Last night’s transfer of wide receiver Quinta Funderburk from Arkansas gives Syracuse football its best name since fullback Thump Belton. And while no one can ever trump Thump‚Äôs legacy as the most appropriate name ever, “Touchdown, Funderburk!!!” has a pretty nice ring to it. However, Q has had an incredibly impressive haircut (yes, that is his real head). So points for Thunderburk.
The Orange landed itself a wildly talented player, albeit with some baggage. He was a consensus top 50 receiver in the class of 2011, rated four-stars by Scout and three by Rivals. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound playmaker was dynamite in high school, nabbing 126 catches for 2,562 yards and 27 touchdowns his junior and senior seasons. This is the type of offensive impact Doug Marrone has been dying to add. And that’s why it was a no-brainer to pursue Funderburk despite his history.
The Chesapeake, Virginia native (and high school teammate of “Ab Ripper X” Jaston George) will undoubtedly unload some heavy luggage at Hancock. He missed several practices last spring, and his high school coach told a Virginia newspaper Funderburk decided to leave the game of football. As soon as those reports became public, the wideout returned to the team. There has also been some stirring that Funderburk was homesick out in Arkansas. Although Syracuse isn‚Äôt exactly around the corner from Chesapeake, it‚Äôs about half the distance from Virginia than Fayetteville.
Throughout his trials and tribulations as a Razorback, Thunderburk has emoted via Twitter. These are some of the feelings Q has tweeted:
РI’m losing love for the game.
РI can’t wait to go back to my hometown.
РI wonder what it’s to like to be a regular college student.
РSometimes I wish I was a rapper so I could express the way I’m feeling.
– I need some motivation.
РI’m misunderstood.
Hopefully, a change of scenery brings his love of the game back. Marrone will have to pay close attention to Thunderburk to keep him focused and attentive. The wideout will obviously have to find a comfortable place to live up to his potential as a football player.
His potential is vast. He chose Arkansas over USC, Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Penn State, Clemson, Virginia Tech, and others. He can stretch the field vertically, and give the Orange a legitimate red zone weapon. If you haven’t noticed, those are elements SU severely lacks.
Funderburk will likely have to sit out a season before suiting up for the Orange. It doesn’t matter that Bobby Petrino was fired from Arkansas. According to NCAA transfer rules, that’s not enough to let a football player immediately see the field at his new school.
The good news is, since Funderburk redshirted at Arkansas, he‚Äôll have a full four years of eligibility to use at Syracuse. When he’s finally allowed to suit up and charge out of the tunnel onto the Carrier Dome turf, he‚Äôll be a certified game-changer as long as he keeps his head about him.
This Fizzster dreams of a Broyld-to-Funderburk connection, and a level of explosiveness on offense that we haven’t seen since McNabb and Harrison.
Posted: Andrew Kanell
