The Impact of Losing Stefon Thompson, Chris Elmore
In This Story:
With the Orange’s win (and dominant performance), SU moves to 2-0 for the 1st time since that 2018 10-win, and casual optimism is starting to build from fans and within the program. However, Cuse fans shouldn’t ignore those losses of Stefon Thompson and Chris “Rhino” Elmore, two guys that set the tone on both sides of the ball. In this piece, I’ll show you precisely what losing these two means for Syracuse from a schematic perspective, who can potentially replace them and their production, and what games their absences could be felt.
Stefon Thompson
Thompson was en route to another great year after 3 tackles and a TFL in just the 1st half vs. Louisville. The versatile 3rd year sophomore from Charlotte is a part of the 3-headed monster of arguably the most versatile LB groups in the country for SU alongside Mikel Jones and Marlowe Wax Jr., and his athleticism to constantly pass in the backfield and pass rush acumen were the key things he brought to the table. He was tasked multiple times with spying Malik Cunningham in that Louisville game and making sure he doesn’t break contain. That type of elite athleticism and football IQ is something that Derek McDonald simply won’t be able to step in immediately and replicate. It will be up to DC Tony White to find the assortment of parts in 2nd string LB corp so they can effectively duplicate what Stef did. Freshman LBs Anwar Sparrow and Kadin Bradley were able to get some burn in the UCONN game and didn’t look completely out of place. Sparrow, the redshirt freshman from Virginia Beach, has been under the constant tutelage of big brother Kel throughout summer and fall camp and laid the BOOM for a TFL in the 4th quarter against UCONN. Bradley, a true freshman from Georgia, impressed with his speed and nose for the ball during camp and has an elite pedigree as the son of a 5-year NFL veteran and the nephew of Hall of Fame CB Champ Bailey. Justin Barron was disruptive in his return to his home state on Saturday. As he gets more reps and comfortability from that ROVER spot, he’s another one that could also bring coverage and physicality in the box.
Games that Stef may be especially missed - vs. Purdue (9/17), vs. Virginia (9/23), at Pittsburgh (11/5)
Purdue
Aidan O’Connell is the Purdue offense and the heartbeat of this team after losing David Bell and George Karlaftis. This is one of those vaunted swing games for SU. It sounds strikingly similar to the opportunity against Louisville: Another legitimate P5 opponent with an established star at QB and trying to escape the cellular and middle of the pack in their respective conference. Be on the lookout for the pass rush (or potential lack thereof) that Stef could have provided during this game, and also in coverage in space versus slots and RBs with Purdue’s top 2 receivers from last season gone.
Virginia
I said multiple times that Malik Cunningham would be the most athletic QB Syracuse would face this season, but the one guy that makes me hesitate with that statement is UVA’s Brennan Armstrong. The 5th year senior was one of the most productive QBs in the country last year and led an offense ranked 3rd nationally. However, after a Week 2 3-point performance in a loss against Illinois and a completely new front, there are signs of leakage up front for UVA and rumbling that former OC Robert Anae may have been more responsible for UVA’s offensive than anybody in Charlottesville may have realized. However, unlike Purdue, this UVA team has an explosive and dangerous group of pass-catchers. Stef’s ability to quickly put pressure in the pocket cover crosses and drags over the middle would have been especially important in this game.
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh lost a tough battle to Tennessee in Heinz and may be doing the most re-building of any team in the ACC after losing Kenny Pickett to the NFL and Jordan Addison to The Lincoln Riley Initiative. However, this team slots in Kedon Slovis at QB, one of the most experienced QBs in the ACC, and Israel Abankinda, a true physical specimen at RB at 6’2, 215, who will be a challenge to get on the ground all night for SU defenders, and may already be the 2nd best RB in the ACC behind Sean Tucker. Thompson would have been crucial in flustering Slovis, forcing him into bad decisions, and being one of the main guys in slowing down the Abankinda freight train. With the Pitt game further down the road, the Pitt game will likely be a litany test of how stout and disruptive this defense can be without Thompson.
Chris Elmore
This one is a gut punch to the team's spirit and morale. Elmore, the 6th-year senior from Chicago, has embraced the old head team leader role. His ability to be a coach on the field, clear holes in the run game, and keep Shrader clean in the passing game is an elite skill that a casual or un-trained eye may not notice. You could argue that Elmore’s loss was more immediately apparent than Stef’s because with all the offensive success against UCONN, the SU offense was stalled out twice in the red zone because of sacks, and Sean Tucker wasn’t able to pop his normal home-run play in route to a mundane 100-yard performance. Oronde Gadsen has been moved to TE, but his role will be a pass-catching, red-zone mismatch threat, a far cry from the kick-out blocks on zone cutoff and pass protection on play action where Elmore shined. Maximilian Mang, the 6’7 German behemoth TE, recorded his 1st catch at UCONN and will be primarily tasked with the dirty work that Elmore left behind.
Games that Rhino will be especially missed - at Clemson (8/22), vs. NC State (9/15), vs. Florida State (10/12)
Clemson
As a former D-Lineman, Clemson’s pristine DL-U reputation is the main reason it always starts as top dogs in the ACC, and this year is no different. Bryan Breese and Myles Murphy are 2 of the 10 best DLineman in the country starting on the same front. Breese especially had a good 2022 debut, with a sack and 2 TFLs in Clemson’s prime-time matchup vs. Georgia Tech. While everybody wants to compare oft-injured former 5-star to J.J. Watt (for obvious reasons), I see a lot of Jeffrey Simmons and Leonard Williams in his game when I turn up the tape. Murphy, an elite EDEG rushing junior from the Atlanta area, has been truly dominant since his 1st moment on campus in Death Valley and may be the best pass-rusher in CFB not named Will Anderson. Consistently blocking both of these guys will be crucial in SU pulling off the upset in Death Valley. Having somebody like Rhino at 275 pounds as an inline-blocker would have added that extra level of physicality in the SU run game.
Florida State
This Florida State team is riding their own high after a chaotic 24-23 win over new-look LSU and Brian Kelly, Kelly’s disgraceful Louisiana accent, Kayshon Boute’s transfer portal rumors, and their 1st 2-0 start since 2016. Just for reference, the last time FSU started the season with 2 consecutive wins, Barack Obama was the president, Prince and Muhammad Ali were still alive, and the Zika Virus was the biggest health crisis we had dealt with as a country.
With how this SU’s schedule is back-loaded, FSU’s most difficult part of the season starts October 1st, with a 6-week stretch featuring 4 Top-25 opponents before the Orange and Seminoles face off 2 weeks before Thanksgiving. The main strength for FSU starts up front, with Jared Verse, the former Albany EDGE who was the top-rated DE in the portal before committing to FSU, and Fabian Lovett, big #0 in the middle at DT. The 6’4, 320-pound Joseph Linval clone transferred to FSU from Mississippi State in 2019, where he spent a season in the same locker room as Garrett Shrader and established himself as one of the most versatile interior defensive linemen in the SEC. Lovett and Verse are both NFL prospects, and both have established themselves as D-Linemen who can stay on the field for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd down and have galvanized a downtrodden Seminole program. Rhino would have been the main guy that tracked #5 and #0 in both the passing and run game for FSU’s defense, and how disruptive they can be without Elmore mashing them up will go a long way in determining the winner of the November 12th matchup.
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