Spring practice starts on Monday, March 24, for Syracuse football, and there's a lot to figure out. The Orange has to replace key contributors like Kyle McCord, LeQuint Allen Jr., Oronde Gadsden II, Fadil Diggs, and Marlowe Wax Jr., and the picture is still cloudy. Here's what to look for from the offense in spring practice, which could look different from normal.
Quarterback
Out of all the positions, quarterback might be the biggest mystery. The Orange has to find a replacement for Kyle McCord, who is also the hardest to replace, given he led the nation in completions and passing yards and the leadership he provided. Only one other quarterback recorded a pass in 2024, which was veteran Michael Johnson Jr., completing two of three passes at the end of the Holy Cross win. While he was once a four-star recruit and a Penn State Nittany Lion, Johnson had only seen snaps as a running QB, with only one pass attempt other than in 2024.
Rickie Collins is another former four-star quarterback transfer with limited experience, this time from LSU. Collins spent two years at his hometown school, backing up Jayden Daniels and Garrett Nussmeier, playing in a total of four games and completing all seven passes for 38 yards in a backup role. Jakhari Williams is the final quarterback in the race. He's a 6'2", 203-pound redshirt freshman who committed to Syracuse under Dino Babers and stuck with Fran Brown. He didn't record any stats last year.
It's way too early to predict the week one starter at quarterback, but I think Collins has the edge. Either way, all three quarterbacks will get first-team reps and the coaches will figure out more about the position room.
Running Back
Since 2020, Syracuse has had two bell-cow, NFL-caliber running backs in Sean Tucker and LeQuint Allen, who took the majority of carries. I don't think that will be the case and carries will be split between sophomore Yasin Willis and sixth-year senior Will Nixon. Willis was a former four-star recruit who rushed for 36 carries, 130 yards, and a touchdown with eight receptions for 26 yards. He's a powerful runner at 6'1", 226 pounds with a bright future ahead.
Nixon, meanwhile, is more of a receiving back. His best season was at Washington in 2023, being the second-leading rusher for the national runner-ups with 201 rushing yards on 33 carries with a touchdown and 13 receptions for 84 yards. Last season, the son of offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon had 19 carries and 76 rushing yards, with an additional four receptions, and 44 receiving yards in three games before suffering a season-ending Lisfranc injury.
Behind those two, I believe Jaden Hart is the third back for the Orange and will fight to split more carries with Willis and Nixon. He's a 5'11", 203-pound sophomore who played sparingly in eight games, rushing three times for 18 yards and catching two passes for one more yard. I think there's still a lot of talent at HB, and Willis and Nixon especially complement each other well.
Wide Receiver
Syracuse was very deep at wide receiver last year, led by Jackson Meeks, Trebor Pena, and Darrell Gill Jr., plus Oronde Gadsden II and LeQuint Allen Jr., who were listed as other positions but had 934 and 521 receiving yards, respectively. It's hard to replace that production, especially without WR coach Ross Douglas, who left for Oregon and was replaced by Myles White.
Pena, who led the ACC with 84 receptions, to go along with 941 receptions and nine touchdowns, will be back and working in the slot for his sixth and final season. Deep threat Darrell Gill Jr., the ACC's leader among qualified receivers with 18.4 yards per catch a year ago, is also back.
The other outside starting spot will go to one of sophomore Zeed Haynes, fifth-year senior Umari Hatcher, and senior Justus Ross-Simmons. Haynes was seen as possibly the best receiver before last season, but was away from the team for much of the year. Hatcher had 17 receptions, 273 yards, and three touchdowns but missed the season finale vs. Miami and Holiday Bowl due to injury. Ross-Simmons battled injuries in the offseason, but came back to grab nine receptions, 202 yards, and a pair of touchdowns.
I'd also watch out for redshirt freshman Emanuel Ross and Jaylan Hornsby. Both were late flips from New Jersey who played in four games as freshmen. Ross was the lone bright spot in the blowout loss to Pittsburgh, recording five receptions and a game-high 78 yards. I think Syracuse will still mix in many receivers, and we will see five or six receivers make an impact.
Tight End
Replacing Oronde Gadsden II will not be easy for Syracuse, but the Orange still has talent at the TE position. Dan Villari is back for his senior season. He's a versatile player who started his career as a Michigan quarterback and has learned more about the position and refined his craft year after year. Additionally, sophomore Jamie Tremble could step up. He's long been compared to Gadsden and both have a hybrid WR/TE skillset. I think the coaching staff wants Tremble to be the future of the position, but Villari will keep a role for his blocking, or if Tremble is not ready.
Offensive Line
Syracuse has a lot to replace on the offensive line, likely losing all starters except Da'Metrius Weatherspoon and David Wohlabaugh Jr., who both started multiple games at left tackle. Offensive line coach Dale Williams has a very important job and many young linemen to develop. This is a position group we will learn a lot about over spring practice and we hope to see some players step up.
If I had to give a starting lineup now, I would put Wohlabaugh at left tackle, Enrique Cruz Jr., who has past starting experience moving to left guard, Codie Hornsby at center, Joe Cruz at right guard, and Alabama transfer Naquil Betrand at right tackle. I could also see Weatherspoon at either tackle spot or former Georgia Bulldog Joshua Miller at a guard spot. There are a lot of veterans in this offensive line room with great size and years in a college weight room, but a lack of in-game experience, especially at the interior, could be a problem.