In the midst of the Orange getting ravaged by Georgia Tech in basketball, SU fans got another gut punch during the game when quarterback Chance Amie announced his decision to transfer. The Texas native was the lone quarterback commit in the Class of 2018 and was set to backup Tommy DeVito, or perhaps even compete for a starting job with him.
Amie’s status as a dual-threat quarterback certainly positioned him for some sort of playing time after seeing how Eric Dungey thrived with his arm and legs in the Orange’s offense. DeVito figures as pro-style quarterback, limiting his mobility and ability to perform some things that made Dungey effective. While DeVito’s arm talent is superior to Dungey’s, there will be a missing dimension without Dungey and Amie for 2019. Plus after watching the departed senior play for four years, the Orange understands the importance of a backup quarterback.
In the day and age where the college football transfer portal has been a buzzword across the sport, Amie’s departure creates a massive hole. That leaves Clayton Welch as the only other quarterback on the roster, and he has yet to play a single Division I collegiate snap. Now the same can be said about Amie, but the difference is that he was viewed as a promising college prospect. Welch is a former two-star recruit who began his career in junior college (albeit the same one that Aaron Rodgers began his collegiate career at).
With the recruiting process coming down to its final moments, there are slim pickings for the Orange before the February 6th signing day. However, it is said that the later signing period favors bigger schools since they are no longer preparing for a bowl game and can poach away recruits from smaller schools by using the glitz and glamour of their programs. In return, the schools can fill needs late in the process that have been created by the NFL Draft and transfers.
It’s usually good to get a quarterback in every class, but sometimes that is hard to sell when the most prized piece on your team is set to be the starter for the next three years. Regardless, lower profile recruits may not mind redshirting or playing behind a star and being inserted for gadget-type plays.
Since Syracuse now likely will target a quarterback, there’s a couple things to consider. The Orange likely would want a dual-threat guy who may have lower-level offers. Here are some of the top remaining dual-threat guys on the market:
David Baldwin – IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL)
If there’s a time to pull out the IMG pipeline card for Dino Babers, now might be a good time. Baldwin is the best remaining dual-threat QB and would be joining his high school teammate Mikel Jones on the Orange. Baldwin already has offers from a bunch of great Power Five schools like Florida State, LSU and Georgia, so it would be tough for Syracuse to enter this late in the process.
Casey Kelly – Mallard Creek (Buffalo, NY)
Well doesn’t this seem like a match made in heaven. Syracuse could nab someone from New York state to fill a monster void. Kelly is the younger brother of former Ole Miss and NFL quarterback Chad Kelly and the nephew of Hall of Famer Jim Kelly. He played his senior season at Mallard Creek High School in Charlotte, North Carolina, but maybe he would want to return near his roots for college. He currently has offers from UNC and Ole Miss.
Tevarrius Adams – Meridian (Meridian, MS)
Adams is a three star quarterback who fits the mold of a guy who doesn’t have a lot of high-profile offers. He currently is being recruited by Jackson State and Alabama, per 247Sports.
Emmanuel Mann – Jordan (Columbus, GA)
Mann has a similar situation as Adams. 247Sports lists him as a three star QB who only has an offer from Savannah State.
Boone Abbott – American Fork (American Fork, UT)
It would be tough to get someone to come all the way across the country to serve as a backup for the foreseeable future. But hey, that’s exactly what Eric Dungey was. Abbott’s offers are mostly local schools like Hawaii, Northern Colorado, Montana State and Southern Utah.
