For months now, we’ve been previewing the Syracuse Orange football season like it’s just around the corner. Well… now it sort of is. As we’ve done in years’ past, we’ll preview a different SU position group each week. Today, we lead off with people that aren’t a position group at all:

Coaching Staff Preview

Obviously this group is starting fresh in its first year on the job. Expectations are measured, per Dino Babers’s own direction. But there are already some pieces in place to see how his vision for the program could come into fruition in two or three years’ time. Despite the athletic director turnover, it’s clear the school’s giving them enough ramp to turn this thing around. Clearly, that’s a good thing.

Dino Babers, Head Coach

Babers has been an assistant coach at a lot of different stops, but the one everyone focuses in on is his time at Baylor from 2008-2011. It’s there he really adopted the spread as his own system, and it’s what got him up to Eastern Illinois to take over a middling program there. In two years at EIU, he won two conference titles, finished fourth in the FCS polls in 2013, and got Jimmy Garoppolo drafted. At Bowling Green, his Falcons played for two MAC championships (winning last year). His offenses have been prolific all four seasons as a head coach. We know that side of the ball will work at Syracuse too. SU’s bounce back will really just depend on how long it takes that offense to come around.

Kim McCloud, Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers

A long-time defensive coach, McCloud transitioned to the offensive side of the ball last year at Bowling Green, where he’ll stay too at Syracuse. The “assistant head coach” title is one that seems to put him on a level slightly above the rest of the staff under Babers (same, if you look at the way Cuse.com lists out the coaches). So while he’s certainly Babers’s right-hand man on staff, we’ll see what his impact is on gameday. Honestly, there may not be one. But if he’s recruiting well and helping Babers manage the program day-to-day, that’s completely fine.

Brian Ward, Defensive Coordinator

Ward comes in facing a host of challenges in year one. He’ll be installing a new system, the Tampa-2. He needs to completely change the defense’s emphasis on blitzing into an emphasis on sound tackling and coverage. And he needs to figure out how to get past the program’s serious depth issues on the defensive line and in the secondary. Like the offense, it’s a a process that may take a year or two in order to become fully operational. Taking over a defense that ranked 99th in yards allowed, however, means results can’t really get much worse. Teams will be able to move the ball against SU solely based on the number of possessions they’ll be allotted. So it’s up to Ward and the Orange D to prevent every game from becoming a 50-point shootout.

Sean Lewis, Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks

In year one, Lewis will likely be judged by how well Eric Dungey looks acclimated to the offense. Dungey improved over time last season making quick reads, and now he’ll need to do even more of it in an up-tempo offense. He’ll still be afforded the opportunity to run, I’m sure. But chances are we see more of a mobile pocket passer than a runner this year. Lewis and the staff are likely working with Dungey to make sure he quickly goes through progressions to find a receiving target, not a running lane, first and foremost. We’ll see how much that pays off early. In the meantime, Drake gifs.

Mike Lynch, Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line

Lynch probably picked a good year to be starting from scratch at SU, as the team returns one of the least-experienced offensive lines in the country. That would sound like he’s in for a rough year one, but it could actually be to his benefit. While Syracuse doesn’t have experience, they do have a lot of depth on the line, bringing in two stronger classes in 2015 and 2016. We wondered during the spring if the heralded 2015 kids would get their time. They still might. But Lynch having this many options can only be seen as a plus while the team continues to work on conditioning (especially for these linemen).

Tom Kaufman, Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers

Finally, a dedicated special teams coach! A position largely absent under Scott Shafer gets addressed by a full-time staffer in 2016. And Kaufman has some pieces to play with. While he’ll be hard-pressed to immediately replace Riley Dixon at punter, Brisly Estime’s a very good return man, and Cole Murphy’s an experienced kicker with some distance. His biggest challenge will be improving upon punt/kick coverage, which has been a problem for years. At the linebacker spots, he has it easier than nearly any incoming coach. SU has experience and depth there; they just need to be re-taught the position to play in coverage. If we see improvement there right away, Kaufman will quickly be in everyone’s good graces.

