Tag: Syracuse Football

Georgia transfer WR shines in Syracuse spring game

UGA football transfer has long touchdown, standout performance in Syracuse’s spring game

Syracuse Orange wide receiver Yazeed Haynes, a Georgia transfer, stood out in Syracuse’s spring game. Haynes received a team-high 10 targets and hauled in six receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown. Haynes caught a 38-yard touchdown that was one of the Orange’s top plays in their spring game.

Haynes, a former four-star recruit, followed first-year Syracuse head coach Fran Brown from Georgia to Syracuse. Haynes’ explosiveness and route running ability was on full display for the white team.

The redshirt freshman pass catcher elected to transfer to Syracuse during the December window along with several of his Georgia teammates. Haynes is expected to be one of Syracuse’s top receivers this fall.

Here’s a look at his 38-yard touchdown reception:

Former Georgia wide receiver Jackson Meeks also transferred to Syracuse along with offensive tackle Joshua Miller. Fran Brown and Syracuse will have little bit of Dawg in this fall.

Terrell Wilfong talks about his Syracuse football commitment

Terrell Wilfong dives into his commitment to Syracuse this week.

Syracuse football has been hot on the recruiting trail, landing a three-star player this week in Terrell Wilfong.

Wilfong is a three-star wide receiver from West Orange High School (West Orange, New Jersey). He is the No. 15 player in the state according to Rivals.

His offer list included Boston College, Cincinnati, UConn, Maryland, Temple and West Virginia among others.

He is the second commit to Syracuse from New Jersey, an area that the program has traditionally used to supplement its roster. He is the fourteenth commit in this class for Syracuse.

“I chose ‘Cuse because it feels like a home away from home to me,”  Wilfong told USA TODAY High School Sports.

“The coaching staff treats me like family and I love everything that they’re doing over there and I want to be a part of it.”

Syracuse’s new head coach, Fran Brown, is doing a tremendous job in recruiting and landing top talent. He has a top staff for recruiting as well.

One of the stars of the staff is Ross Douglas, the wide receivers coach. Douglas was most recently the wide receivers coach at the New England Patriots before joining the Orange this offseason.

“Since the day they offered me it’s been nothing but love. Every week they would call and text, checking in on me and my family,” Wilfong said.

“And coach Ross is a great receivers coach and I feel as if he can help me become the best player I can possibly be.”

ACC starting quarterback rankings for 2024

Here are our ACC quarterback rankings for 2024, with projected starters.

We are still some time away from the start of the 2024 college football season, but that doesn’t stop us from looking ahead.

Today, we are looking at the ACC starting quarterbacks for 2024 and ranking them ahead of the season. This is just a preview, as it is still many months from the season, and things can change fast. While every team doesn’t have a starting quarterback on paper, we are making projections on these starters based on what we know right now.

The ACC is a bit different now, with the addition of new programs and new faces to the conference. Try not to get mad with these, they’re subjective! That said, here are our ACC starting quarterback rankings heading into the 2024 season.

– Updated 4/19

ACC Football Teams Ranked by Returning Production for 2024

A look at each ACC team’s returning production for the upcoming 2024 season.

Forecasting which teams will rise to greatness in college football in any given season can prove challenging. However, a key indicator often lies in the roster’s returning players.

From seasoned fifth-year senior linebackers to up-and-coming junior quarterbacks, the presence of experienced athletes opting to continue with their respective programs can significantly bolster a team’s competitive advantage. This continuity becomes particularly crucial as other teams contend with talent depletion due to NFL draft selections, transfers, or eligibility regulations.

ESPN recently released a list of all 134 FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) teams, with each ACC team naturally being listed. Here is a look at each ACC team’s returning production on offense, defense, and total.

Updated 4/7

Why did Xavier Miles commit to Syracuse football? Fran Brown!

Syracuse football commit Xavier Miles talks about his recent verbal.

This week, Syracuse football landed a commitment from three-star lineman Xavier Miles. The New Jersey prospect underscored one reason for his commitment.

Fran Brown.

The new Syracuse head coach, Brown arrives after spending the past two years as the safeties coach at Georgia. Prior to that, he was the secondary coach with Rutgers football.

Miles, a three-star according to Rivals, also held offers from Boston College, Kent State, Maryland, Michigan State and West Virginia among others.

At 6-foot-2 and 311 pounds, Miles can play either as an interior offensive lineman or as a defensive tackle. He plays for St. Peter’s Prep (Jersey City, New Jersey).

Ask why he committed to Syracuse earlier this week, Miles was clear about the catalyst for his decision.

“Coach Fran! Great education! Family and friends. There are a lot of great schools in the region/conference but there’s only one coach Fran,” Miles told USA TODAY High School Sports.

“He will definitely help me become the best student-athlete that I can be. Home is ‘Cuse. I was recruited by Syracuse and visited for years.”

He is the second commitment to Syracuse’s 2025 recruiting class. Earlier this year, Pennsylvania three-star Sharlandiin Strange gave his verbal to the ACC program.

“In the recruiting process now you have to have find a place where there’s a mutual want between player and coach and institution,” Miles said.

“And Syracuse aligns with my core values of my family.”

