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Mikel Jones Returning to Syracuse Football for 2022 Season

The Orange will get its defensive quarterback back in significant news for the Orange.
Mike McAllister|
Mikel Jones Returning to Syracuse Football for 2022 Season
Mikel Jones Returning to Syracuse Football for 2022 Season

Syracuse football received significant news on Thursday as starting middle linebacker Mikel Jones announced he will return for the 2022 season. Jones decision is huge as he is considered the quarterback of the Orange defense and that means even more continuity on that side of the ball next season. 

Babers called Mikel Jones "the key to everything" this past season and called him "the guy." He was extremely important to the Syracuse defense in 2021 and now will be back to lead the unit in 2022. 

Jones finished the 2021 season with 110 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, four sacks, three quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery. As the quarterback and leader of the Orange defense, he led Syracuse to a top 25 ranking in total defense (22nd), top 30 in rushing defense (29th) and top 30 in passing defense (28th). He was named ACC Linebacker of the Week twice during the year.  

In 2020, Jones burst onto the scene as a sophomore with 69 tackles, one sack, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and four interceptions. His four interceptions were the most by a linebacker in the country. That provided momentum for his stellar 2021 season that led to being named to the All-ACC First Team. 

Syracuse finished the 2021 season 5-7, just one game shy of bowl eligibility. With Tony White back as defensive coordinator, along with Jones, there will be optimism that the defense can take another step forward as the Orange looks to get back to the postseason in 2022. 

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Mike McAllister
MIKE MCALLISTER

Title: Publisher All Syracuse Education: Roberts Wesleyan College Location: Syracuse, New York Expertise: Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting.  EXPERIENCE Mike McAllister has been covering Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting for more than a decade. Mike's career started with his own free blog as a way to vent following sporting events. Shortly thereafter, a network of basketball sites called Coast 2 Coast Hoops asked him to run their Syracuse site. That site was called Nation of Orange, and Mike quickly established it as a go-to for Syracuse fans.  After running Nation of Orange for several months, a position with the Syracuse site on the Scout network became available. After one year as the recruiting expert with Cuse Nation, he was named the publisher. Mike oversaw the transition from Scout to 247Sports, and ran the site on that network for years.  Presented with the opportunity to join one of the biggest names in the sports journalism industry, Sports Illustrated, Mike jumped at the chance. All Syracuse was started from scratch by Mike and the Fan Nation team. It has now become a staple for Orange fans of various sports.  Mike has broken news on recruiting, Syracuse basketball and football team information and has established himself as the top recruiting inside in the market. He has appeared on local radio shows, television broadcasts, national radio shows and much more. Mr. McAllister has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and Information Management from Roberts Wesleyan College. 

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