Two down, eight to go. After Courtney Jackson was revealed at No. 10 and Marlowe Wax followed at No. 9, we return to the offensive side of the ball for No. 8.
Slotting in at No. 8 is sixth-year player Chris Elmore. Elmore nabs a spot on the list after missing out last year.
Why Syracuse Needs Him
Over the past few years, Elmore has been Mr. Do-It-All for Dino Babers. At 6 feet and 286 lb, he has filled a variety of roles for Babers. Elmore came to SU as a fullback/defensive tackle after playing high school football in Illinois. That experience gave him a spot on the kickoff return and PAT units as a true freshman. Since then, he’s done a little bit of everything. Elmore has seen time at fullback, defensive tackle, tight end, and offensive line. After playing in only four games last season due to injury, he was able to redshirt and come back for a sixth season in the 315.
The Orange were competitive in all four games Elmore played last season, never losing by more than three with him on the field. The three losses that took place after his injury were by an average margin of 26 points. Yikes. That was a showcase of just how important Elmore is to this team. His versatility helped keep SU in the game against both Wake Forest and Clemson, two of the ACC’s best last year. He’ll need to be Mr. Do-It-All once again if Syracuse wants any shot at making a bowl.
Best Case Scenario
Elmore has proven that he can do whatever Babers needs him to do. At this point, he’d ideally slot in at fullback to lead block for Sean Tucker. But, if god forbid someone gets injured on either line, Babers can slot Elmore right in. Elmore could potentially make an impact in all three facets next year: offense, defense, and special teams. Now if that isn’t valuable to a team, what is? With SU’s gauntlet of a schedule, he could be a huge difference maker in some down-to-the-wire games.
Worst Case Scenario
Last year’s offense was very one-dimensional. Unless Garrett Shrader gets a stud to throw to, defenses won’t exactly have a difficult time game-planning for SU. Opposing head coaches will stuff the box and make life very difficult for the running game, limiting Elmore’s effectiveness. Syracuse needs improvement in the passing game if Elmore is to make a big impact this season. Otherwise, and this isn’t a knock on him, he could be a non-factor.
Now it’s three down, seven to go. Stay tuned as the countdown continues tomorrow with No. 7.
Sunday, August 21- #10 Courtney Jackson
Monday, August 22- #9 Marlowe Wax
Tuesday, August 23- #8 Chris Elmore
Wednesday, August 24- #7?
Thursday, August 25- #6?
Friday, August 26- #5?
Saturday, August 27- #4?
Sunday, August 28- #3?
Monday, August 29- #2?
Tuesday, August 30- #1?