Reno Ferri, Tight Ends Coach

Babers’s offense doesn’t use tight ends a ton in a receiving capacity, so it’s likely Ferri’s staff position is more based on his familiarity with the Maryland-D.C.-Virginia recruiting corridor than anything else. Still, at least based on this year’s personnel, it will be interesting to see how he’s able to help the team’s experienced returning group get involved. Kendall Moore’s clearly the best blocker, and if he can stay healthy, that could be a valuable commodity. The question is if Ferri can get similar blocking production from the other tight ends.

Mike Hart, Running Backs Coach

The Syracuse-area native and former Michigan great is equal parts recruiting tool and positional expert. In his time at Western Michigan, he was able to get a lot out of a varied group of running backs, and coincidentally, he’ll get the same chance with the Orange now. Jordan Fredericks, Dontae Strickland, George Morris and Moe Neal all represent very different skillsets, but ones that Hart should be able to utilize well within this offense. Babers’s system is a passing one, but it’s predicated on a solid run game (last year’s Bowling Green team scored 34 rushing TDs). Hart’s group will be a fun one to watch develop this fall.

Nick Monroe, Secondary Coach

Monroe’s first order of business will be to make sure this never happens again. Syracuse’s pass defense was ranked 101st in the country last year, and that’s largely because of a secondary that was too focused on “big plays” to make basic stops. The Orange return a lot of those players, which means a whole lot of reconditioning now in the Tampa-2. If there’s one unit you can nearly guarantee is a year away from improvement in the new system, it’s this one. In the meantime, Monroe will continue doing great work in Florida on the recruiting trail.

Vinson Reynolds, Defensive Line Coach

Reynolds has been a major part of the program’s shift into Michigan recruiting (he comes to us from WMU), and from a positional standpoint, he’ll have his hands full this fall with the team’s thinnest group. By way of a couple positional switches, the Orange should have a two-deep depth chart’s worth of players on the line, but that’s sort of where the help ends. His biggest task this year, other than hoping for a bit of injury luck, is to refocus the line on run-stopping and staying at home over a constant blitz scheme.

***

Since we hadn’t really done an extensive coaching staff overview since everyone got hired, consider this your formal introduction to them as a group. Babers has assembled a nice mix of coaches here, many of whom have worked together as a staff before, which at least helps them jump in right away with set processes. Eyes won’t be on wins and losses in 2016, but rather where the team shows clear improvement in comparison to last year. Barring a disaster, you should get used to seeing these names for the next two years at least.

Class of 2017 three-star wide receiver Mike Harley announced his Top 10 on June 15th, which included the Michigan Wolverines.

My Steps is already ordained by the Lord
(My Top 10) Thanks To Everyone Who Been There From The Start! #Blessed pic.twitter.com/TDbXcKrfrB

— Mike Harley Jr. Ⓜ️ (@harleyxvi) June 16, 2016

Along with Michigan, Harley had West Virginia, Miami (FL), Wisconsin, Kentucky, Maryland, Louisville, Missouri, Utah and Washington State in his Top 10.

The 5-foot-9, 155-pound receiver from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida is ranked 495th overall in the class of 2017 by 247Sports, 67th across all wide receivers and 69th in the state of Florida.

Harley had offers from Appalachian State, Bowling Green, Cincinnati, FIU, Florida Atlantic, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi State, N.C. State, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Purdue, Rutgers, South Carolina, Syracuse, Temple, and Toledo, but left those teams off his Top 10.

While Harley has a lot of great options, he will also have a lot of time to think about his next move as National Signing Day is in the distant future.

Rashan Gary is officially a Michigan Wolverine after arriving in Ann Arbor, Michigan on June 15th to start his career on and off the field at the college level, according to Steve Lorenz of 247Sports.

From Paramus Catholic High School in Paramus, New Jersey, the 6-foot-5, 295-pound defensive lineman was the No. 1 overall player in both the 247Sports Composite and 247Sports rankings. Gary signed with Michigan on National Signing Day over Clemson, USC, Auburn, Ole Miss, Alabama, Army, Boston College, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Maryland, Miami (FL), Michigan State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, South Carolina, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin. Gary was recruited to wear the Maize and Blue by Chris Partridge and Greg Mattison.

