“The former schoolboy star at Churchville-Chili High made him a 2007 SuperPrep All-American and the prize of Greg Robinson’s final recruiting class at Syracuse, in 2008.

Robinson’s ability to get Collier to sign the dotted line was considered a major coup at the time. Collier’s older brother, Kevin, had accepted a scholarship offer from Pittsburgh, and the Panthers were one of 19 Division I teams to offer Averin. Others included Clemson, Alabama, Louisville, Connecticut and Boston College.

Collier said he was initially headed to Clemson, but when coaches there asked him to delay his commitment while they continued to recruit another four-star tailback. That gave Collier pause, and in the end he decided to join CBA wide receiver and fellow four-star recruit Marcus Sales, who Collier had befriended along the way, at Syracuse.”

Here’s a kid who graduated high school a semester early and had the gumption to enroll at Syracuse early to earn playing time. Yet, Collier was embroiled in academic issues all season forcing him to play only on scout team for the Orange.

Here’s a player who was recruited by Alabama and Clemson, yet finishes his SU career with 12 carries for 82 yards - two touchdowns, eight receptions for 74 yards and six kick returns.

So how did we get here? Collier was a free spirit (remember Averin leaked us the new SU uniforms on his Twitter page) and it’s possible that never fit with Doug Marrone’s structured, unflinching persona. Mike Williams’ soap opera has made the program sensitive to academic issues, and Collier probably danced too close to the edge. It’s likely a light-hearted, undisciplined player like Collier also meshed perfectly with Groobers, yet had no home once the new regime took over.

Normally, I would lament the loss of a talented player and ask the program to lighten up. With the graduation of Delone Carter, a productive running back would help fortify the backfield. But Marrone has clearly pointed this team in the right direction and Groobers’ recruits have little credibility if they can’t earn the trust of Douggers. Sorry Averin, but you have been eliminated.

Posted: D.A.

Now, we know there’s a policy not to speak about any athletes not with the program. And no one player is bigger than the team. And part of this is damage control.

But perennial enigma, recently suspended, previously-in-hiding, would-be NFL draftee-slash-best player on the team Mike Williams just ups and quits and it’s mentioned in the same breath as third-down efficiency?

And you expect the local media and fans to simply swallow that and move forward?

Sorry coach, doesn’t work that way.

Listen for yourself: Marrone begins the presser commenting in circular fashion about the booing Greg Paulus received at the Dome Saturday. At the 5:00 mark he throws in the Williams announcement. Most of the media nervously laugh at the absurdly non-chalant nature of that bombshell. Marrone unsuccessfully attempts to paint a picture of team unity and focusing on the next opponent. Around 7:30, Coach Mac (somewhat embarrassingly) scolds the media for attempting to question Marrone about Williams. What is left is mostly 12 minutes of convoluted logic, unspoken tension and an overall uneasy feeling about this program.

This is not Syracuse football’s high point.

While Marrone is certainly not alone in dealing unsuccessfully with the talented Williams, one has to wonder what lies ahead for SU’s first-year head coach.

While the football itself has seemed to improve from last year’s edition, Marrone has stepped on a number of land mines along the way (some planted by himself).

He was arguably selected as no better than the seventh candidate on Dr. Gross’ wish list. He gutted most of the roster in the offseason, running off many recruits from the previous staff. Fundamentally sloppy football at times. One of the single-worst passing defenses in the country. The booing of Greg Paulus. And now the abrupt suspension and dismissal of Williams.

It would be hard to blame Orange Nation for lacking confidence in this shaken program right now. While it’s certainly possible Marrone is indeed the right man to turn things around, this has been all-too choppy waters in Year One.

The Dome is half-empty. The head coach is lamenting the booing of a hometown star. And the best player on the team startlingly bounces on the team just a month from the end of the season.

Doug Marrone: Your move.

So what happens when the player you recruit to do the job walks away?

Marrone went with his usual “don’t talk about players who aren’t on the team” approach to Raupers while Team Fizz was in attendance, but you could see that there was something amiss about this departure.

After delivering the normal last rites, Marrone went on to talk about how the players in his program will be successful in life. Which is a good point. Just not regarding the question he was asked.

A reporter was inquiring whether the door was open for Raupers to return at some point and you got the feeling Marrone wanted to say something different; it was almost uncomfortable as he tried to find a way to answer the question without breaking his code.

It was pretty apparent Raupers’ departure was a little different then everybody else’s.

Eighteen players have left the team so far this season. Two of them were recruited by Marrone (Derek Hines and Raupers). One of those two decided he just didn’t want to play football anymore (Hines).

The other, Raupers, was a much stranger scenario. First, he essentially had won the job with just a walk-on behind him. Second, he was just a freshman. Third, he was a great athlete in high school at Athens and had major “upside.”

Few many ever know the real reason behind his departure, because his family does not want to comment on the issue.

But could this be a classic case of a Big Man on Campus in high school (Raupers was also the team’s quarterback), who came to SU and wasn’t used to the criticism of playing D-1 football? A good player who only needed to adjust to college life, couldn’t make it through two-a-days? That seemed to strike Marrone different than the others.

Meantime, The Fizz has an early favorite on the new kid to put up PAT’s. It’s Erik Elken of course! The sports reporter/senior at Syracuse missed the cut in spring practice and is waiting on a call back from the SU brass after dropping them a line about another walk-on spot.

Back in high school, he kicked, played cornerback and drew light interest from Northwestern and a few 1-AA programs to boot field goals. We’ll keep you posted.