A wonderful season for Syracuse has come to an end. 10 wins for Fran Brown in his inaugural season was far above almost all predictions, as a roster of veterans and transfers came together at the right time.
But with that means a lot of exits. At least five SU players have already declared for the NFL draft this spring. Here’s what each loss means for SU:
Clarence Lewis
This one wasn’t a surprise. The cornerback came to SU for his final year of eligibility after time with Notre Dame. He put together 27 solo tackles, 12 pass deflections and an interception.
Those are numbers that will be hard to replace. The cornerback room for SU wasn’t that deep past Lewis, and next year’s schedule features some teams that love to pass the ball. Adding some secondary talent will be high on SU’s offseason checklist.
Allen declaring is by far the biggest loss for SU. Not only was he a workhouse in the past few seasons for SU, but the running back also had remaining eligibility. He proved this year to be one of the top pass-catching backs in the nation, but it’s still a super crowded RB class in the draft. Allen’s draft position will be very interesting.
As for the Orange, Yasin Willis and Will Nixon are both likely to return. Willis showed some promise as a true freshman and Nixon was a decent 2nd-down guy, but both battled injuries throughout the year. Health will be key for the Orange backfield in 2025.
Another unsurprising declaration. Diggs came to the Orange as a bridge year between Texas A&M and the NFL and very well could be the highest-drafted SU player this year. He put together a respectable 7.5 sacks and 27 solo tackles on the season. It won’t necessarily boost his stock, but it didn’t tank him either.
At the defensive end position, SU does have some players who have showed promise. KingJoseph Edwards should see a major jump in playing time, and a healthy Denis Jaquez Jr. has been a solid presence on the field. Though a portal add or two wouldn’t hurt the Orange on the edge.
Jackson Meeks
It’s too bad Meeks couldn’t get another year. After limited playing time on Gerogia’s roster, Meeks went off in his one year with the Orange. The wide receiver caught 78 passes for over 1,000 yards and likely got himself an NFL spot in the process.
Luckily for the Orange, there are a lot of weapons returning. Justus Ross-Simmons, Darrell Gill, Trebor Pena and Emanuel Ross all should be back. That’s a lot of talent.
Alijah Clark
The defensive back had an excellent senior year for the Orange with 36 solo tackles and an interception. As a senior, this was the expectation, but it’s a big loss as someone who’s likely a second-day NFL draft pick.
Clark played a lot of time at safety this year. Duce Chestnut should return and some young guys have played decent downs this year. But like the defensive back position, a splash or two in the portal would help big time.
Oronde Gadsden
We won’t go too deep into Gadsden. A tweet from Syracuse.com’s Brent Axe says Gadsden has declared, but there’s been no official announcement from him yet.
There’s no replacing a tight end like Gadsden. But expect Dan Villari to get more snaps and a huge jump should be due for true freshman Jamie Tremble, who recorded one reception this yera.
