Beck & Shrader's Relationship Will be at Core of Syracuse's Offense in 2023
Syracuse, N.Y.-- Syracuse Football kicked off training camp festivities Tuesday afternoon with a press conference about the upcoming season before the team hits the practice field on Wednesday.
Head Coach Dino Babers, now in his eighth season at the helm of the Orange, answered questions on a variety of topics, but spoke extensively about his new offensive coordinator Jason Beck. Beck spent last season as the quarterbacks coach for ‘Cuse and was elevated to the OC role after Robert Anae left for NC State.
Babers credits the knowledge of the offensive scheme and pre-existing relationship with starting quarterback Garrett Shrader as reasons for hiring Beck. Shrader, now in his senior year, enters the season with his fifth different play-caller. Babers felt responsible to give his third-year QB a coach that he felt comfortable with for the 2023 campaign.
“It has a lot to do with when you start looking at Garrett and what he's capable of doing," Babers said. "When he starts going through his story of never having the same [offensive coordinator] twice, I mean talk about things that can bring you to tears."
Under Beck’s tutelage in 2022, Shrader completed 65% of his passes, a 12% boost from 2021, finishing with the fourth-highest percentage in the ACC. Pro Football Focus graded the Charlotte, North Carolina native as their seventh-best quarterback. Shrader has already received praise throughout the college football community as a member of the watch list for the Maxwell Award.
Babers believes that the duo could just be scratching the surface of Shrader’s full potential.
“We really don't know yet where he could be, but to have an opportunity to see how that chapter could be written and how that novel could be finished… To me, it was important to give Garrett the opportunity to be you all can be,” Babers said.
Following off-season elbow surgery on his throwing arm, Shrader will be on a pitch count throughout training camp as part of the recovery process. Babers confirmed the news isn’t a cause for concern, but more of a precautionary measure.
“So there's going to be times where he'll be going through practice, and all of a sudden boom, he'll be out of practice,” Babers said. “It’ll be a pitch count early and gradually build that thing up until we get ready to go.”
Not only does Babers recognize the familiarity between OC and QB heading into camp, but an offensive staff that is ready to hit the ground running.
“This has to be the strongest staff we’ve had since I’ve been here," Babers said. "Everybody in that room has been an offensive coordinator before. So everybody's on board and understands what their role is.”
Junior wide receiver Damien Alford did not spend much time with coach Beck last season but, in addition to Babers and Shrader, has confidence in Syracuse's new leader of the offense.
“To see him take over the OC role and take this offense to another level," Alford said. "I’m pretty excited to see how it's gonna translate.”
Syracuse begins their quest for a second-straight winning season on Wednesday for day one of training camp beginning at 9:35 a.m.
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