There are a lot of players that Syracuse fans want to see succeed this year, particularly on offense. Two big names are coming back from season-long injuries, there are several transfers and freshman coming in, plus the normal returning talent. Here’s the thing: not everyone will succeed this year. It just isn’t possible.
Why can’t everyone eat?
There’s a lot of reasons that we already know that several pass catchers will be left out. For one, it’s Syracuse football. The Orange haven’t had more than three players surpass 300 receiving yards in the same season since 2018. That’s not exactly a higher barrier by the way; it’s only 25 yards per game. That means SU usually only has two or three receivers getting regular attention from its quarterbacks.
You might think that Kyle McCord will change this trend, but I wouldn’t be so sure. Last year, he only got three Ohio State receivers over the 300-yard barrier.
What does this mean for Syracuse?
There are a lot of mouths for the Orange to feed. There are about seven guys that could reasonably be expected to regularly catch passes this year.
Running Backs: LeQuint Allen
Wide Receivers: Zeed Haynes, Trebor Pena, Justus Ross-Simmons, Jackson Meeks
Tight Ends: Oronde Gadsden, Dan Villari
That means before parsing down the list even further, returning players like Darrell Gill and Umari Hatcher, plus freshmen Emmanuel Ross and Jamie Tremble, are already a long shot to rack up yards this year.
Looking at the list of seven primary pass catchers, a few of them will likely be more left out than they or fans want them to be.
Who’s guaranteed to succeed?
There’s only two players on this list that are locks to get lots of attention from Kyle McCord.
The first is Oronde Gadsden. He’s an All-ACC player, and even an All-America level talent. As a tight end, he tallied 969 yards and six touchdowns in 2022. Even after an injury-riddled year in 2023, it’s clear Gadsden will help power the Orange’s offense this season.
The second is Zeed Haynes. Is it crazy to say that someone with just one career catch is guaranteed to be heavily involved in the offense this year? Maybe. However, if you watched the Syracuse football spring game, you’d know that McCord loved throwing to Haynes. The Georgia transfer saw a game-high 10 targets, made six receptions, and caught the lone touchdown of the game. Haynes will see get plenty of attention as a deep threat, but also as a consistent tool for McCord to use.
Who could get left out?
For every other pass catcher on Syracuse’s roster, there’s a world in which they’re left out of the passing game.
LeQuint Allen is agile and speedy, which makes him a threat in open space. However, he’s been less involved in the Orange’s offense as a receiving threat than you’d imagine. Through two seasons with SU, Allen has caught 55 passes, but only tallied 327 total yards. It’s likely Allen is used as a safety valve for McCord, but not as a designed receiving threat.
There’s a real chance Trebor Pena is a regular slot receiver for Syracuse this season. He caught all seven passes thrown to him in the spring game, which resulted in a game-high 130 yards. Pena is small and quick, which could help him operate underneath the rest of the Orange’s sizable targets. However, Pena’s receiving peak in 2022 was still just 202 total yards. He’s most useful as a returner, and it’s possible that’s all he is in 2024.
Justus Ross-Simmons is one of SU’s more experienced wideouts. He’s a rising junior who just transferred from Colorado State, and had a very solid sophomore year: 724 yards and three touchdowns. Despite being a proven commodity, you never know if a transfer will fit into an offense. It’s very likely that Ross-Simmons thrives at Syracuse, but it’s not a guarantee.
Jackson Meeks is another Georgia transfer, although there’s less upside with him than there is with Haynes. He’s a rising senior, and in three seasons with the Bulldogs, he’s only caught 10 passes for less than 100 total yards. Meeks was recruited by UGA, so he certainly has talent, but it hasn’t shown on the field yet.
Dan Villari is the last player that has a shot at having a good year as a receiver… but to be honest, it might be a long shot. Even with so many other players getting injured last year, he didn’t even surpass 200 receiving yards. Villari will likely be a gadget player this year; he’ll throw a few passes, might take some wildcard snaps that turn into rushes, and could have a few big catches. However, being a consistent receiver isn’t likely with how many other options there are.
Prediction
Syracuse will have its best passing offense in a long time, and it’s a well-rounded group of receivers. However, everyone can’t eat, and just four of them will have 300 or more yards: Oronde Gadsden, Zeed Haynes, Trebor Pena, and Justus Ross-Simmons.
