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football guide 2016

‘ T H E S E A R E T H E DAYS T H AT W E

CATCH UP.

THESE ARE THE D AYS T H AT W E

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DOWN. ’

the daily orange football guide 2016

t h e i n de p e n de n t s t u de n t n e w s pa p e r of s y r a c u s e , n e w yor k

Justin Mattingly EDITOR IN CHIEF

Alexa Diaz MANAGING EDITOR

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Dear Readers, Dino Babers’ Syracuse team will finally take the field for a game for the first time on Friday against Colgate. Nine months since being hired as the Orange’s head coach, Babers has implemented a host of changes for the program, most notably his Baylor-style offense. In the past two years, SU has won just seven games and is now prepping to catch teams from behind. Babers is relying on quarterback Eric Dungey, running back Dontae Strickland and wide receiver Steve Ishmael to help lead the turnaround. This comprehensive guide provides all you need to know for the upcoming season. Thanks for reading, Paul Schwedelson, Sports Editor

Cover photo illustration by Jessica Sheldon | Photo Editor

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The Daily Orange is published weekdays during the Syracuse University academic year by The Daily Orange Corp., 744 Ostrom Ave., Syracuse, NY 13210. All contents Copyright 2016 by The Daily Orange Corp. and may not be reprinted without the expressed written permission of the editor in chief. The Daily Orange is distributed on and around campus with the first two copies complimentary. Each additional copy costs $1. The Daily Orange is in no way a subsidy or associated with Syracuse University. All contents © 2016 The Daily Orange Corporation

football guide 2016 the daily orange

THE HARD WAY

DINO BABERS has made a career out of turning around situations, and he’ll have to do the same at Syracuse. Babers has overcome his father’s death, being fired at Texas A&M and a near-fatal car accident when he was coaching at Baylor to become the 30th head coach at SU. jessica sheldon photo editor

Dino Babers has a history of turning around programs. Now, he’s trying to do the same with SU.

By Chris Libonati asst. sports editor

ino Babers moved around the room, from conversation to conversation, handshake to handshake and autograph to autograph. He obliged as grown men and little kids asked for each during a promotional event at Driver’s Village in Cicero, New York, 22 days before SU’s season is scheduled to start. Then came the comments and questions — We’re counting on you, How’s the team?, We’re looking forward to the season. The tacit understanding is that Syracuse has been through two straight seasons without a bowl game appearance, has a 36.6 winning percentage since Greg Robinson was hired in 2005 and no head coach stability since then. What those making the comments and asking the questions don’t understand is Babers has mastered this. He’s made a career of flipping negatives to work for him: When his father died, when he was fired at Texas A&M and when he had a life-threatening car accident. They all steeled him, forced him to adapt and set him on a course to be Syracuse’s 30th head coach. Those experiences created the smile on his exterior but also turned the gears in his brain. Babers laughs and mingles with fans like a politician with constituents. But soon he’ll leave and get back to work. When Babers breaks from the gathering at Driver’s Village, his smile fades, if only a little, and he heads back to moving forward. Even while he’s shaking hands, you can see there’s something else on his mind. There are more steps he has to take toward Sept. 2, his SU coaching debut. There’s more film, more practices, more coaching. Babers has made a career of fighting back when life tries to bully him off his path. Now, he’ll try to help SU do the same. ••• The day of his father’s funeral, Babers strapped on two cowboy boots for the first time. His dad always

told him he’d look good in them. Babers had planned on spending more time with his father by the time Luther Babers died in November 1994. Earlier that year, Luther was diagnosed with cancer. Babers had resigned after three seasons at Purdue. The school offered him more money to stay on as a coach. While the sum of money was appealing, he was ready to give up his coaching career to be with his father.

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everyone says if you really want to be a coach, you have to move away. if you don’t move away from the coaches you play for, they’ll always treat you like a player. DINO BABERS su head coach

Ted Tollner, then the head coach at San Diego State, heard Babers was headed back to San Diego, where Babers’ parents lived. Tollner offered Babers a coaching position, but the latter only accepted when he was guaranteed he could leave the team whenever he needed to be with his father. “I couldn’t believe that he would say that,” Babers said. Not long after Babers accepted the job, Luther decided to leave San Diego because he wanted to die in Houston. Babers has often leaned on his mentors. His father taught him the importance of details by checking whether his bed was made well enough for a quarter to bounce twice. When he was deciding to enter coaching, he called John Shacklett, his coach at Morse (California) High School for advice. After

his father died and Babers finished his only season at San Diego State, Babers took a job at Arizona under Dick Tomey, his former coach at Hawaii. He had left Tomey and Hawaii to prove he wanted to be a coach in 1986. “Everyone says if you really want to be a coach, you have to move away,” Babers said. “If you don’t move away from the coaches you play for, they’ll always treat you like a player.” In his years away from Tomey, Babers vindicated the decision to depart from Hawaii. He gained a reputation for being meticulous. Babers used a Panasonic recorder during practice to take verbal notes. He was the only coach John Skladany, an assistant coach Northern Arizona in 1990, ever saw use one. The job at Northern Arizona was a defensive job. Babers dropped to FCS to reverse engineer offensive schemes by learning their defensive counterparts. That, he figured, would help round out his resume for a future head-coaching position. All that work had gone into getting the job at Purdue. And while moving away from Purdue for his father nearly drew Babers away from coaching, he was able to make the most of it. He followed up his position at San Diego State with one at Arizona, just his second major coaching position, where he would be able to grow under Tomey. Graduate assistant jobs were in the past, and Babers was headed to a place Tomey had spent eight years building. Babers’ fear of being eternally pitted as a player under Tomey evaporated in Tempe, Arizona. When Tomey brought Babers in, he sat him down with local high school and community college coaches for recruiting purposes. “If you need anything,” Jeff Scurran, a coach in the meeting, remembers Tomey saying, “ask Dino.” ••• Arizona gathered all its freshmen at the beginning of each season, and Babers led the meeting in 1996. see baber s page 4

