A few months from now, preseason awards will mean absolutely nothing. But as the wait for college football slowly ticks on, they sure are fun to look at and overreact to in August.
Syracuse, for the most part, has gotten the expected tough love from the media. Slightly higher expectations than 2023 with a new coach in Fran Brown, but knocks because of his lack of head coaching experience. On the player side, it’s been the returning stars getting a lot of love and that trend continued with the Preseason All-ACC Football Team released earlier this week. Tight end Oronde Gadsen II and linebacker Marlowe Wax were both named to the list.
Neither of these decisions are surprising. Wax was chosen as one of three linebackers, along with Clemsons’s Barrett Carter and Miami’s Francisco Mauigoa. The senior has been the definition of consistency for Syracuse, having started 38-straight games for the Orange. Just six tackles away from 300 on his career, Wax is set to not only be a leader, but also a pivotal part of the Orange’s linebacker room this year.
Gadsen’s inclusion on the list shows that voters are still high on the tight end despite only appearing in two games last year due to injury. But it’s hard to forget how dominant Gadsen was his sophomore year. With 969 receiving yards he was First Team All-ACC by the end of the year. If he returns to full form, he could easily find himself back on that list at the end of the year.
But how about who’s not on the list? Certainly some big names for Syracuse didn’t quite make the cut. But they have a whole season to prove the voters wrong. Fadil Diggs is a name that could easily find himself as an All-ACC defensive lineman at the end of the year. Being new to the conference has led to a somewhat quiet profile, but he could easily burst onto the ACC play.
Additionally, Syracuse kicker Brady Denaburg enters his second year as full-time placekicker. With a new coaching staff, Denaburg’s use may be changed which could lead to even better numbers and accolades.
Again, no wins ever came from preseason awards. But they can help serve as motivation whether you’re on or off the list.
