As summer continues to roll on, the hype surrounding Syracuse Football continues to grow. One area which has garnered some attention this offseason is the revamped defensive line. With leaders like Fadil Diggs no longer on the team, there is bound to be some new faces rushing after opposing quarterbacks next season.
The Familiar Faces
There will be some continuity within the defensive line for Defensive Coordinator Elijah Robinson for next season. SU is expected to return Dion Wilson Jr. and David Omopariola to start in their defensive rotation. Wilson has high praise for Syracuse, saying:
“Syracuse is really the best place for me and the best place to be at and I’m just so blessed and thankful”
The pair combined for 22 total tackles last season and are expected to possibly grow into a new starting role.
Along with those two projected starters, Syracuse is in line to retool the unit with a lot of its reserve players from the previous season. Chase Simmons, Rashard Perry, and Denis Jaquez Jr. are expected to have a role going into the upcoming season. One area which will need to improve for these returners is their rushing defense. Last year, the Orange gave up over 150 rushing yards per game, the 5th highest mark in the ACC.
Tough Shoes to Fill
There will be a high bar which the new additions need to meet. Fadil Diggs led the team with 7.5 sacks last season and moved on to the NFL.
Diggs also recorded 45 total tackles, the most of anyone on the D-Line. Another face out of the door will be Maarad Watson. When asked about his departure, head coach Fran Brown was very blunt saying:
“I told him, hey bro I'm going to holler at you later. I love you. I'm going to always love you and care about you. Go get that bread”
The Newbies
The new season brings a lot of new faces for the defensive line. One transfer to watch is George Rooks from Boston College. Rooks only recorded one sack last year but says that he is ready for anything.
“It’s constant pressure but we like that.”
Along with Rook is Chris Thomas of Marshall. The transfer recorded 48 tackles last season and looks poised to help this unit set the tone for the rest of the defense.
The defensive line for Syracuse is set to undergo some changes, but should still remain very similar to the group from last season. If Syracuse’s offense remains as potent as it was last year, the defensive line could be put under a lot of pressure during games. How it responds could be the difference between a successful season and a failure.