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 Draft Scout College Football Player News: Syracuse
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  Making the playoff begins with the quarterback. Ohio State has six, including Oregon State transfer Tristan Gebbia, incoming freshman Lincoln Kienholz and preferred walk-ons Mason Maggs and Chad Ray. But the real drama is between McCord and Brown. Is either a future NFL draft pick? Do they have to be? Five quarterbacks who led their schools to the CFP failed to get drafted: Kelly Bryant (Clemson), Jake Browning (Washington), J.T. Barrett (Ohio State), Jake Coker (Alabama) and Blake Sims (Alabama). So it can happen, but not recently. Bryant (2020) was the last to get passed over on draft day. There is a chance Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett and TCU quarterback Max Duggan go undrafted next month, but most draftniks think they will get picked in the mid-to-lower rounds.

What about McCord and Brown? We just don't know. In McCord's case, we have seen so little of him. In Brown's case, we have seen even less. I still don't understand why Ohio State coach Ryan Day barely played McCord last season, especially in games that had been decided midway through the third quarter. The second-year quarterback attempted just 20 passes, completing 16 for 190 yards and a touchdown. He actually saw more playing time as a freshman, completing 25 of 38 attempts for 416 yards and two TDs. McCord, who came to Columbus as a five-star recruit, has not had much opportunity to shine. Is he a star? A meteor? A black hole? Who knows? What can be said with confidence is McCord/Brown will be challenged to match Stroud's performance as a poised passer who finds receivers better than any quarterback in Ohio State history. - Columbus Dispatch


Sr/2025 QB Kyle McCordSyracuse
News Source: Columbus Dispatch
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  Syracuse football's starting quarterback Garrett Shrader will miss the entirety of spring practice after undergoing a successful procedure on his right arm, the program announced Monday. A source close to the program told syracuse.com that the procedure was specifically on Shrader's elbow. They could not provide more details on the procedure itself.

Spring practice starts March 21. The spring game is set for April 21. "I'm disappointed to miss the rest of the spring, but looking forward to rehabbing and getting ready for this upcoming season," Shrader said in the release. Shrader captained SU's offense in 11 and a half games this season, missing six quarters in November with an undisclosed lower body injury. It is currently unknown what his recent procedure on his throwing arm was for and when he suffered the injury that necessitated it. - The Post-Standard


rSr/2024 QB Garrett ShraderSyracuse
News Source: The Post-Standard
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  Ryan Day has never been in a hurry to name a starting quarterback at Ohio State. Both of the previous announcements during his coaching tenure, in 2021 and 2019, came in late August, exactly 12 days before the Buckeyes were to open their seasons. As the high-profile position battles lasted beyond spring practice, they continued for months of the offseason with little divulged about the pecking order among the passers, even as C.J. Stroud and Justin Fields were viewed as the favorites. But the coming competition between junior Kyle McCord and redshirt freshman Devin Brown to replace Stroud, who left for the NFL last month, could be on a faster timeline.

Day said he hopes one of them emerges in the weeks ahead and earns the right to be named the starter following spring practice. "The way that our dynamic is, it'd be great for our program to be able to do that," Day said. "There were times in the past when I didn't see that happening. I'm hoping that can happen. If it doesn't, it doesn't, but some vision on who the starter is coming out of spring would be nice." That apparent openness to picking a starting quarterback sooner rather than later only adds to the stakes of the 15 spring practices beginning on March 7. Will McCord or Brown position himself to win the job? - Columbus Dispatch


Sr/2025 QB Kyle McCordSyracuse
News Source: Columbus Dispatch
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  Spring football is right around the corner for the Ohio State football team, and the sessions will conclude with the spring game on April 15. The game will serve as the 15th and final practice that teams are allowed over a 34-day period. Of those 15 practices, on 12 are allowed to involve contact and eight can have tackling. There will be three practices that are dedicated to being 11-on-11 scrimmages, with the spring game being the only one open to the public. The scrimmage will be the first chance for fans to see the 2023 Buckeyes and get a look at the battle between Devin Brown and Kyle McCord to succeed C.J. Stroud as starting quarterback. - Cleveland Plain Dealer

Sr/2025 QB Kyle McCordSyracuse
News Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
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  Former Syracuse cornerback Darian "Duce" Chestnut, a freshman All-American in 2021, committed Sunday evening to LSU, giving the Tigers another potential starter as they rebuild the position for the second straight season. Chestnut started immediately at Syracuse, where he signed as a three-star recruit from Camden High School in New Jersey. He recorded 83 tackles, four interceptions and nine pass breakups over the last two seasons.

