CLEMSON – In the fourth game of the season, the Clemson Tigers return home to take on another ACC opponent, the Syracuse Orange. The Tigers will face the new Syracuse Orange on Sept. 20, at Memorial Stadium in Clemson.
Led by standout quarterback Kyle McCord, his squad finished their 2024 season with a 10-3 record, including a victory over No. 6 Miami that opened the door for Clemson to the ACC Championship Game, which led to a seventh appearance in the College Football Playoff.
This upcoming season looks a little bit different for the Orange. With the loss of McCord and some of his top options, as well as new starting defenders having to step up, Syracuse is looking like a whole new team.
OFFENSE
Out with the old, and in with the new.
McCord is a Philadelphia Eagle now, and it is up to star prospect Rickie Collins, Jr., from LSU to fill in the gap. Freshman Jakhari Williams is looking to be the next man up. As for the backfield, Yasin Willis steps into the starting role with the departure of LeQuint Allen Jr. to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Combined with the talent of former running back Will Nixon, Willis will have big shoes to fill in place of the 1,000-yard rusher in Allen.
Both of the Orange’s top receivers are gone, but things are still intact. A talented Darrell Gill, Jr. looks to lead the room after hauling in 31 catches for 570 yards in 2024, and Justin Ross-Simmons returns as a talented big-gain receiver. Additionally, Emmanuel Ross and Umari Thatcher will round out the rest of the starters with their skills. Dan Villari will replace Oronde Gadsden II at tight end.
Senior Mark Petry is expected to hold down the center position, while the rest of the offensive line is made up mostly of transfers, including Joshua Miller (Georgia), Naquil Bertrand (Texas A&M), and Da’Metrius Witherspoon (Howard) to name a few.
DEFENSE
Duce Chestnut and Devin Grant are both stars at safety, where they will look to hold down the secondary. A bigger question mark lies at the cornerback position, but a star recruit in freshman Demetres Samuel Jr. and the experience of Davien Kerr could be promising.
The senior pair of Anwar Sparrow and Derek McDonald are expected to take the lead of the linebackers following the leave of leading tackler Justin Barron.
The most exciting part of the defense, besides possibly the safeties, is the defensive line. Senior David Reese is projected to be the man at defensive end alongside the 6-foot-3, 244-pound David Omopariola. Marshall transfer Chris Thomas pairs at defensive tackle with the massive Dion Wilson Jr. This unit will be exciting to watch.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Jackson Kennedy returns for his senior year as the starting kicker, where in 2024, he hit 8 for 11 in field goals and 25 for 26 in extra points. Punter Jack Stonehouse is also staying for his senior year after averaging 45.7 yards per punt and setting a Syracuse record.
OVERVIEW
It’s a new era in Syracuse Football. While every season feels like a new era for a team, this is not the same Orange that we saw in 2024 and in years past.
After a competitive and strong year, Fran Brown enters his second season as the head coach of the Orange. With immediate results following his arrival in November 2023, his culture of D.A.R.T. (Detailed, Accountable, Relentless, Tough) and his control over the team have turned the program around. Now, Syracuse should be seen as a serious threat.