Over the years Syracuse has had some incredibly talented players grace the gridiron. Most of them came in the form of running backs, Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, Floyd Little, and Larry Csonka are just a few that may ring a bell. While important to any teams offense, a running back is never as valuable as a Quarterback, the Orange have had plenty of flashy names throw the ball too. This list will focus on the three greatest Syracuse Quarterbacks of all time.
#3: Ryan Nassib
From 2010-2012 Ryan Nassib was the leader of the Syracuse offense. He found his way to the hill despite being ranked as just a 2-star (via 247). Nassib redshirted his first year on campus in 2008 and played behind Greg Paulus in 2009. By 2010 Nassib was ready to go and he showed it. In his first season as the starter, he threw for over 2000 yards alongside 19 touchdowns, good enough to carry the squad up above the 6-win mark, making the Orange bowl-eligible for the first time since 2004. Syracuse landed in the Pinstripe Bowl where it faced off against Kansas State. There, the redshirt Sophomore put on a show, 3 touchdowns on 239 yards passing accompanied by a phenomenal performance from running back Delone Carter was enough to spur the Orange past the Wildcats 36-34. That bowl win marked the first since 2001 for SU. Two years later Nassib put together what’s arguably the greatest single-season ever from an Orange Quarterback. In his final year donning Syracuse threads, the 6’2’’ right-hander tossed for 3,749 yards and 26 touchdowns, landing his squad in the Pinstripe Bowl once again. This time West Virginia made the trek to a snowy Yankee Stadium and unlike two years prior, the score wasn’t close. A 23-point 3rd quarter gave the Orange a lead it wouldn’t relinquish. The final score was 38-14, Syracuse victorious again.
Today, Nassib sits 1st in program history for single-season and single-game passing yards, as well as touchdowns and second in passing yards and touchdowns for his career at SU. After his career in Orange, Nassib declared for the NFL draft. He was selected in the 4th round with the 110th by the New York Giants where he spent a couple of years an eventually fizzled out. Though he didn’t spend a lot of time in the pros, his time with the Orange is unforgettable.
