Syracuse defensive tackle Kevon Darton has entered the transfer portal, according to Pete Nakos of On3.com.
Darton led the Orange with a team-best five sacks last season as the starting nose tackle. He finished with 42 tackles and eight tackles for loss in his redshirt junior year.
The path wasn’t easy for Darton.
He joined SU at the start of training camp in 2019 as a walk-on. Darton redshirted during his freshman year, and didn’t appear in any games.
Darton made his collegiate debut as a redshirt freshman as part of the six games he played in. He kept on striding in 2021 after partaking in all-12 contests along the defensive line and the kickoff return unit.
The door opened for Darton as a redshirt sophomore.
Defensive lineman Terry Lockett suffered a season-ending injury in week four, which led Darton to start every game the rest of the year. He played at least 45 snaps at nose tackle from there on out.
Darton went on to have his best season of his Syracuse tenure. He posted 54 tackles, including two seven-tackle games against Purdue and Clemson. The Massachusetts native ended 2022 with four tackles in the Pinstripe Bowl loss to Minnesota.
Last year, Darton recorded his first collegiate sack in SU’s win over Western Michigan. He notched his first-career multi-sack game against Wake Forest. Finally, Darton had a season-high seven tackles in the Boca Raton Bowl versus South Florida, which appears to be his final game in an Orange uniform.
Darton progressed each season, despite carrying an undersized 5’11, 271 pound stature for a defensive tackle.
New head coach Fran Brown is looking to increase Syracuse’s size going into next season.
The ‘Cuse has already gained two defensive lineman transfers. Former four-star prospect Isaiah Hastings (6’4, 290 lb) is heading north from Alabama. Dion Wilson Jr (6’5, 300 lb), a three-star recruit, is heading from New Mexico State to Syracuse.
Darton is the 21st player from the 2023 roster to enter the transfer portal.