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i felt like i died. and now i had a second chance. DINO BABERS su head coach

Babers had used the lessons he learned from A&M, worked through jobs at Pittsburgh and UCLA and accepted a job coaching wide receivers at Baylor in 2008. Not long into his time at Baylor, a life-threatening car accident should have killed him, he said. Babers declined to directly comment on what happened in the crash. “I felt like I died,” Babers said. “And now I had a second chance. So now it was like, OK, if you would have died in that accident, like you were supposed to, what would you have wished to change even though you didn’t have time to change it? And I started going through those things because I didn’t die and now I have an opportunity to change it.” Former Baylor wide receiver Andrew Sumpter said Babers started reading the Bible cover to cover. Players and coaches said Babers would break out a wide range of music and sing as he walked through the hallways. When a former Arizona player was asked about Babers singing in the hallways, he replied: “Are we talking about the same guy?” Babers was finally relaxed. Before, he had plotted to become a head coach, methodically working his way up. The crash reinforced that Babers had resigned himself to living in

Dino Babers won 73 percent of his games at Eastern Illinois as a first-time head coach.

Bowling Green faced five Power 5 teams and won 60 percent of its games against them.

WINNING PERCENTAGE

N/A

.616

BEN SCHWARTZWALDER

N/A

.667

DICK MACPHERSON

N/A

.833

PAUL PASQUALONI

Dino Babers has one of the highest winning percentages entering his first stint as SU’s head coach Check out the rest.

GREG ROBINSON

.698

WINNING PERCENTAGE

DOUG MARRONE

••• Former Baylor videographer Scott Riley always considered himself to be steady on the camera. Against Oklahoma in 2011 with 17 seconds left, Robert Griffin III lofted a pass into the back right corner of the end zone and Terrance Williams came down with the catch. Nearly everyone rooting for Baylor, including Riley, threw their arms in the air. Except for Babers. Riley cracked up watching the tape because it was typical of Babers to not react during games. At the end of the game, everybody broke to the middle of the field, Babers said. What Riley didn’t know was that Babers ran to the student section and climbed the railing to get a full view of the pandemonium as Baylor beat Oklahoma for the first time. “It’s … knowing it’s a moment you never want to forget and putting your camera in a position where you can watch the moment,” Babers said. When you’re living on borrowed time, those moments are precious.

SCOTT SHAFER

He blazed through his speech about the jump first-year players would have to make to succeed. “A lot of you guys won’t make it,” thenfreshman defensive end Joe Tafoya remembers Babers saying. “So look around the room right now and decide if you’re going to be one of those guys.” Bluntness, bordering on military-style intensity, was part of the Babers experience. Prior to games, Babers gave out six-page preparation tests as a position coach with Arizona. Each test had one question asking which running backs he would trust with his family if something happened to him. To play in the game, you had to score at least a 90 on the test. He’d make players take a lap for crossing certain boundaries during drills and come out early in the morning for conditioning in return for doing poorly in classes. “Babers is the type of coach you don’t want to disappoint,” Brad Brennan, a thenArizona receiver said. Against Washington, Tafoya did just that, losing contain on the edge of a play and allowing UW to score. Babers, then the running backs coach, pulled Tafoya aside. “Hey, Joe, look at the scoreboard,” Tafoya remembers Babers saying. “You see that they’re up by seven? That’s your fault. You lost contain and they scored a touchdown, so you better make up for it.” That made Tafoya want to “flip him off,” but he also knew Babers was right. Babers drilled players on schemes by bringing them up to the chalkboard. He’d make them draw out plays and question them on routes that weren’t even theirs. “Are you sure?” he’d ask them. “I’m sure.” “Are you sure?” he’d repeat. Scoping out stutters, blank stares and any shred of uncertainty, Babers only ceded that a player was correct when the player was confident enough in his answer. He pulled back the reigns on rare occasions. As a freshman walk-on, Brennan lived in a non-athlete dorm and ate with the rest of the student population. His dorm was on the opposite end of campus. While the scholarship players walked a few steps to a meal from practice, Babers would occasionally scoop Brennan up in his 1986 Cutlass Supreme and give him a ride. There, Babers became what he was off the field: a father and a mentor who would invite his players over to his house. Melding his personalities helped Babers build a group of players loyal to him by the time he was hired as offensive coordinator in 1998. Babers had recruited most skillposition contributors or switched their positions. Three years of recruiting and boot camp had prepared the players to play just as Babers wanted. 1998 is considered Arizona’s best year ever after they finished No. 4 in the country and won the Holiday Bowl. In the process, Babers became a desirable coaching candidate. He reportedly received head coaching looks. When most of the staff at Arizona left after the 2000 season, Babers was hired as Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator. Speaking with the offense for the first time, Babers picked up a football during his speech and said football represents the players and the players’ lives. He rattled off family members’ names. Within a year and a half of the speech, Babers was demoted midseason. Head coach R.C. Slocum had been on the hot seat when he hired Babers, and the offense didn’t live up to what Slocum needed. When the A&M head coach pulled Babers into his office and told

CONSISTENTLY GOOD

DINO BABERS

baber s

him about the demotion, Babers was understandably blindsided — it’s rare to demote coaches just 16 games into their tenure. Babers’ demeanor didn’t change despite the demotion, former A&M wide receiver Jamaar Taylor said. The coach he was before the relegation was the same coach that showed up to coach the quarterbacks after. The situation pushed Babers to refocus. He could only cling to the role he had and treat it like it was the best job possible. Babers was able to put himself squarely in the moment, rather than keeping an eye on the future. But it also sent him on a five-season detour to Pittsburgh and UCLA, eliminating some of the value of the work Babers put in at Arizona. “You get scarred by that and you start, ‘Woe me,’ and nobody wants to hear about the pain,” Babers said. “… Let that pain go, you got to bury that. If not, you’ll carry that around the rest of your life and never get anywhere.”