“That’s hard placing expectations on a young man like that, but that’s one guy from all indications, from watching him play in all-star games, from his visits to campus, let’s just say I’m pretty encouraged we’re going to see that young man very early in his career,” Don Brown said regarding Gary and his abilities.

The 2016 five-star will get immediate action on the field and will make a difference on what could be the best defensive line in college football this season. The front four will most likely include Gary, Chris Wormley, Taco Charlton and Bryan Mone.

——————–

Here are Rashan Gary’s senior highlights with Paramus Catholic High School:

(*Editor’s note…What the heck does “Commitment to Eight” mean? It is our new recurring title for recruit commitments referencing a commitment to work towards the Gopher’s Eighth National Championship. A little bit tongue in cheek, but why not right? )

Summer camps are the time when players heading into their senior year really begin to emerge and earn themselves D1 scholarship offers.  One such player who turned good camp performances into a scholarship is Dominik London.

After a couple of strong camp performances (one in Chicago and one on campus), Dominik London has earned himself a Golden Gopher scholarship offer and after visiting this week he has accepted. This very well may be the only scholarship running back taken in this 2017 recruit class, so let us get to know Mr. London.

pic.twitter.com/57oVmtaDH3

— Dominik London (@dominik_london) June 15, 2016

Quotables

Ryan Burns of GopherDigest ($) talked about London at the first Gopher camp of the summer.

London tested extremely well like he did at the Nike Camp in Chicago, and just toasted every linebacker during one on ones. London is very elusive in space and knows how to use his quickness to his advantage, just toying with the defender in the open field.

A recent Rivals interview, London had this to say about the Gopher staff and their interest.

“They love my vision. they love the power that I have. My East Ridge team, we run an offense really similar to theirs, and they think I run it really well. I’ve mastered the zone read and they think I can do it even better for them.”

(Likely Fraudulent) Measurables**

** The section title is a bit. It’s an intentionally facetious comment on how recruiting sites (and even some college coaches) notoriously exaggerate traditional combine measures — especially the 40. No offense is meant.

Height: 5′ 9″
Weight: 195 lbs.
Fake 40 Time: 4.66

Big 4 Ratings:

At this point of the year we can lament how stars don’t matter but then come February we (or others) lament about how the Gopher class ranks so poorly compared to its Big Ten piers. So do stars matter? Not really, but kind of.

Highlights

Junior year highlights:

TDG Analysis

In Two Words – if you have to remember just two things about this player…

• Elusive
• Hands

Absurd Comparisons

Going back a few years to compare London to Duane Bennett.  Both in terms of stature, speed is similar and both were adept at catching the ball out of the backfield and accumulating all-purpose yardage.  London appears to be a kid with solid speed, but not exactly blazing.  He is better at making people miss than he would be at running away from them or bowling them over.

Bennett finished his Gopher career with nearly 3,000 all-purpose yardage (2,126 on the ground and 806 via the pass). His 2,126 ranks 13th all-time on the Gopher career list and if London has a career similar to this we should all say this scholarship was a pretty big success.

Scheme Fit

If you watch closely there are even a few clips in London’s highlight video of him blocking in pass protection.  He was praised for his hands at the Chicago Opening and I suspect you will see London as a potential 3rd down back who may work himself into an everydown kinda player.  A good combo-back who with elusiveness and solid speed.

Impact on Other Prospects?

It is entirely possible that this is the only Gopher running back taken in this class. It is also possible that London is one of two and he gets a look elsewhere (DB or slot receiver).  There are currently 5 scholarship running backs on the roster with none being seniors so adding 2 to this class would seem excessive.  Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks are sophomores so adding multiple backs to this class does not seem likely.  But it is early and if the right kid came along that is a “must take,” you know they would.

From the time that he was a top national recruit in HS, Greg Olsen has been a highly touted player. And, throughout his collegiate and professional career, he as lived up to, and exceeded, the expectations many have had for him.

