An exciting and highly anticipated second season for Syracuse head coach Fran Brown and his squad is almost a month away. With that in mind, it’s time to highlight the offensive line as our next position group to cover. After quarterback Kyle McCord broke numerous records for his passing abilities last season, fans didn’t really question who was protecting him inside and outside of the pocket. This season, though, SU has two potential starting quarterbacks who both share a lack of experience in that role.
In 2024, the Orange allowed 29 total sacks, which ranked eighth in the Atlantic Coast Conference-around middle of the pack. Over the offseason, nine offensive linemen, which included three starters, needed to be replaced.
“You got the size, you were created like this, so embrace it and put the pads on and block and get in the way,” Syracuse offensive line coach Dale Williams shares with his squad. “Because if you can do this for four or five years, the rest of your life is easy.”
Losses:
J'Onre Reed - At 6-foot-3 and over 300 pounds, Reed played his junior and senior seasons on the hill. Last year, the Houston native started all 12 games at center. He participated in 715 offensive snaps while allowing just two sacks on 476 drop-backs.
David Wohlabaugh Jr- The lineman started just three games for SU last season but played in nine. He stands 6-foot-6 and was given the second-best grade of all Syracuse offensive linemen according to Pro Football Focus. PFF mentions that Wohlabaugh played 239 snaps at left tackle but only surrendered two sacks and five quarterback pressures.
Enrique Cruz - Cruz in the middle of April announced he was transferring from Orange to Blue and signing with Kansas. As a redshirt junior last season, he played in just three games after starting all 13 games in 2023. In Fran Brown’s first season as SU head coach, Cruz didn’t make a single start for the first time since his redshirt freshman year in 2021.
Willie Goodacre - The 6-foot-5, 331-pound offensive lineman committed to the University of North Texas after coming short in the o-line battle at Cuse. Goodacre didn’t play any snaps during his redshirt season in 2024.
“Next week I could move it around again,” Williams said about figuring out the starting five offensive lineman this summer. “Nothing is set in stone. ... There always will be movement.” With that being said, let’s learn more about the offseason additions for Syracuse.
Additions:
TJ Ferguson - TJ Ferguson comes to the 315 after spending a year at FSU. Prior to his 2024 season spent with the Seminoles, Ferguson spent his redshirt freshman season at Alabama but only appeared in one game.
Zach Rice - The former five-star recruit brings his 6-foot-5 presence from North Carolina, appearing in the Tar Heels' first six games last season.
Kam Pringle - The towering 6-foot-8 Kam Pringle from South Carolina. Pringle was only a three-star recruit coming out of high school, but the sophomore’s length could lead to some exciting snaps with the Orange.
Austin Collins - Already with some time in the Atlantic Coast Conference under his belt, Collins makes a trip up east from Louisville to Syracuse. In three seasons with the Cardinals, the 6-foot-3 tackle didn’t make many starts. Collins appeared in just 10 games in 2023 and started seven, allowing just one sack. With seven starts at right guard, the former Cardinal didn’t allow a single sack and earned a PFF grade just over 85.
“We’re blessed to be deep on the line now,” SU head coach Fran Brown mentioned, “That hasn’t been the case here in a long time. We’re almost three deep with guys you feel comfortable going in.”