winning percentage

from page 3

the daily orange football guide 2016

su coaches the moment. And that made him even more ready to be a head coach. Players still understood their standing with Babers because, like at Arizona, he was blunt about their skillsets. Each player knew what their role would be during the season, and he made sure each of them knew how to maximize their potential. But he also opened up more. His wide receivers would come into his office to talk football and leave with a life lesson. As he moved from an apartment to a house, Babers called the Baylor wide receivers to help him move. When the receivers arrived, none of his apartment was packed in boxes. Whether it was intentional, it was just another way to for his players to bond. At Arizona, Babers hadn’t been as quick to praise his players. That flipped at Baylor. While he maintained his attention to detail and could be a tough grader, he also gave players approval when they performed up to his standards. Some of his players took down “Baberisms” or phrases he’d say often. Practices are hard, game days are easy. I shouldn’t be coaching you on game day because the hay is in the barn. I’m going to prepare you. Sumpter said Babers would tell players he was the best coach on the staff. “We were like, ‘Eh, I don’t know,’ because it was our first year in the system with him,” Sumpter said. But as the team improved and the wide receivers’ production increased, the players started to believe it. By the end of his tenure at Baylor, Sumpter said he would have trusted Babers to call plays as well or better than offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery. “We started seeing, the last year,” Sumpter said, “he’s not going to be here long.” And he wasn’t. He took over Eastern Illinois in 2012 and brought the program from a 2-9 record in 2011 to a 19-7 record over the two seasons he was there. In the two following seasons as the head coach at Bowling Green, he racked up an 18-10 record. On Dec. 9, 2015, he was introduced as Syracuse’s head coach, the only one of the

program’s last three with any semblance of a head coaching track record. That day, he talked about filling the Carrier Dome with an electric feeling and a deafening noise, a relentless defense and the fastest game people had ever seen. “That’s gonna be a reality,” Babers said. ••• As Dino Babers stood in front of his team on Aug. 12, the first day of two-a-day practices, he showed the most emotion since coming to Syracuse. He let them know his success at his last two stops. He brought Eastern Illinois back in just two seasons. He continued the success Bowling Green had. He told them to remove their “cruise meter.” He asked for belief in his staff. “I need you guys to go today. I need you to G-O, G-O, G-O,” Babers said. “Drop the damn E. No freaking ego. Drop it and G-O.” Babers has never had to drop the “E” because life has always done that for him. Even if he’s finally a head coach at a Power 5 program, now he has to push even harder. In the nine months Babers has been at Syracuse, former athletic director Mark Coyle left after less than one year, a player who had been suspended indefinitely was charged with rape and two current players were allegedly stabbed by a former teammate. On the field, Syracuse was 7-17 during the last two years with former head coach Scott Shafer. Syracuse is down. But Babers has been here before, even if fixing the Orange is his biggest challenge yet. Give it time, it’ll work. Let’s have faith — belief without evidence. Give me 365 days with this team. Time is all Babers has ever asked for, and he knows how to take advantage of it. That’s why he makes his initial move to the exit at Driver’s Village. That’s why he doesn’t look back as he swiftly walks out the door. That’s why he’s heading a program that needs to go in the only direction he’s ever known. It won’t be easy. For Babers, that’s nothing new. cjlibona@syr.edu

football guide 2016 the daily orange

spread out ERIC DUNGEY is adjusting to yet another offense as Syracuse begins the 2016 season under new head coach Dino Babers. Dungey showed promise as a true freshman last year, but is expected to make a big leap in productivity under Babers. That will depend on how well he adjusts to the new spread offense. daily orange file photo

Eric Dungey has adapted to 4 different offenses in 4 years when I was there,” Carlson said. “It had him learning to do the best with what he had control of. He couldn’t do everything for our whole team and that frustrated him his junior year. And then when ook at Eric Dungey and the change is evident. He he figured out he could only do the best for what he could do, that’s is significantly more muscular. He has substantial when you just saw him shine like no other.” blonde facial hair on his chin. He isn’t as taciturn At Lakeridge, Carlson implemented multiple offenses with he was in last year’s preseason. numerous sets and different variations of each based on the Dungey has evolved from an eager, immature freshman thrown opponent. There was no set gameplan on offense, instead a fluid into the fire far sooner than intended to a filled-out sophomore blueprint that was constantly changing. It taught Dungey to read who has a better grasp on how to handle it all. Changing is what defenses before the snap, after the snap and ultimately make Dungey has been doing for years. Change is virtually all he knows. split-second decisions on the run like he did in his freshman In the past four years — his junior and senior seasons season at Syracuse. at Lakeridge (Oregon) High School and first two In 2013, Dungey was spoon-fed the offense at SU — Dungey has played in four different in a way, Carlson said, but the biggest change offenses and under four different head from his junior to senior year was his ability coaches. Stability in the systems or people to do it all for himself. No coach was that dictate how he plays is something he needed anymore to tell him what to do. 66% of Dungey’s knows nothing about. Dino Babers’ offense Dungey could input hot reads on his own, attempts were will be the latest test for the signal-caller call audibles effectively at the line of via pass who made everyone hold their breath last scrimmage and recognize what kind of season, for good and bad, and it’s another protection he needed. 34% were chance to embrace change. “He can handle a lot because I really via run “Challenging? To a point you just kinda tested him those two years with a lot of really gotta put a lot of time into what you’re language and a lot of different sets and doing and learn what you gotta do,” Dungey said. formations and reads to make,” Carlson said. “I never really had two years under an offense so I “Although this is gonna be he fifth or sixth offense never knew how that’s going to be so I’m excited for the he’s learned, he probably learned 10 or 12 in those two opportunity to do that.” years we were there.” Under the assumption both Dungey and Babers return in 2017, Last year under Scott Shafer, Dungey was far more run-based it will be Dungey’s first time under the same head coach for two than what’s expected this year. Dungey has vowed to remain in the consecutive full seasons since his first two years of high school. pocket more, which will presumably fit into Babers’ Baylor style Longtime prep coach Tom Smythe stepped aside amid Lakeridge’s offense that has produced some of the best passing quarterbacks 2013 state playoff run, Dungey’s junior season, so that Chad Carlson college football has seen in recent years in New England Patriots (who essentially coached Lakeridge throughout the season, but starter Jimmy Garoppolo and Matt Johnson, who finished second in wasn’t the official head coach) could finally have the title on paper. passing yards last season. There were also reports of a power struggle that led to the But this is Eric Dungey, the 20 year old just beginning to scratch split, but Carlson said “don’t believe everything you read.” Then the surface of his potential. He’s already made a name for himself Lakeridge hired vice principal John Parke as interim head coach with highlight-reel plays courtesy of his audacious running style, in 2014, but Carlson stayed on as offensive coordinator and but now he has to change. Again. And if the past is any indication of essentially ran the team again. Through it all, Dungey learned to what’s to come, he shouldn’t have any problem doing so. ignore, adapt and produce. “Dungey has the chance to be one of the best quarterbacks in “You look at all those things that happened in his life football- college,” wide receiver Steve Ishmael said. “I truly believe that, man.” wise, all the different changes, all the things that we went through mcschnei@syr.edu By Matt Schneidman

