One position is showing as an area of strength for Syracuse

Syracuse has churned out many talented defensive backs in recent years.

In 2025, the room was led by Duce Chestnut and Devin Grant, who each had solid SU careers.

Before them, Alijah Clark, Justin Barron, Garrett Williams and others were flying around the Orange’s secondary.

This room has talent too, and some could have NFL careers begin in less than 12 months. SU head coach Fran Brown has coached defensive backs in previous stops and these players are on the right track under him.

Chris Peal headlines the group as a preseason All-American. He did a lot of the right things last season, and kept his side of the field mostly quiet.

Right next to him, Demetres Samuel Jr. is in line to have a big sophomore year. He is coming off a freshman year where he was asked to do a lot, on both sides of the field, and he earned the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award's Player of the Week last September.

Davien Kerr has made many big plays throughout the years too. Looking at the depth, Tedarius Hughes could be a fun name to watch as a freshman.

Here is a breakdown of the room, from projected starters to bench players.

Projected Starters

Demetres Samuel Jr.

He is still very young compared to many others at the position but that doesn’t mean he isn’t among the best.

Samuel is on track to be a future NFL player. He is looking to build off a freshman season where he posted 45 tackles and a team-high nine pass breakups.

Look for him to keep working toward being a lockdown corner across from Peal.

Davien Kerr

SU has to be excited with what they have seen in Kerr. He had a team-high three interceptions in 2025.

What more can he do? Well, he is someone that has shined with his athleticism and he can definitely wreak havoc when he is close to the ball. Exciting plays are ahead for Kerr if he continues on his trajectory.

Chris Peal

This guy is what you want as your top corner for a team competing in the ACC. He is a worker, pushing himself to improve and lock down his side of the grid iron.

Peal posted similar numbers to Samuel Jr., but teams didn’t test him very often.

Projected Bench Players

Braheem Long Jr.

Long Jr. could definitely earn starting snaps. He is a silent worker in Cuse’s secondary.

Last season he registered 52 tackles, ranking third on the team. He stuffed the stat sheet with one interception, two pass breakups and two tackles for loss too. He is someone Syracuse fans should be proud and grateful to have.

Tedarius Hughes

If you follow Syracuse recruiting, you’ve probably heard of Hughes. He arrives at SU as one of the top freshmen in the class.

He was teammates with Calvin Russell at Miami Northwestern and could earn his way into the rotation if he impresses early on.

Nazir Ward

Ward figures to be an intriguing piece in Syracuse’s secondary. He arrives from Western Kentucky and brings two years of eligibility. He brings three seasons of experience and had 34 tackles last season.

Jai Eurgene Jr.

Like Ward. Eugene Jr. comes from Western Kentucky. There, he posted similar numbers as Ward. He began his career at Tulane, where he barely played. He, too, has three years of experience.

Amare Snowden

One other portal rotation piece could be Snowden. He has spent previous seasons at Toledo and Wisconsin but barely played. His upside comes as a former four-star recruit according to 247Sports Composite rankings. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

Chase Geter

Geter is another name to watch in this group as a three-star freshman, per 247Sports. Him and Hughes have high ceilings.

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