2025 Clemson Opponent Portal Tracker: Syracuse Orange
By: Jason Priester January 14, 2025

While the ACC has yet to finalize the schedules for next season, we do know Clemson’s opponents.

Today, The Clemson Insider continues its series that looks at each of those opponents and the moves each has made in the transfer portal. Players lost, as well as players added.

We don’t know the date yet, but we know that the Tigers will host Syracuse next season. The two teams did not play in 2024. Clemson has won six straight over the Orange and leads the all-time series 10-2.

The Orange saw their share of defections, including a couple of key departures.

Syracuse Portal Additions

  • QB Rickie Collins (LSU): With Kyle McCord off to the NFL, the starting quarterback job is wide open. Collins spent this past season as a backup to Garrett Nussmeier. A dual-threat quarterback, Collins has appeared in just four games over two seasons and thrown seven passes. Collins was an Elite-11 finalist coming out of high school and will have three seasons of eligibility left.
  • WR Chris Long (Rutgers): During his three seasons with the Scarlet Knights, Long had 28 receptions for 391 yards and two touchdowns. Dealt with injuries while at Rutgers, including missing 11 of 12 regular season games in 2023. The 6-foot wideout was a 4-star talent coming out of high school.
  • Tyshawn Russell (South Carolina): Russell had five catches for 81 yards last season after redshirting in 2023. The 5-foot-11 wideout was a 3-star coming out of high school.
  • OL Nequil Bertrand (Alabama): Spent the 2023 season at Texas A&M before transferring to Alabama ahead of last season. Bertrand played 28 snaps in the Tide’s season opener, but didn’t see the field again. The 6-foot-6, 320-pound lineman was a 4-star coming out of high school and has three season of eligibility remaining.
  • Chris Thomas Jr. (Marshall): Originally signed with Florida as a member of the 2021 recruiting class. Played sparingly over his first two seasons while with the Gators. He had 13 tackles during his first year at Marshall. Last season his numbers were much better. Thomas finished with 43 tackles last season, 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack and four quarterback hurries, helping Marshall win the Sun Belt conference championship game. He has one season of eligibility left.
  • LB Fran Brown Jr. (Saint Francis): The son of head coach Fran Brown. He is listed at 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds and has three years of eligibility remaining after redshirting in 2023. Played in 11 games across his two years at Saint Francis, registering 35 tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery.
  • PK Tripp Woody (Iowa): Syracuse was just 12-of-20 on field goals in 2024. Woody didn’t attempt a kick last season at Iowa and has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

Syracuse Portal Departures:

  • QB Braden Davis: Signed with South Carolina coming out of high school but never saw the field with the Gamecocks, Played sparingly at Syracuse, taking snaps at both quarterback and wide receiver. Davis was a 4-star coming out of high school and had an offer from Clemson. Has yet to sign with a new team.
  • QB Carlos Del Rio Wilson: Spent three years at Syracuse, appearing in 13 games across the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He didn’t appear during the 2024 campaign. Finished his Syracuse career with 624 passing yards, four passing touchdowns and eight interceptions, along with 148 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. Has one season of eligibility left and has yet to sign with another team.
  • OL Noah Rosahac: Was a member of Syracuse’s 2024 recruiting class. Was a 3-star recruit and did not play in his one season with the Orange. Signed with Delaware.
  • OL Lysander Moeolo: At 6-foot-6 and 360-pounds, he was the heaviest player on the Orange roster in 2024. Listed as an OL but played DL too. Moeolo was a three-star recruit in the Class of 2023 who joined the Orange after playing two seasons at Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas. He redshirted his first season with the Orange.
  • OL J’Onre Reed: Has signed with Southern Cal. Reed started 25 games over the last two seasons and was considered as one of the best centers in the portal. Has one season of eligibility remaining.
  • DL Michael Nwokocha: Came to Syracuse last year as the No. 7 ranked junior college defensive lineman in the country. Appeared in six games and recorded one tackle.
  • LB Kadin Bailey: Did not play in 2024 due to an injury suffered in 2023. Headed to Eastern Michigan.
  • CB Marcellus Barnes: Headed to SMU. Injuries limited him to just five games in 2024.
  • S Jaeden Gold: Headed to UCF. Bigtime recruit coming out of high school but failed to make much of an impact with the Orange.
  • CB Jayden Bellamy: Also headed to UCF. Transferred to Syracuse before the 2023 season after one year at Notre Dame. He started seven games in his first year at Syracuse and totaled 28 tackles. Bellamy nabbed a game-sealing pick-six for SU’s fifth win of the year against Pitt. In 2024, he backed up Clarence Lewis and Marcellus Barnes Jr. on the outside. After Barnes Jr. suffered a season-ending injury against Stanford, Bellamy moved into a starting role.
  • PK Brady Denaburg: Headed to Minnesota. Started the 2024 season 3-of-6 on field goal attempts and lost the job in the month of September.

Photo courtesy of Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

A limited number of signed replica road signs from Cade Klubnik are available!  Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!