senior staff writer

the daily orange football guide 2016

syracuse 2016 football depth chart Syracuse released its first depth chart of the regular season Monday. The Orange have just five senior starters and 12 who are underclassmen. Only four players on the post-spring depth chart lost their starting spots. STARTING DEFENSE

STARTING DEFENSE

8 25 30

STARTING OFFENSE

2ND-STRING DEFENSE

2ND-STRING OFFENSE

DE NT DT DE WLB MLB SLB CB CB FS SS

Chris Slayton Steven Clark Kayton Samuels Kendall Coleman Parris Bennett Zaire Franklin Jonathan Thomas Corey Winfield Cordell Hudson Antwan Cordy Kielan Whitner

2 4 8 3 84 90 60 59 78 57 65

2ND-STRING DEFENSE

19 33

95 72 52 55 30 4 23 11 20 8 25

STARTING OFFENSE

graphic illustration by clare ramirez presentation director

99 98 79 93 33 39 37 16 9 21 19

DE NT DT DE WLB MLB SLB CB CB FS SS

Jake Pickard McKinley Williams Anthony Giudice De’Jon Wilson Marqez Hodge Troy Henderson Ted Taylor Carl Jones Juwan Dowels Chauncey Scissum Daivon Ellison

QB RB WR WR WR TE LT LG C RG RT

Eric Dungey Dontae Strickland Steve Ishmael Ervin Philips Amba Etta-Tawo Cameron MacPherson Cody Conway Aaron Roberts Jason Emerich Omari Palmer Jamar McGloster

2ND-STRING OFFENSE

16 22 17 1 82 87 73 64 75 63 67

QB RB WR WR WR TE LT LG C RG RT

Zack Mahoney Jordan Fredericks Jamal Custis Brisly Estime Alvin Cornelius Kendall Moore Jon Burton Colin Byrne Sam Heckel Evan Adams Michael Lasker

football guide 2016 the daily orange

protégé

DONTAE STRICKLAND is going to be one of the top two running backs for Syracuse, head coach Dino Babers said. Strickland’s life and career have benefited from a close-knit relationship he developed with Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Mohamed Sanu. daily orange file photo

Dontae Strickland has developed a brotherly bond with NFL WR Mohamed Sanu asst. sports editor

hen Dontae Strickland’s grades were slipping, putting his future scholarship offers and football career in jeopardy, his football coach at South Brunswick High School knew just one man who could break through. Joe George, the coach, called up then-Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Mohamed Sanu to visit during his bye week for a surprise meeting in the coach’s office with Strickland and Sanu’s nephew, Mohamed Jabbie, who had grade problems as well. Sanu wasn’t just serving as a professional football player to command respect from an aspiring professional athlete, or even just a former South Brunswick (New Jersey) football star to give advice to someone whose shoes he had been in several years earlier. He was, and is, practically family to Strickland. So he didn’t hold anything back. What followed was “a lot of yelling, screaming,” Strickland said. George couldn’t help but think he probably shouldn’t be in the room as Sanu got “down and dirty with them.” The 45-minute to an hour-long speech left them all in tears, Sanu said. The message was clear: You only play football once in your life. Don’t throw it away. No one cares how good you are if you don’t have the grades to go to college. “It was probably one of the best speeches that anyone has ever given me,” Strickland said, “and motivated me, probably still to this day, to give it my all no matter how bad I’m feeling or what’s going on.”

Throughout Strickland’s football career and life, Sanu has served as a role model, mentor and source of tough love. He gave Strickland the nickname Tae Beamer because Strickland moves like a BMW, a nickname that’s stuck to this day. Strickland is entering his sophomore year and, despite seeing limited action as a hybrid in 2015, rose to the No. 1 running back spot in the spring. He was hurt for the latter part of training camp but still held the top running back spot on the Week 1 depth chart released Monday. Head coach Dino Babers said he’ll “hopefully” be 100 percent by the first game. “He’s basically my little brother,” Sanu said. “I’ve always looked out for him. … To see him where he’s at today, I’m not surprised.” The pair first met when Strickland was about 7 or 8 years old and playing Pop Warner football. Sanu was a high school star who had just moved to the area, helping out with the practices and talking with the kids. Strickland was already hooked on football, but meeting Sanu was the “cherry on top.” Sanu noticed a talent in Strickland that stood out from the rest so he took him under his wing. The next two years were spent with Strickland going to all of Sanu’s high school games, hearing Sanu’s name on the loudspeaker and imagining himself in the same spot. And as the duo got older, the closer they became. “Not the family everybody throws around, but truly family,” George said to describe their relationship. “And I mean took care of him.” Sanu would constantly pick Strickland up to workout and run routes. The NFL wide receiver still jokes with the college running back see str ickland page 10

SCRATCHING THE SURFACE Strickland saw limited action as a hybrid in Syracuse’s offense in 2015. Here’s the breakdown of his receiving and rushing for each game last year.

receiving and rushing total yards rhode island rush - 42, rec - 0 wake forest rush - 0, rec - 12 central michigan rush (-4), rec - 18 lsu rush - 7, rec - 5 usf rush -0, rec - 10

games

By Jon Mettus

uva rush - 9 , rec - 0 pitt rush 0, rec - 0 fsu rush 13, rec - 62 louisville rush - 2, rec. - 16 clemson rush - 0, rec. - 0 nc state rush - (-4), rec - 14 bc rush - 16, rec. - 0

the daily orange football guide 2016

Sean Lewis

Mike Hart

Lewis has been with Babers since the latter became the head coach at Eastern Illinois. In 2012, Lewis joined EIU as the inside receivers and tight ends coach. He’s worked his way up, coaching wide receivers and quarterbacks while also taking on part of the offensive coordinator’s duties last season.