As a senior in HS, Olsen was considered a 5-star recruit, and named one of 3 finalists for the Gatorade Player of the Year award for the best prep football player in America. After a record-setting career at Wayne Hills HS, Olsen participated in the 2003 U.S. Army All-American game before enrolling at the University of Notre Dame, where he stayed only weeks before transferring to the University of Miami.

Olsen had a solid career at Miami, ending with 87 catches for 1215 yards and 6 touchdowns over 3 seasons. Those numbers didn’t tell the whole story of Olsen’s abilities however, as he was one of the most well-rounded Tight Ends in the college game.

In 2006, the 6’5″ 235lb Olsen was a 1st round draft pick (#31 overall) by the Chicago Bears. Olsen played for the Bears for 4 years before being traded to the Carolina Panthers for a 3rd round pick in 2012.

In his time with Carolina, Olsen has raised his already stellar level of play. After 7 seasons which saw Olsen gain a high of 843 yards receiving, he has eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in each of the last 2 seasons, including a career high 1,104 yards in 2015 for the NFC Champion Panthers.

Based upon that amazing season, and his overall high level of play, NFL Network recently named Olsen as the 38th best player in the NFL.

Olsen is without question the top receiving option in Carolina, having developed a great on-field relationship with NFL MVP QB Cam Newton. At a time when many players are slowing down, Olsen seems to be getting better as his career progresses.

Olsen, who was ranked 89th on the NFL Network top 100 list last year, vaulted up more than 50 spots based on his strong play for the Panthers. He is one of the most dynamic players in the league, and this honor is well deserved. You can relive Olsen’s 2015 season in the highlight video below. (NSFW language in the accompanying audio)

Congratulations, Greg!!

Earlier, Jim mentioned a new Pitt commit in running back Todd Sibley. The Panthers also added a second recruit on Wednesday in offensive lineman Owen Drexel.

Drexel, out of New Jersey, reportedly chose the Panthers over Rutgers and several lower-tier offers. Boston College hadn’t yet formally but they appeared to be in the mix as well.

His ratings are a bit cloudy at the moment. Several outlets are reporting he is a three-star recruit, but Rivals and ESPN both have him unrated, Scout has him as a 2-star player, and 247’s cumulative rating on him is a 2-star. Drexel gives the Panthers some needed depth on the line since he’s the first commit of the 2017 class at that position.

There’s been a lot of talk about satellite camps recently with the NCAA ruling that they were no longer allowed … and then allowed again. Drexel was seen by Pitt’s coaches at a satellite camp recently where they really started to go after him. He also visited the city and talked about going through drills with John Peterson, the offensive line coach.

Oh yeah, there was throw up involved, too.

However, what really sold Drexel was his interaction with Pittsburgh offensive line coach John Peterson during the camp.

“He kicked my butt, which was nice” Drexel said. “We ran like 100 drills and I think I puked a little. It was great. After the camp, we sat down and ran through some drills (on tape). They run a lot of power and a lot of zone.”

As for position, he expects to play center:

“First, I’ll start out at center, and then guard. But I’ll more likely play center than guard,” he said. “I kind of describe (the offense) as like kind of power, like tough inside zone and power.”

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill’s Facebook page and follow us on Twitter@PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Follow the author and founder/editor @AnsonWhaley.

Well, all of you guys looking for an offensive line commitment got one, just that it’s not coming from exactly someone you’d expect. This afternoon Virginia Tech got a commitment from Lecitus Smith, a 6′-4″, 255lbs tight end from Fitzgerald, GA. Smith’s main recruiter was James Shibest, but there’s a lot of scuttlebutt about him being eventually moved to guard- mostly because we’ve already got Dalton Keene and Drake Deiuliis in the class. Now, he could still stay out at blocking tight end. But the big thing is that he’s an athletic but large body that they could project in a couple places. Tech’s had some success with moving tight ends to tackle, too (Ed Wang, Duane Brown, etc), so it’s not unprecedented. Of course, there was a period in time where ALL of our offensive line was former tight ends, and that didn’t work out so well, either. He’s rated two stars by Rivals, three by Scout and 247…and I can’t tell what he’s rated on ESPN since their site doesn’t seem to be working. He’s the 11^th commitment to the class of 2017, and the 6^th or 7^th offensive player to commit (depending on where Caleb Farley projects). He’s also the first Georgia commitment and the 7^th out of state commitment. His other offers included Arkansas, Cincinnati, Louisville, NC State, Oklahoma State, Troy, USF, and others.