As a freshman, Chestnut became the first Syracuse cornerback to start the season opener in 40 years. He finished with the second-most pass breakups (eight) in the Atlantic Coast Conference while leading the Orange with three interceptions. He was voted runner-up for ACC defensive rookie of the year. The 6-foot, 198-pound sophomore was considered one of the best available players in the NCAA transfer portal. He has two years of eligibility. - Baton Rouge Advocate


rJr/2026 CB Duce ChestnutSyracuse
News Source: Baton Rouge Advocate
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  Another former Syracuse football defensive back has found a new home in the new year. Ex-starting cornerback Duce Chestnut announced Sunday via Twitter he's committed to Louisiana State University. He's the second SU transfer to land at another Power Five school after safety Ja'Had Carter committed to Ohio State University earlier this week.

Chestnut had 40 tackles, one interception and one pass breakup this season. He entered the transfer portal on Dec. 13 and did not play in the Pinstripe Bowl. The runner-up for ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021, Chestnut was a freshman All-American and was one of the top-10 defensive backs in the transfer portal this cycle, according to 247Sports. - The Post-Standard


rJr/2026 CB Duce ChestnutSyracuse
News Source: The Post-Standard
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  Another key member of Syracuse football's defense will return for 2023. Linebacker Marlowe Wax announced Tuesday night in conjunction with the program that he's staying at SU another year. He's the second player to share that decision in the past week, as defensive lineman Caleb Okechukwu said he'd be sticking around Saturday. Wax led Syracuse in tackles this year with 91, pulling ahead of teammate Mikel Jones after he was injured in the second-to-last game of the season. This was his third season with the team. An All-ACC honorable mention by the conference this year, Wax also had 4.5 sacks, seven quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. - The Post-Standard

rSr/2025 ILB Marlowe WaxSyracuse
News Source: The Post-Standard
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  Syracuse football will return some key experience and size on its defensive line next season. Caleb Okechukwu announced Saturday that he'll return for a sixth season, posting a parody of Michael Jordan's famous "I'm back" fax sent to reporters when he announced his return to the NBA in 1995.

Okechukwu became a full-time starter this season as SU lost all of its D-line starters from 2021. He had appeared in every game for the past two seasons, though. The defensive end finished with 48 total tackles, 10 of which were for loss, seven sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception he turned into a pick-6 in the Orange's narrow 32-29 win over Purdue. He more than doubled his tackle numbers from each of the past two seasons and had never had more than one sack in a year. - The Post-Standard


rSr/2024 DE Caleb OkechukwuSyracuse
News Source: The Post-Standard
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  Aaron Bolinsky's time with Syracuse football is up, but he'll be working to continue his football career at the next level. Bolinsky announced on New Year's Day that he'll be pursuing an NFL career and declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft. He did not have any remaining collegiate eligibility after playing for the Orange for five years. Bolinsky has been snapping for Syracuse's all-time leading scorer, kicker Andre Szmyt, for the entirety of his collegiate career after taking over the starting role after an injury to Matt Keller in Sept. 2018. He started a total of 42 games for SU. - The Post-Standard

rSr/2023 LS Aaron BolinskySyracuse
News Source: The Post-Standard
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  Mikel Jones, Syracuse football's two-time captain linebacker, is officially forgoing his final year of eligibility and declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft, he announced via Instagram on Wednesday. Jones' announcement does not come as a surprise. He nearly left Syracuse last year to try for the draft following his third season with the team, but a feeling of responsibility to his teammates and a desire to play in a bowl game brought him back. Through four seasons, Jones made 301 tackles for Syracuse, including 24 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, four interceptions and four forced fumbles and recoveries. He was a two-time team captain, a two-time All-ACC honoree and an All-America freshman in 2019. - The Post-Standard