Hart is a Syracuse, New York native and played at Onondaga Central High School, where he graduated in 2004. He played running back for Michigan and spent three seasons with the Indianapolis Colts in the NFL. Hart has been a running backs coach for four seasons, coaching the last two seasons at Western Michigan.

co-offensive coordinator, quarterbacks

running backs

Tom Kaufman

Kim McCloud

Reno Fe

Kaufman has been the special teams coordinator for Babers for the last four seasons and has taken the same role in his first year with the Orange. He’s led the linebackers along with his special teams responsibilities in four of the last five years. In 2015, Kaufman coached the defensive line as well as the specialists.

McCloud has worked with Babers for seven seasons, including two at Eastern Illinois (defensive coordinator) and two at Bowling Green (assistant head coach, wide receivers). The two also worked with each other for three years, from 2008 to 2010, at Baylor. At Baylor, McCloud coached defensive backs.

In his first year same staff as B guides SU’s tig previously spe at Towson as t ning backs coa and then as tig backs coach th sons. Ferri gra U.S. Military Ac after playing fo Knights for thr

special teams coordinator

wide receivers

tight ends

the next ep

With new head coach Dino Babers came new assistants as well. Som Illinois and others are joining him for the first time. Meet S

FREQUENT FLIER Dino Babers has been all over the United States in his career. Check out where he’s been.

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII (HONOLULU, HI) TENURE: 1984

ARIZONA STATE (TEMPE, AZ) TENURE: 1985-86

EASTERN ILLINOIS (CHARLESTON, IL) TENURE: 1987

UNLV (LAS VEGAS) TENURE: 1988-89

NORTHERN ARIZONA (FLAGSTAFF, AZ) TENURE: 1990

PURDUE (WEST LAFAYETTE, IN) TENURE: 1991-93

SAN DIEGO STATE (SAN DIEGO) TENURE: 1994

ARIZONA (TUCSON, AZ) TENURE: 1995-2000

TEXAS A&M (COLLEGE STATION, TX) TENURE: 2001-02

10 PITTSBURGH (PITTSBURGH) TENURE: 2003 11

UCLA (LOS ANGELES) TENURE: 2004-07

14 6 3,13

4 11

5 7

2 8

START 1

12 9

BAYLOR (WACO, TX) TENURE: 2008-11

BOWLING GREEN (BOWLING GREEN, OH) TENURE: 2014-15

EASTERN ILLINOIS (CHARLESTON, IL) TENURE: 2012-13

SYRACUSE (SYRACUSE) TENURE: 2016

football guide 2016 the daily orange

erri

Brian Ward

Vinson Reynolds

defensive coordinator

r working on the Babers, Ferri ght end group. He ent five seasons the Tigers runach from 2011-13 ght ends/fullhe last two seaaduated from the cademy in 2000 or the Black ree seasons.

Babers brought in Ward for his final year at Bowling Green as a defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. When Babers left the Falcons with a bowl game still left to play last season, Ward was named the interim head coach and commanded the squad in its final game. That title only lasted for 19 days as Ward followed Babers to SU.

defensive line

Reynolds enters his seventh straight season as a defensive line coach in his first working under Babers. Most recently, he’s spent three years at Western Michigan. Reynolds has spent the last two summers as a coaching intern with the NFL. In 2015, he was with the Baltimore Ravens, and in 2016 he was with the Indianapolis Colts.

Mike Lynch

Nick Monroe

Lynch was an assistant at EIU for nine years before Babers took over. The two have stuck together since. Lynch is the offensive line coach, but in 17 years of coaching he’s headed every offensive position group except quarterbacks. He most recently was BGSU’s running backs and offensive line coach.

Monroe was one of the few holdovers at Bowling Green for Babers. He coached six seasons in Ohio and spent six seasons at Colgate before then. His only other stop was at Allegheny College in 2002 and 2003. He played at St. Cloud State from 1997 to 2001. He will guide one of SU’s youngest units in 2016.

offensive line, co-offensive coordinator

defensive backs

pisode

me have been with Babers since his first head coaching job at Eastern Syracuse football’s assistant coaches for the 2016 season.

BEAT WRITER PREDICTIONS CHRIS LIBONATI ONE LOVE

JON METTUS

SAY WHAT AGAIN

MATT SCHNEIDMAN DIGITALLY AFFECTED

Record: 5-7 MVP: Dontae Strickland X-Factor: Defensive line

Record: 4-8 MVP: Eric Dungey X-Factor: Defensive line

Record: 4-8 MVP: Eric Dungey X-Factor: Amba Etta-Tawo

Dino Babers has never fit into a mold before, but Doug Marrone’s tenure (4-8, 8-5, 5-7, 8-5) provides a good layout for Babers to follow. Even when Babers was on staff at Baylor, the Bears went 4-8 in Art Briles’ first two seasons. A 4-8 or 5-7 season would be successful for Babers’ first season and should show enough for the expectations to grow in Year Two. The offense will outpace the defense in terms of picking up Syracuse’s systems. If guys at a couple of key positions such as defensive end, wide receiver and defensive back show they have what it takes to be competent starters in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Syracuse could and should exceed the 4-8 mark.

