Syracuse Football: 2024 Orange Season Preview and Prediction
Under the ACC’s new scheduling format, divisions have been nixed, and so too have Syracuse's annual meetings with Clemson, Florida State and NC State. It’s a shift new coach Fran Brown could capitalize on to become bowl eligible in Year 1. Considering the team’s veterans, key transfers and easier slate, it’s not hard to see SU’s path to a winning record in 2024.
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Syracuse 2024 Season Preview and Prediction
Previewing Syracuse's Offense for 2024
New head coach Fran Brown made a nearly immediate splash when he landed Ohio State transfer quarterback Kyle McCord. The Buckeyes’ starter for 12 games last year, McCord will be tasked with leading an Orange offense equipped with some accomplished playmakers.
Running back LeQuint Allen is coming off a second-team All-ACC campaign in which he tallied 1,064 rushing yards and nine touchdowns to go with a team-high 38 receptions. Wideout Trebor Pena is a dynamic athlete with top-end speed and stop-start ability, as well as the versatility to line up across the formation. And another all-conference talent, tight end Oronde Gadsden II, was a matchup nightmare for opponents in 2022 before a Lisfranc injury ended his last season in Week 2 in 2023.
McCord, Brown and offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon must be prepared for the pressure that will inevitably come.
Kyle McCord transferred to Syracuse after throwing for 3,170 yards and 24 TDs at Ohio State in 2023. © Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Previewing Syracuse's Defense for 2024
Another one of Brown’s major moves was to hire Elijah Robinson as defensive coordinator. Robinson comes from Texas A&M, where he headed up a defense that finished in the top 20 nationally against the run in three of his six years leading the unit (2018, 2020, 2023).
The Orange have pivoted from a 3-3-5 to a 4-2-5 that places pass-rush onus on the trenches. Look for TAMU transfer end Fadil Diggs to take on a key role, both on the field and behind the scenes as a de facto coach.
SU returns more high-level production at the second level, where seniors Marlowe Wax and Derek McDonald have proven to be two of the ACC’s most versatile linebackers.
And while SU has a couple of holes to plug on the perimeter, its safety trio of Duce Chestnut (who transferred back from LSU), Alijah Clark and Justin Barron have the athleticism, instincts and playmaking ability to erase some of the mistakes that will inevitably occur in front of them.
New coach Fran Brown returns five starters on defense for 2024. Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Previewing Syracuse's Specialists for 2024
Punter Jack Stonehouse earned third-team All-ACC honors last year after logging the second-best net punting season in program history (44.6). Kicker Brady Denaburg was 10-of-16 on field goals in 2023, though three of his misses came from 50-plus yards. And Pena, despite missing most of last year due to injury, is one of the most experienced return men in the conference.
National Ranking: 52
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