Syracuse head coach Dino Babers officially welcomed 21 new players to this recruiting cycle on Wednesday. Babers aid the program has more than one scholarship open to utilize for the 2019 season, and it’s unclear whether safety Antwan Cordy, who’s eligible for a sixth season this fall, will be back for 2019. A timetable on the decision has not yet been set.

In December, 17 players signed with the Orange. On Wednesday afternoon, Babers announced the addition of four more to round out the class.

Here are five main takeaways from Babers’ press conference:

Recruiting upgrade

Babers called the newcomers “probably a higher-rated class we’ve had in a long time.” The class in full: six defensive linemen, four defensive backs, three linebackers, three offensive linemen, two running backs, one quarterback, one tight end and one wide receiver. Three players — linebackers Mikel Jones and Lee Kpogba, plus defensive back Cornelius Nunn — earned four starts from at least one major recruiting service.

Babers said improved recruiting should follow SU’s 10-3, bowl-winning season.

“We’re not a 4-8, 4-8 ACC team that took last in the conference anymore,” Babers said. “When you win 10 games in the ACC, you need to act like it and you need to recruit like it. The young men in the community and the people up and down the Eastern Seaboard can see the strides we’ve made, and we just want to make sure we upgrade ourselves a little bit so we can go after some more highly-recruited athletes.”

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New arm

David Summers, a 6-foot-3 QB from Fairfield, Connecticut, is the class’ lone signal-caller. Given redshirt sophomore Tommy DeVito is the probable starting QB, Summers deepens a position that will lose Eric Dungey to graduation, and Chance Amie to transfer.

Summers, who flipped his commitment from Maryland, is ranked the 54th-best pocket passer in his class, per 247Sports.com.

“David Summers is a very accurate thrower,” Babers said. “He can touch the football field. The ball can come out of his hand very, very quickly. If his time comes, we will build the offense around some of those attributes.”

Hit the ground running

While the Syracuse offense highlights — and depends on — the quarterback, Babers believes the running game needs continued improvement. He wants a 1,000-yard running back in a season. Last year, junior running back Moe Neal led the Orange with 869 rushing yards on an average of 5.6 yards per carry, with five touchdowns. Dungey ran for 754 yards and senior running back Dontae Strickland ran for 588 yards.

The Orange adds a pair of running backs in Garrison Johnson and Jawhar Jordan, both of whom Babers wants to develop into integral forces in the offense.  

“If you have the ability to run the football, regardless of who you’re playing, not only does it help you have balance in your offense, it also helps your defense when you’re practicing against it,” Babers said. “Because you know before you step on the field that they can stop the run in different formations.”

Big addition

Luke Benson, a native of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, represents SU’s lone new tight end. In a November 2017 Daily Orange story, Babers explained how vital the tight end is to a quality no-huddle offense.

“When we’re really rocking and rollin’,” Babers said in fall 2017, “we’re 11 in what we call 21 personnel. That’s one tight end on the field, one tailback, or two running backs on the field, one tight end. I don’t like taking a tight end off the field … We love tight ends.”

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Last season, tight ends Ravian Pierce, Aaron Hackett and Gabe Horan combined for 155 receiving yards and five TDs. Their involvement in the SU offense moving forward helps Syracuse’s run-pass games, Babers said, a necessity in today’s college football.

Given tight end isn’t usually a focal point for high school offenses, Babers said projecting future collegiate tight ends isn’t easy. To Babers, there are two types: big tight ends who bolster the run game and faster tight ends who can stretch the defense down field. He ideally wants both.

“There’s two job descriptions, and we’d like to have both of those guys on our football team,” Babers said. “Sometimes it’s difficult having even one. Having both gives you a lot of diversity and directions you can go on offense that may give the defense trouble.”

Other notes from Babers’ press conference:

• On the early recruiting process, Babers said SU has begun meeting with 2020 and 2021 recruits: “The train is moving. The process has really sped up.”

• On the defensive additions: “We still have some scholarships left that could skew the numbers one way or another, but I think we’re getting closer to what we want.”

• On the three new offensive linemen, Babers said they’ll need time to get bigger before contributing. “Someday we’ll get to the point where we can recruit freshmen that can play in the ACC, but I’m not sure how many individuals that walk this planet are capable of doing that. They need time.”

Published on February 6, 2019 at 3:19 pm

Contact Matthew: mguti100@syr.edu | @MatthewGut21