Four wins should be considered a success and that’s exactly what SU will be able to scrounge up in Dino Babers’ first year at the helm. No matter how you look at it, Louisville, Notre Dame, Clemson and Florida State are automatic losses. SU will keep one or two of those games surprisingly close. Then there are the games that probably won’t go the Orange’s way: N.C. State and Pittsburgh. That leaves Colgate, a no-doubter win, and five of what I’ll consider toss-up games against South Florida, Connecticut, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech and Boston College. Winning any of these games is well within Syracuse’s scope, but a major lack of depth already plaguing the team across the board will lead to a few bad losses.

With every new season comes a sense of optimism, especially if a new coach is in town. Dino Babers’ offense will put up more points behind a wiser Eric Dungey but it will also surrender more with a knocked-up, young defense. There are four losses right off the bat on the Orange’s schedule with four preseason top 20 opponents. If Dungey can string together a couple of explosive games against the ACCs middling teams with a revamped receiving corps, then we can start to talk about a bowl game. But until then, the optimism is unfounded and like Babers said, give him a year to get all the pieces in place.

Colgate — Win Louisville — Loss USF — Win Connecticut — Win Notre Dame — Loss Wake Forest — Win Virginia Tech — Loss Boston College — Win Clemson — Loss N.C. State — Loss Florida State — Loss Pittsburgh — Loss

Colgate — Win Louisville — Loss USF — Loss Connecticut — Win Notre Dame — Loss Wake Forest — Win Virginia Tech — Loss Boston College — Win Clemson — Loss N.C. State — Loss Florida State — Loss Pittsburgh — Loss

Colgate – Win Louisville – Loss USF — Loss Connecticut — Win Notre Dame — Loss Wake Forest — Win Virginia Tech — Loss Boston College — Win Clemson - Loss N.C. State — Loss Florida State — Loss Pittsburgh — Loss

the daily orange football guide 2016

from page 9

str ickland about switching positions. When Sanu was at Rutgers, he’d bring Strickland back to school with him to work out. Once Sanu reached the NFL, he hired a personal trainer. Then, he brought Jabbie and Strickland to the sessions with him. The trainer understood the situation. They were able to keep up.

‘‘

i’ve been through what he’s going through now. i know what it’s like so i’ve just been trying to help him him get accustomed to what should he expect. MOHAMed sanu atlanta falcons wr

“I just always made sure I kept them around me so they weren’t around the wrong people,” Sanu said. “You have to have good influences around you so you don’t fall into the wrong crowd. “I never wanted anything to happen to them as far as being at the wrong place at the wrong time.” Even when Sanu bought his first car after making it to the NFL — a Porsche Cayenne — he brought Strickland along. And when Strickland waited two or three days to go see Sanu the last time he was home, Sanu got upset, Strickland’s father, Bill, said. Before games, Sanu will tell Strickland: “Yo, Tae Beamer. Go hard.” Strickland called Sanu before a preseason game against the Cleveland Browns to say, “Yo, Mo. Go ball out. Time to ball out.”

(LEFT TO RIGHT) MOHAMED JABBIE, SETH MINTER, DONTAE STRICKLAND, JIMMY FISCHER, DEVON YOUNG AND MOHAMED SANU pose for a photo after Syracuse lost to Louisville, 41-17, on Nov. 2. courtesy of bill strickland

Strickland often reaches out to Sanu for advice. Sanu usually preaches extra work, humbleness and other requirements he has realized to make it to the NFL. “I’ve been through what he’s going through now,” Sanu said. “… I know what it’s like so I’ve just been trying to help him get

accustomed to what should he expect.” Strickland has come a long way from the slacking high school sophomore in need of a lecture, and his guiding influence has always been Sanu. Whether it be about college life or football or personal issues, Sanu is his go-to for advice.

“It’s amazing just to have him by your side,” Strickland said, `“always asking questions (such as) if you need any help about football or life skills. Anything.” “Just an awesome feeling seeing them grow up,” Sanu said. “I was there to help them through it.”

football guide 2016 the daily orange

The standard STEVE ISHMAEL has been one of the Orange’s only constants amid constant turnover. In his first two seasons, the junior wide receiver went for 10 touchdowns and 985 yards on 66 catches in 24 games. He’s 1,743 receiving yards away from Marvin Harrison’s school record. jessica sheldon photo editor

Steve Ishmael has become the standard while being one of SU’s only constants By Paul Schwedelson

sports editor

teve Ishmael knew he’d have a chance to be a difference-maker as early as his freshman year. He spoke with fellow Syracuse commit, three-star quarterback Alin Edouard, every day. They discussed the possibilities, the untapped potential of the dominant tandem they could be for the SU. Ishmael and Edouard, both Miami natives, visited each other’s houses often. They tossed a football around outside. They fantasized about being the ones to help turn the program around. When Ishmael committed to SU just before signing day in 2014, he mentioned Edouard, four-star wide receiver K.J. Williams and then-offensive coordinator George McDonald as the three people he was most looking forward to teaming up with. Two and a half years later, Ishmael is the only one still at Syracuse. Edouard and Williams didn’t qualify academically and McDonald was fired after the 2014 season. Ishmael has been one of the Orange’s only constants amid constant turnover. “I just want to win games, man,” Ishmael said. Syracuse has won only seven games in Ishmael’s career. For a player who’s been one of Syracuse’s best, it’s time to change that. As part of an offensive scheme that is friendlier to wide receiver’s statistics than SU’s style last year, Ishmael has a chance to break out. He said he hasn’t set any personal goals for his junior season, but he used to talk in high school about leaving his mark with the Orange. Through two seasons, he’s racked up 985 yards, 66 catches and 10 touchdowns in all 24 games, despite going through six different quarterbacks and now three different offensive coordinators “This year, we’re actually taking chances,” Ishmael said. “I feel like head coach (Dino) Babers, he’s not afraid to do anything so I feel like this year there’s going

to be a lot more opportunities.” There’s evidence why Ishmael believes in him. In 2015 alone, Babers’ top three receivers at Bowling Green each had more than 950 yards receiving and 70 catches. Babers has successfully used the scheme as a head coach the past four years.