Every ACC football team’s ESPN preseason SP+ ranking

The ACC has some strong teams heading into the 2024 season, according to ESPN’s SP+.

The 2024 college football season is months away, but we all know that football remains on the mind throughout the offseason. 

Early rankings have been released all over the place, with ESPN’s Bill Connelly recently releasing the preseason ESPN SP+ rankings ($$$) for the 2024 season. These SP+ rankings consider multiple key factors regarding a football team, including returning production, recent recruiting, and recent history. A strong model; here is a bit more of what Connelly had to say about the rankings. 

“It’s a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. It is a predictive measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football, not a résumé ranking. Along those same lines, these projections aren’t intended to be a guess at what the AP Top 25 will look like at the end of the season. These are simply early offseason power rankings based on the information we have been able to gather to date.”

Straightforward and to the point, these are power rankings based on what we know right now. So, how do Clemson and the rest of the ACC stack up in the first SP+ rankings for 2024? Check it out below.

Updated 2/16

Every ACC Football Team’s 2024 Recruiting Class Ranking After National Signing Day

Here is a look at every ACC team’s final 2024 recruiting class ranking.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson coaching staff showcased their recruiting prowess in the 2024 class, adding considerable talent to their roster. However, the burning question remains: how does Clemson’s recruiting effort compare to other ACC powerhouses following National Signing Day?

Today, we delve into the post-National Signing Day landscape, dissecting each ACC football team’s 2024 recruiting team ranking according to 247Sports. While Clemson remains a formidable force in ACC recruiting circles, they find themselves not at the summit for this particular recruiting cycle. Another program is poised for a significant resurgence, and the 2024 class appears to be the catalyst for their potential return to past glory.

From perennial ACC contenders to emerging teams within the conference, let’s examine the 2024 recruiting team ranking for each ACC program, shedding light on the evolving dynamics within the conference.

–Updated 2/13

Class of 2024 kicker Liam Padron verbally commits to Texas A&M over Syracuse

2024 kicker Liam Padron verbally commits to Texas A&M.

When Nick Saban retired from Alabama last month, many fans in Aggieland reflected on Texas A&M‘s most recent win against the Crimson Tide back in 2021.

The Aggies won that matchup 41-38 following a game-winning 28-yard field goal from Seth Small. The overall point? Kicking is essential to every football team, especially those who want to pull off upset victories like Texas A&M did on that October evening.

Another talented kicker is now on his way to College Station. Liam Padron verbally committed to the Aggies on Friday afternoon, announcing the news via X.

Padron is 5-foot-11, 185 pounds from Bartram Trail High School in Jacksonville, Florida. He had other offers from Syracuse, Appalachian State and Troy.

There was only one field goal kicked in the U.S. Army Bowl on Jan. 6 and it came off the boot of Padron. He nailed an attempt from 43 yards out for three points and added two more point after try kicks from a distance of 33 yards.

Padron’s successful field goal was the difference in the final score of the all-star contest as the West team won 31-28.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Breaking: Syracuse football lands 4-star edge Sharlandiin Strange

Sharlandiin Strange committed to Syracuse football.

Sharlandiin Strange picked Syracuse on Saturday, the ACC program beating out a number of Power Five offers for the four-star defensive end.

Syracuse landed Strange out of a final five that also included Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and South Carolina. He is a 6-foot-4 and 230-pound edge rusher from Cheltenham (Cheltenham, Pennsylvania).

Last season in seven games, Strange had 42 total tackles, with six tackles for a loss and seven sacks. He is likely a defensive end for Syracuse but could play linebacker.

He is a four-star recruit and in the ESPN 300 he is ranked at No. 296 nationally.

His decision to commit to Syracuse was posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. He made his commitment public on Saturday evening:

 

Strange is the first commitment to Syracuse in the 2025 class. Last year, their 2024 class was ranked No. 35 in the nation by 247Sports in large part due to a late push from Fran Brown, who was hired in December.

Former Power Five assistant heading to New Jersey football parochial powerhouse

Bobby Acosta is taking over a New Jersey parochial program.

Bobby Acosta will take over a New Jersey parochial program that is loaded with the potential to become a national powerhouse.

On Monday, it was announced that Acosta will be the next head coach at St. John Vianney (Holmdel, New Jersey).

The well-traveled Acosta is best known for his two years as the wide receivers coach at Syracuse, ending in 2015. From there, he was an offensive coordinator at Cornell and Then Bucknell before taking over as head coach at IMG Academy in 2020.

Last year, he was the offensive coordinator at FCS program Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

 

He knows his new turf well. Born in New York City, Acosta played his college football at Rowan University (Glassboro, New Jersey). At his time at Rowan, the program was a Division III powerhouse that regularly made the NCAA Tournament.

At Syracuse, Acosta was known as a strong recruiter who made good local ties.

Last season, St. John Vianney went 3-7.

Located near the Jersey shore, St. John Vianney is well-located to draw talent from the central part of the state as well as the region along the shoreline. If Acosta can attract top talent, something that the former Power Five recruiter knows full well, there is the potential for St. John Vianney to turn things around and become a powerhouse program.