New head coach Doug Marrone had his first opportunity to recruit and he made it clear that his focus was apparently to bring in the best players available, regardless of position:
"A lot of times in recruiting, people talk about filling up needs and taking care of those needs with your recruiting class," Marrone said. "Well, one of the things that we wanted to do is make sure we went out and get the best players we could. We were a little bit limited, obviously, with our scholarship numbers to what we could do. So we went out there and we tried to sign the best football players or the best student-athletes that we could. And in doing so with this class, we felt we've accomplished that."So how did Marrone and the Orange fair? So far Syracuse has received signed LOI's from 14 players, including a few players coveted by programs like Vandy, Wake Forest, N.C. State, Wisconsin, Miami and Big East rivals South Florida, Rutgers and Louisville.
2009 Class According to ESPN.com:
2009 Class according to Rivals.com:
The class is heavy in defensive backs and offensive linemen - both pretty drastic needs - so it's a good thing they happened to be the best players available. The Orange's 4 three-star recruits isn't mind-blowing, but considering the slump they've been in the last 5 seasons it's a good start. 14 recruitments overall is actually pretty low, but like Coach Marrone said, they were limited by scholarship numbers which has led to the relatively small class.The Syracuse offense has been dismal the last several seasons and it all starts with the O-Line. Remember when Perry Patterson was getting sacked before he'd even completed his drop? Yeah, that's on line O-line. I've always been of the philosophy that success radiates away from the ball, meaning a strong offensive line will open up holes in the run game and give the QB time to make his reads in the passing game, improving the entire offense. Marrone has a background as an lineman and a line coach, so he understands the value of a solid line. I expect this aspect of the team to improve immensely over the next few seasons.
The Orange brought in 4 offensive lineman, including a much-coveted JUCO transfer Andrew Tiller. Syracuse beat out Miami, S.C. State and Rutgers for Tiller, and he hopefully has the ability to start immediately. Chibane is a solid frosh recruit and should develop into a solid starting tackle. Justin Pugh and home-town hero Andrew Phillips are developmental projects but could push for playing time down the line, most likely as interior linemen.
Syracuse has been plagued by size problems in the defensive front 7 the last few seasons. Really, DT Arthur Jones is the only player with ideal size on the squad. They're going to get a little bit of help from 6-4, 250 pound* JUCO transfer Torrey Ball. He has ideal size, but I'd like to see what he has to contribute before I heap any praise on this addition. The orange only brought in one other D-lineman, 6-2, 210 pound Brandon Sharpe. Sharpe has decent height, but needs to add about 30 pounds of muscle to avoid being pushed around by opposing teams. He's not likely to get a lot of playing time until he bulks up a bit.
Syracuse is adding one linebacker in this class, E.J. Carter. Carter is a high-motor type player, but he's a bit on the small side at 6-0, 213. The good thing for undersized players is that males can keep growing into their early 20's so there's a good chance he could add another inch or two. Even if that doesn't happen he'll be better off if he hits the weights and gains 20 pounds or so.
The DB group is probably the most impressive of this class. Syracuse has been abused on the ground and through the air for the better part of this decade, so any defensive help is appreciated. The recruits all exhibit good size and decent speed. Rishard Anderson leads the group and he was even recruited by teams like Wisconsin, Auburn, Florida and Pitt. Ultimately SU won out in the end. Rishard is projected to be a cornerback in the college ranks, but his speed is a bit of a concern to me. He was clocked at 4.62 in the 40, which is a tad slow for corner, but decent for a safety. He has the size and versatility to play any DB position. Shamarko Thomas, Dale Peterman and Torian Phillips should factor into the scheme in the next couple seasons.
The Orange also added a solid pro-style quarterback in Charlie Loeb. Loeb has good size and 6-4, 218 and is noted for his accuracy in the short-intermediate routes. He pays attention to the intracacies of the position and has a decent touch on the ball. He's not likely to start as a freshman, but might take the field in following seasons.
Hopefully Loeb will develop a raport with incoming receiver Alec Lemon. Lemon has good size at 6-2 and good speed, running a 4.49 40. He's a wiry receiver, similar in stature and speed to recent wideout Taj Smith. He adds a good amount of versatility to the offense since he could be used for kick and punt returns. He also has some experience playing defense and could make an immediate impact on special teams.
*A note on all measurements: I'd take most High School and College measurements with a grain of salt. Taj Smith was listed at 6-4, I'm a humble 6-2. I once passed Taj on the SU campus and I had a solid 1 or 2 inches on him, putting him closer to 6 feet even. That's still pretty tall, but many stats may be exagerated.
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