‘‘

i feel like head coach (dino) babers, he’s not afraid to do anything so i feel like this year there’s going to be a lot more opportunities. Steve Ishmael SU WIDE RECEIVER

When asked about Ishmael, Babers didn’t comment directly about him, as he has done for most questions about specific players during the preseason. Once Ishmael emerged as a top target early in his career, defenses would roll their coverage toward his side of the field. He occasionally had trouble getting open and making plays. And for some plays Ishmael couldn’t make, he didn’t even know why. Babers’ new staff, which includes wide receivers coach Kim McCloud, is stricter when it comes to route-running technique, Ishmael said. He’s forced to improve, otherwise he’ll hear from coaches. The no-huddle offense means more plays and more chances to catch the ball. The formations Syracuse will run with multiple receivers stacked on one side mean more chances to get free. “I’m just trusting (Babers) when he says that,” Ishmael said, “that everything is going to be smooth in the game, that there’s going to be a lot of opportunities.” North Miami Beach (Florida) High School head

coach Jeff Bertani said college recruiters looking at their wide receivers ask him how players compare to Ishmael — he’s the standard. If anyone comes close to his skillset, recruiters know they can count on that player producing at the next level. Ishmael is considered by his former coaches the best receiver to come out of North Miami Beach. Beginning in his junior year, they molded the offense around his abilities on the perimeter. Though not specifically tailored for Ishmael, he now enters an offense that can maximize the flashes he’s already shown. “I think the country will start to see what Syracuse has already known about Steve,” Bertani said, “how good he truly is.” While at North Miami Beach, Ishmael talked about playing the role of Clemson’s Sammy Watkins while Edouard could mimic former Tigers quarterback Tajh Boyd. Last year, Ishmael envisioned being then-West Virginia’s Stedman Bailey while his roommate and SU hybrid Ervin Philips would be former Mountaineers wide receiver Tavon Austin. Neither comparison ever came close. “I feel like I’ve matured mentally,” Ishmael said, “in terms of manning up and taking a lot more things into my hands and growing as a player.” His growth has been a progression. Ishmael has fully adjusted to watching tape on his own, which he wasn’t used to when he got to Syracuse. He’s more accustomed to the Orange’s opponents, something that can come only with experience. He wears No. 8 because he looked up to former Syracuse great Marvin Harrison. He’s 1,743 receiving yards away from Harrison’s school record with two years of eligibility remaining. Now is Ishmael’s opportunity to carve out his own place. “The chances are going to be out there,” Ishamel said. “It’s just on us to go and grab the ball.” pmschwed@syr.edu | @pschweds

the daily orange football guide 2016

football guide 2016 the daily orange

syracuse 2016 football roster NO. & NAME

POSITION

HT.

WT.

YR.

HOMETOWN / HIGH SCHOOL

NO. & NAME

POSITION

HT.

WT.

YR.

HOMETOWN / HIGH SCHOOL

1 Brisly Estime

5-9

183

Sr.

Delray Beach, Fla. / Atlantic Community

43 Terell Drayton

5-11

219

Jr.

Rosedale, N.Y. / Townsend Harris

2 Eric Dungey

6-3

207

So.

Lake Oswego, Ore. / Lakeridge

45 Kenneth Ruff

6-1

264

Fr.

Lauderhill, Fla. / Dillard

2 Wayne Morgan

5-11

193

R-Sr.

Brooklyn, N.Y. / Erasmus Hall

176

Jr.

West Haven, Conn. / West Haven

46 Adam Dulka LB 5-9 226 Fr. Brecksville, Ohio / Huntington Valley University School

3 Ervin Philips

5-11

4 Zaire Franklin

6-0

230

Jr.

Philadelphia, Pa. / La Salle College

47 Matt Keller

5-11

222

So.

Willow Street, Pa. / Penn Manor

4 Dontae Strickland

5-11

199

So.

Dayton, N.J. / South Brunswick

48 Cole Murphy

6-3

200

Jr.

Castaic, Calif. / Valencia

5 Austin Wilson

6-3

222

R-Jr.

Camp Hill, Pa. / East Pennsboro

49 Alryk Perry

6-1

217

R-Jr.

Columbus, Ga. / Glenwood School

6 Rodney Williams

5-10

186

R-So. Cherry Hill, N.J. / Cherry Hill West

51 Jaquwan Nelson

6-3

235

Fr.

Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. / Ft. Lauderdale

8 Antwan Cordy

5-8

175

Jr.

Homestead, Fla. / South Dade

52 Kayton Samuels

6-0

314

R-So. Ellenwood, Ga. / Arabia Mountain

8 Steve Ishmael

6-2

210

Jr.

Miami, Fla. / North MIami Beach

53 Nathan Hines

6-6

248

Jr.

Catonsville, Md. / Catonsville

9 Juwan Dowels

5-10

180

R-So. Sunrise, Fla. / American Heritage

54 Tyler Cross

6-2

279

R-Fr.

Douglassville, Ga. / Northview

10 Mo Hasan

6-3

186

Fr.

Coral Gables, Fla. / Dillard

55 Kendall Coleman

6-3

252

Fr.

Indianapolis, Ind. / Cathedral

10 Sterling Hofrichter

5-9

183

R-Fr.

Valrico, Fla. / Armwood

56 Liam O’Sullivan

6-8

271

Fr.

Chicago, Ill. / Maine South

11 Corey Winfield

6-1

190

R-Jr.

St. Louis, Mo. / Riverview Gardens

57 Omari Palmer

6-3

315

R-Sr.

Coram, N.Y. / Longwood

12 Andrew Armstrong

6-2

217

Fr.

Youngstown, Ohio / Cardinal Mooney

58 Donnie Foster

6-3

326

R-So. Savannah, Ga. / IMG Academy (Fla.)

13 Devin Butler

WR/RB 6-3

195

Fr.

District Heights, Md. / Frederick Douglass

58 Hernz Laguerre

6-1

237

Sr.

