Syracuse Football 2020 Season Superlatives: Rookies of the Year
Syracuse football's 2020 season came to a close on Saturday with a loss at No. 2 Notre Dame. The loss gave the Orange their second one win campaign in the last 15 years. Still, despite that, there were positives to take away. At AllSyracuse.com, we hand out our season awards.
OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
McAllister: Sean Tucker. How good was Tucker this season? He started the year fifth on the depth chart at running back. He took over the starting job due to opt outs and injuries, and shined. Tucker ran for 638 yards in nine games, averaging 4.6 yards per carry with four rushing touchdowns. For an offense that struggled all season, Tucker was one of the more consistent weapons for them. He showed balance, vision and the ability to make people miss. It all culminated with his performance against Notre Dame, becoming the first 100 yard rusher the Irish allowed all season. It was a breakout campaign, and he should be the feature back for years to come.
Payne: Sean Tucker. Syracuse's top backs Abdul Adams and Jarveon Howard opted out before the season. Jawhar Jordan and Markenzy Pierre started the year atop the depth chart. Buried way, way down, Syracuse's fifth option was true freshman running back Sean Tucker. But by the time the Orange played Georgia Tech, Tucker was well on his way to becoming their most dependable offensive weapon. Tucker finished his first season racking up 638 yards (4.6 AVG) and four rushing touchdowns. His 113-yard outburst in the final game was the first time No. 2 Notre Dame had allowed a 100-yard rusher all season.
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DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
McAllister: Garrett Williams. Williams was a relative unknown across the country entering this season, but anyone who pays attention to college football will know his name now. And not just because he became the first player to have a pick six off of Trevor Lawrence. Williams was a shut down corner all season, and became one of the ACC's best at his position. He finished the season third on the team in tackles and second in interceptions. Not a bad debut campaign.
Payne: Ja'Had Carter & Stefon Thompson. When the Orange lost Andre Cisco in the moments leading up to the Georgia Tech game, they lost their most electrifying player on either side of the ball. No one thought Syracuse possessed the depth to replace Cisco's presence or playmaking ability, but true freshman Ja'Had Carter proved to be more than capable. Carter recorded a team-high 58 tackles, and his three interceptions were second only to Mikel Jones' four. Carter also added one forced fumble for good measure.
LB Stefon Thompson was Syracuse's second-highest graded defender, receiving a 76.3 overall defensive grade from PFF. By far, Thompson was Syracuse's strongest force against the run, posting a ridiculous 88.2 mark in defense of ground attacks. Thompson was perhaps most disruptive, though, when rushing the passer. His three sacks were just one behind the team lead, and his six QB hits lead all Orange defenders. Tony White's 3-3-5 will be equipped with plenty of playmakers and ballhawks for years to come