rJr/2023 ILB Mikel JonesSyracuse
News Source: The Post-Standard
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  Syracuse football wide receiver Devaughn Cooper will play one final game in an Orange uniform. Cooper will play in the Pinstripe Bowl and then pursue an NFL career, he shared via Twitter on Saturday. Having played seven seasons of college football dating back to 2016, Cooper had no remaining eligibility. He made stops at Arizona and University of Texas-El Paso before settling at SU. Cooper has had 50 total career receptions so far with the Orange for a total of 575 yards and three touchdowns.

He'll be the most-senior receiver appearing in the Pinstripe Bowl for Syracuse after Courtney Jackson entered the transfer portal and landed at Arkansas State. Cooper is the fifth SU player to officially declare for the 2023 NFL Draft, joining teammates Chris Elmore, Garrett Williams, Sean Tucker and Matthew Bergeron. He is the only one in the group who will appear in SU's bowl game. - The Post-Standard


rSr/2023 WR Devaughn CooperSyracuse
News Source: The Post-Standard
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  Syracuse football starting left tackle Matthew Bergeron will not play in the Pinstripe Bowl, he told syracuse.com Wednesday. Bergeron officially declared for the 2023 NFL Draft on Tuesday via a Twitter post. He did not explicitly state within the post whether he would be opting out of the bowl game or not. His decision makes him the second SU player to miss its first bowl since 2018. Running back Sean Tucker, who declared for the draft Saturday, is also not playing in the Pinstripe Bowl but will attend the game with his team. Bergeron joined teammates Chris Elmore (FB), Garrett Williams (CB) and Tucker in having declared for the draft. A captain and four-year starter, Bergeron helped pave the way for another 1,000-yard season from Tucker this year and a total 4,399 yards from the SU offense. - The Post-Standard

rJr/2023 OT Matthew BergeronSyracuse
News Source: The Post-Standard
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  Some Syracuse football news most in Orange nation were expecting has become official. Cornerback Garrett Williams shared Thursday on Twitter that he is foregoing the remainder of his collegiate eligibility and declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft. Williams was a three-year starter and a 2022 captain for the Orange. He appeared in seven games this season, battling a thigh bruise and then suffering a torn ACL that ended his season early. In the games he did play, Williams made 36 tackles and a sack, plus had two interceptions and a fumble recovery. A two-time All-ACC selection, Williams finishes his collegiate career with 152 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and 27 passes defended. He had four interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Williams is the second Syracuse player to officially declare for the draft. Fullback Chris Elmore was the first. - The Post-Standard

rSo/2023 CB *Garrett WilliamsSyracuse
News Source: The Post-Standard
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  One of the brightest stars on the Syracuse football defense has decided to play elsewhere in 2023. Chestnut had 83 tackles and four interceptions over two seasons at Syracuse and paired with Garrett Williams to form what was regarded as one of the better cornerback duos in the ACC. Official confirmation has not come on this but with Williams seemingly set to move on and declare for the NFL Draft, the Orange will be without its 2022 starting cornerbacks next season. Chestnut is the ninth Syracuse player overall to enter the portal since the end of the regular season. While a reason has not been given on social media or elsewhere as of this writing, Chestnut seemed to be bothered by the recent departure of Syracuse defensive coordinator Tony White to Nebraska based on another recent social media post. - The Post-Standard

rJr/2026 CB Duce ChestnutSyracuse
News Source: The Post-Standard
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  As of Tuesday, Syracuse looks set to return its entire quarterback corp for the 2023 season, including Garrett Shrader. The starting QB told reporters Monday he plans on returning to Syracuse next year and closing out his college career in an Orange uniform. In addition to backup Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, who played a full game-and-a-half this season when Shrader was injured, the Orange should have JaCobian Morgan and walk-on Luke McPhail back as other options in the room. Justin Lamson will be healthy again after a year off, too, and three-star South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers is planning to sign with SU later this month. - The Post-Standard

rSr/2024 QB Garrett ShraderSyracuse
News Source: The Post-Standard
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