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Syracuse linebacker Marlowe Wax has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Linebacker of the Week, the conference announced in its Week 1 individual awards Tuesday afternoon. Wax is the lone SU player to earn a weekly conference honor after the first week of games.

The senior linebacker entered 2024, his fifth season with the Orange, after earning Second-Team All-ACC honors last year. Wax shined in Syracuse’s season-opening win over Ohio, racking up six tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and a forced fumble.

The forced fumble was the ninth of Wax’s SU career, which puts him one spot behind National Football League Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney (14) for the most forced fumbles in program history. Wax was among the few bright spots last Saturday for a Syracuse defense that allowed 255 rushing yards to the Bobcats.

Wax’s performance was overshadowed by his third-quarter exit due to suffering an apparent right-leg injury. He hobbled off the field with assistance from SU athletic trainers, unable to put weight on his right foot. Wax was seen leaving the field using crutches and eventually returned to the sideline in street clothes while wearing a walking boot on his right foot.

Syracuse head coach Fran Brown said Monday during his weekly press conference that he expects Wax to miss “about six weeks” due to injury. Brown did not specify the nature of Wax’s injury.

Brown named redshirt freshman James Heard Jr. and redshirt junior Anwar Sparrow as possible temporary replacements for Wax. Without its veteran “Mike” linebacker, Syracuse’s defense has a major hole for nearly half of the season.

Published on September 3, 2024 at 3:23 pm

Contact Cooper at: ccandrew@syr.edu | @cooper_andrews