I AM SOOO HAPPY AND BLESSED TO SAY THAT I HAVE COMMITED TO VIRGINA TECH!!!!!!! #GOHOKIES

— Lecitus Smith (@lecitus_smith) June 15, 2016

Tape review!

Lecitus Smith (Fitzgerald, GA. 255lbs, 6′-4″. Tight End/Interior OL)

Okay, props to Smith to knowing where his strength lies- getting up field and getting on blocks. Smith doesn’t just block people, though, he flattens them when he gets them square. I mean he definitely has some speed and athleticism to him, but I can see why people project him to the interior- I’d say more center than guard, though. Why? When you’re a guard, normally you’ve got the defensive tackle lined up over (or shaded over based on) you. I don’t know if he’s got a frame to put on another fifty pounds of muscle and fat (Hopefully more the former than the latter). Of course, that would also negate putting him at a place where you can use his very distinct ability to pull cross-field. Don’t get me wrong, a pulling CENTER? That’s great for what you can do for your playbook, if you’re confident enough in him. But pulling is more common for the guard positions. He’s also about the right height for guard, which helps. But if you leave him outside, he’s a credible enough threat that you could make him another version of Ryan Malleck- a good blocker that can catch enough that keeping him on the field in passing situations isn’t an issue.

Either way, Smith is yet another versatile Fuente prospect. We’ll see where he ends up, but he’s sure tough enough to play at the Division I level.

Welcome aboard Lecitus!

Daniel Wright, the little brother of former Florida Gator great Major Wright, committed to Florida State Wednesday after consistently having FSU leading throughout his recruiting process. Wright is 6’1, 187 pounds and is rated four stars. He’s been on FSU’s radar since his freshman year and is one of the school’s top priorities at defensive back. Wright has played for Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) Cardinal Gibbons, but may be transferring to St. Thomas Aquinas.

In this video interview, above, Wright raved about his relationship with defensive coordinator Charles Kelly, as well as defensive assistant Jeremiah Wilson and his area recruiter, Bill Miller, who coaches linebackers for Florida State.

Wright has more than 30 offers, including most of the elites in the country. He is rated the 12th overall safety and the 129th overall player by the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Wright already has plans to bring other players to Florida State, and isn’t shy about his love for the school.

“The environment here and the family connection,” Wright said when asked what it was that put FSU over the top.

Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Wildcats had a busy weekend in recruiting. There were quite a few visitors on campus and the coaching staff has been invading various camps and will be hosting many of their own. In the span of four days, Arizona landed four commitments, one from an ultra-athletic linebacker, two from some well-rounded wide receivers and another from a hybrid lineman.

Now the class has 15 commits and can be found within the top 15 of every recruiting service website. It should be noted that this ranking is weighted heavily on the amount of commitments, as most schools barely have five, but Arizona has always done well early. When all is said and done I still believe that the Wildcats will not fall below 27th in the nation, likely falling around 22nd in the rankings.

Things might not slow down for U of A. There are about nine guys I feel good about Arizona landing, but guys are going to have to act fast to get their spot. While it’s nice to have early commitments, this could lead to possible decommitments down the road, or the staff needing to back off of a recruit like they did with Sean Riley, Tyliek Raynor and Jabari Watson in the last recruiting cycle. At this point it might be fair to say that the staff is looking to add around 30 players in this class, depending on how the scholarship numbers turn out

Offensive lineman visits

3-star offensive tackle Tucker Robertson was on campus for a quick 12 hour trip but he is extremely high on Arizona. He is one of the most genuine recruits I’ve ever talked to and would be a great locker room leader. I expect him to commit to the Wildcats no later than July.

