How will Syracuse piece together a new offensive line this season?

A little over a week before the season opener, offensive line coach Dale Williams listed ten players who had impressed the staff. There was no delineation into starters or reserves, but that list should give us some idea of how the Syracuse offensive line will look at the beginning of the season.

A couple familiar faces will lead the way

Of those ten players Williams listed, four were returnees: Joe Cruz, Trevion Mack, Joshua Miller, and Da’Metrius Weatherspoon. The other six were new faces to the program: transfers Naquil Bertrand (Alabama), Austin Collins (Louisville), T.J. Ferguson (Florida State), Kam Pringle (South Carolina), Zach Rice (North Carolina), and freshman Byron Washington.

Among the returnees, Weatherspoon saw the most action for the Orange, starting ten times last season while playing in every game. Prior to last season, Weatherspoon was an HBCU All-American at Howard. Cruz also has been a contributor, playing in 22 games over the last two campaigns at guard, including starting four times.

Most of Mack’s limited play has come on the field goal unit and Miller appeared in just one game last season after transferring from Georgia.

A handful of transfers add talent and a couple expected starters

A couple of the transfers bring significant experience with them that should have them on the inside track for starting roles. Austin Collins started 15 games at Louisville over the last two seasons, playing mostly at guard. Collins has been working at center for SU and appears to be ticketed to start there. Ferguson started seven games at Florida State last season and also started once at Alabama the previous season, all at left guard. He could combine with Weatherspoon to lock down the left side of the line.

Rice played a lot on special teams at North Carolina, mixing in a little bit of action at right guard (44 snaps over three years). He was ranked as the top offensive tackle in the 2022 recruiting class. Bertrand and Pringle saw extremely limited action at their previous collegiate stops before transferring to Syracuse.

Don't forget the future is big... very big

Washington comes to the Orange as a mountain of a human. He is listed at 6’7” and 400 pounds. As a three-star recruit coming out of high school, Washington is likely ticketed for a future at right tackle.

Weatherspoon, Ferguson, and Collins seem like a starting trio from left tackle to center. The right side is a bit more nebulous, although Cruz’s history of playing at guard might give him the inside track to the right guard position.

In any case, this unit will need to get settled and comfortable quickly with each other and Steve Angeli behind them.

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