Passing came at a premium for Syracuse football in 2023. With a carousel of quarterbacks who had passing struggles and injuries, the amount of opportunities for wide receivers plummeted.
But that could very much change starting this week. With a prolific passer in Kyle McCord and a revamped wide receiver room, things may look a lot different for SU in 2024. Even with losing 2023 top receiver Damien Alford, there’s still a packed group entering week one. Here’s what it looks like.
WR1s
While Syracuse’s top receiver is likely going to be a tight end (Oronde Gadsden), SU’s top crop of wide receivers in the week one depth chart show a lot of potential.
Redshirt-freshman Zeed Haynes, a transfer from Georgia, has made enough of an impact in training camp to be a starter in his first game with the Orange. Haynes doesn’t have much D1 experience (just one catch last year at Georgia), but his raw speed is enough to entice fans.
The other two starters are familiar names for Syracuse fans. Umari Hatcher finished 2023 as the second-leading receiver for the Orange and may take on an even bigger role in 2024. In Monday’s press conference, Fran Brown said he told Hatcher he had to bulk up and he did, leading to a WR1 role.
And finally there’s Terbor Pena. The redshirt-junior battled injury in 2023 and only appeared in one game. But going back to 2022, Pena had a respectable 203 receiving yards on 22 receptions. If he can improve on those numbers, he can be dangerous for SU.
WR2s
The backups for week one are an impressive group as well. Sophomore Darrell Gill Jr. showed promise as a true freshman with seven receptions. A good couple weeks could easily propel Gill to a starting role.
Jackson Meeks is another Georgia transfer with plenty of winning experience. The senior won two national championships with the Bulldogs but only had 10 receptions in three years. He’ll compete for more snaps with SU.
Finally, a true freshman breaks the depth chart. Emanuel Ross comes to SU as a four-star recruit from New Jersey. With blistering speed, Ross may touch the field often.