Arizona will have another offensive lineman on campus this weekend in 3-star OG Cody Shear. He’s been extremely interested in this year’s recruiting class and has been updating me throughout his own recruiting process. While there’s still some uncertainty with his commitment, I feel fairly confident that he will commit to Arizona on July 5th, if not after his upcoming visit.

Future commitments

On to the future commitments. Tucker Robertson and Cody Shear seem to be the guys who round out the offensive line search. As for the future receivers, the two that I project for Arizona are Warren Jackson and Maurice Bell. There are plenty of guys who are interested but it’s going to be a matter of time before the class fills up. I think that will leave Chris Brooks on the outside looking in, but there could be open scholarships depending on how the class finally shapes up. I honestly think Bruce Judson is going to end up at Arizona based on a few people I’ve spoken to. Bryan Thompson to Oregon is one that I feel mildly safe to call as well.

And then the big fish is Joseph Lewis. I like the chances of Greg Johnson remaining committed despite taking official visits in the fall. That is going to be huge in trying to reel in Lewis and I think this could end up being a great thing. At this point I believe Arizona would take three receivers, maybe four with either Brooks or Judson.

3-star safety Scott Young is another guy who I feel could be close to ending his process. I’d be pretty shocked if he ended up anywhere else, although he has had some more schools come in contact.

I am projecting Arizona to land two more 4-star guys, both on defense; linebacker Isaac Slade-Matautia and defensive back Elijah Blades. The former has Arizona State and Nebraska in the mix, but I wouldn’t be too concerned about those two. I don’t think the four linebacker commitments scare off Slade-Matuatia. As for Blades, it’s Florida and Utah, but I’m calling Arizona now.

I think Arizona misses out on Thomas Graham but I think they can afford another corner in this class and I like 3-star Malik Hausman to fill that role.

Odua Isibor and Jalen Harris are two intriguing in-state options at defensive end. I think Arizona misses on Isibor but Harris has family ties with Sean Harris, former member of the Desert Swarm defense. Jalen has picked up a load of offers but Arizona is still in good shape.

There’s another defensive end in Robert Porcher, who is another guy to watch out for. He’ll be visiting campus with 3-star linebacker Nick Smith and Bruce Judson this summer, which is a trio that could become a package deal for Arizona, but I don’t find it likely. I think Smith keeps his talents on the east coast and Porcher is still an interesting prospect. But as I said above, I feel like Judson heads to the Pac-12.

Future Camps

Continuing on with Joseph Lewis, Arizona will be holding two huge satellite camps. One will be at Augustus Hawkins and the other will be Centennial. These are two extremely big football programs that have provided power five schools with talent all across the country. Chacho Ulloa and JJ Taylor are two big recruits Arizona already secured from Centennial. From Hawkins, Joseph Lewis.

There are quite a few Hawkins prospects that are available for Arizona and it wouldn’t be surprising if there were multiple offers handed out at that camp, as well as Centennial.

Collin Smith (Lionger, PA)

Blessed to say that I have committed to West Virginia University‼️ #WVU pic.twitter.com/5suBPLnHmx

— Collin Smith (@Collin17Smith) June 14, 2016

Well that didn’t take long. After securing two commitments over the weekend, West Virginia kept up its hot streak by securing another recruit, this time Lionger Valley, PA athlete Collin Smith. Smith plays quarterback at Liogener Valley but is expected to transition to safety at WVU.  Smith has shown good speed as he rushed for 757 yards as a junior while throwing for 1,958 yards. He combined for 37 tackles. He also compiled 74 tackles and three interceptions.

Smith shows a willingness in tackling in his highlights. You can see him diagnose a play and quickly track the ball carrier. He is aggressive at the point of attack.

Smith is a 247Sports composite 3-star player. He was rated the 34th prospect in the state of Pennsylvania. He held offers from Michigan, Louisville, and Boston College.

West Virginia’s class now has six total commits and is rated the 62nd class in the nation.