 2024
SU football freshmen WR Emanuel Ross and TE Jamie Tremble were at the Peace Inc. event mentoring local kids in the community
I asked them about Fran Brown's message after last night's loss: pic.twitter.com/MBf0zzaujl
Zeed Haynes
I don’t know what Zeed’s personal issues were in 2024 and it’s none of my business either. Sometimes in life there are times where we are forced to take time to deal with matters and I truly believe in giving people time and space to handle their issues. And I don’t know what the future holds for him at Syracuse but I do know he seems to be a guy with an amazing amount of talent who will definitely benefit the team next season if he’s here and ready to go.
Emanuel Ross
I admit it. My original draft had Justus Ross-Simmons here but then I realized he’s a senior next year and while he’s definitely a good pick to play more, this is more about younger players. And then I remembered Emanuel Ross, who had a good game against Pitt despite the outcome. There will be a lot of guys vying for playing time at the wide receiver position and I think Emanuel could be a name we hear often as the season progresses. Next season, I expect teams to focus more on the guys like Ross-Simmons and of course, Trebor Pena, so that could mean an opportunity for a player like Emanuel Ross to get open and make plays like he did in that Pitt game.
Isaiah Hastings
Hastings was a transfer from Alabama who is 6’4 294 pounds. And playing a position like defensive lineman means you might get the opportunity to rotate in and out of the game. I might be wrong but I believe Hastings is a guy who with a player like Fadil Diggs gone could be someone to help fill that role.