Syracuse football, coming off a successful 10-3 campaign, a bowl-game win and a No. 20 national ranking, held its annual spring game on Saturday at the JMA Wireless Dome.
Per Syracuse.com, SU distributed nearly 14,500 tickets for this year's spring game, which is certainly a solid number but not quite as large as 2024, when Fran Brown was making his head-coaching debut and the program had a tremendous transfer class, led by quarterback Kyle McCord.
Still, the buzz surrounding the Orange remains strong. The fan base, undeniably, is energized, and I saw a lot of awesome photos on social media showing lovely interactions among 'Cuse coaches and players with fans, including autograph signings.
Also, Syracuse football officially opened its new performance center. In the spring game, the Blue team prevailed over the Orange squad by a final count of 16-14, according to information provided by SU Athletics.
Some thoughts on the Syracuse football spring game.
Running back Yasin Willis, who will be a sophomore and is a former four-star high school prospect, scored a touchdown and had four carries for 34 yards. I think he will have an excellent upcoming 2025 season, when the Orange will have to fill the void left by former star RB LeQuint Allen Jr.
Fellow running back Jordan Montanez, who will be a redshirt freshman, was also impressive, finding the end zone as well. He tallied 14 carries for 60 yards on the ground.
LSU transfer Rickie Collins, who will be a redshirt sophomore and has been named by Brown as the Orange's starting quarterback for the 2025 term, didn't play in the spring game due to a right thumb injury, according to media reports.
In his absence, Jakhari Williams, who will be a redshirt freshman, worked with the 'Cuse first-team offense. He had a 22-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Emanuel Ross, who will also be a redshirt freshman in 2025.
Reports stated that Williams is likely to be the No. 2 signal-caller for Syracuse football in the upcoming season. As top 247Sports analyst Mike McAllister noted, "Overall, Williams looked athletic, accurate and confident in command of the offense. His ability to step up in Collins' absence solidified his role as the backup quarterback for the 2025 season."
Several other wide receivers had great performances, too. True freshman Darius Johnson and rising senior Justus Ross-Simmons both hauled in 64 yards on two catches. Also, Jaylan Hornsby, who will be a redshirt freshman, caught five passes for 112 yards to lead all wide receivers.
On the defensive side, among those faring well included true freshman defensive back/wide receiver Demetres Samuel Jr., true freshman defensive lineman Nathan Nyandoro and rising sophomore defensive back Braheem Long Jr.
My sense is that, as spring practices wrap up and the program heads into preseason camp later this year, various starting positions remain up for grabs on both sides of the field.
In an encouraging sign, McAllister praised the Orange's defensive line, also writing in part, "The defense looked sharp, fast and aggressive, frequently forcing penalties and keeping the offense off balance. Defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson appears to have a deep rotation of playmakers that could be one of the best units in the ACC this fall."
Conversely, McAllister added, "One of the most obvious issues in the spring game was the offensive line's discipline." He later stated, "If the offensive line can catch up to the defense's level of play, Syracuse could be a dangerous team this season."