13 Evan Foster

6-0

208

Fr.

West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield

59 Aaron Roberts

6-4

280

R-So. Chicago, Ill. / De La Salle Institute

14 Kenterius Womack

6-1

181

So.

Luverne, Ala. / Luverne

60 Cody Conway

6-6

287

So.

15 Rex Culpepper

6-3

228

Fr.

Tampa, Fla. / Plant

61 Samuel Clausman

6-3

317

R-Fr.

St. Thomas Aquinas

Spring Valley, N.Y. / Spring Valley

Plainfield, Ill. / Plainfield North Pembroke Pines, Fla. /

16 Carl Jones

6-1

177

Fr.

Twinsburg, Ohio / St. Edward

16 Zack Mahoney

6-2

206

Jr.

LaGrange Park, Ill. / Lyons Township

63 Evan Adams

6-6

333

R-Fr.

Norwalk, Conn. / Norwalk

17 Jamal Custis

6-5

224

Jr.

Philadelphia, Pa. / Neumann-Goretti

64 Colin Byrne

6-5

312

R-Fr.

Coral Springs, Fla. / St. Thomas Aquinas

18 Scoop Bradshaw

5-11

163

Fr.

Tampa, Fla. / Plant

65 Jamar McGloster

6-7

328

R-Jr.

Hillside, N.J. / Saint Anthony

19 Daivon Ellison

5-8

177

So.

Linden, N.J. / Don Bosco Prep

67 Michael Lasker

6-5

312

R-Sr.

Corona, Calif. / Santiago

19 Tyler Gilfus

6-1

192

Fr.

Cape Vincent, N.Y. / Thousand Islands

68 Airon Servais

6-6

291

Fr.

Green Bay, Wis. / Ashwaubenon

20 Cordell Hudson

5-11

183

R-So. Largo, Fla. / Largo

72 Steven Clark

6-2

287

So.

Arab, Ala. / Brindlee Mountain

20 Sean Riley

5-8

151

Fr.

Playa del Rey, Calif. / Narbonne

72 Andrejas Duerig

6-3

309

R-Fr.

Lowell, Ind. / Mount Carmel

21 Moe Neal

5-11

169

Fr.

Gastonia, N.C. / Forestview

73 Jon Burton

6-8

310

R-Jr.

Spotsylvania, Va. / Courtland

21 Chauncey Scissum

6-2

201

R-Jr.

West Henrietta, N.Y. / Rush-Henrietta

75 Sam Heckel

6-4

279

Fr.

Waukesha, Wis. / Waukesha West

22 Jordan Fredericks

5-10

209

So.

Inwood, N.Y. / Lawrence

76 Keaton Darney

6-3

276

R-So. Los Angeles, Calif. / Loyola

23 Jonathan Thomas

6-1

209

Jr.

Lawrenceville, Ga. / Collins Hill

77 Mike Clark

6-8

304

Fr.

Exton, Pa. / Downingtown East

24 Shyheim Cullen

6-0

210

R-Fr.

Lowell, Mass. / Lowell

78 Jason Emerich

6-3

293

R-Sr.

New Ringgold, Pa. / Blue Mountain

25 Kielan Whitner

6-0

197

So.

Lawrenceville, Ga. / Mountain View

79 Anthony Giudice

6-1

273

So.

Monroe Township, N.J. /

26 Tyrone Perkins

6-0

203

So.

Glen Head, N.Y. / Friends Academy

Avon Old Farms (Conn.)

27 Devon Clarke

6-2

186

Fr.

Kissimmee, Fla. / Osceola

80 K.K. Hahn

5-10

178

Fr.

Bethesda, Md. / IMG Academy (Fla.)

27 George Morris

6-0

182

R-Sr.

Lawrenceville, Ga. / Central Gwinnett

82 Alvin Cornelius

6-1

190

R-Sr.

Staten Island, N.Y. / Tottenville

28 Christopher Fredrick DB

5-11

189

R-Fr.

Conley, Ga. / Cedar Grove

83 Sean Avant

5-10

210

R-Jr.

Miramar, Fla. / Miramar

29 Otto Zaccardo

5-10

186

Fr.

Subury, Mass. / Lincoln-Sudbury

84 Amba Etta-Tawo

6-2

202

R-Sr.

Powder Springs, Ga. / McEachern

30 Parris Bennett

6-0

208

Jr.

Detroit, Mich. / Univ. of Detroit Jesuit

85 Josh Black

6-3

257

Fr.

Loves Park, Ill. / Harlem

31 Kyle Kleinberg

6-0

215

So.

Armonk, N.Y. / Don Bosco Prep (N.J.)

86 Adly Enoicy

6-5

220

R-So. Delray Beach, Fla. / Atlantic Community

32 Winston Lee

5-10

193

So.

Hudson, N.Y. / Hudson

87 Kendall Moore

6-5

245

Sr.

Chicago, Ill. / Neal F. Simeon

33 Marqez Hodge

5-11

219

Sr.

Miami, Fla. / Miami Central

88 Clay Austin

5-9

164

Jr.

Montclair, N.J. / Seton Hall Prep

34 Jacob Hill

5-6

169

So.

Detroit, Mich. / Detroit County Day

89 Josh Parris

6-4

244

R-Sr.

Stone Mountain, Ga. / Stephenson

36 Tim Walton

6-2

224

Fr.

Detroit, Mich. / Cass Technical

90 Cameron MacPherson TE

6-3

250

Sr.

Syracuse, N.Y. / Christian Brothers

37 Ted Taylor

6-1

217

Sr.

Riviera Beach, Fla. / Dwyer / Dodge City

Academy

Community College

91 Trey Dunkelberger

6-5

235

Jr.

Shillington, Pa. / Governor Mifflin

38 Alex Grossman

5-9

155

Sr.

Woodbury, N.Y. / Syosset

92 Nolan Cooney

P/K

6-3

187

Fr.

East Greenwich, R.I. / East Greenwich

39 Troy Henderson

5-11

216

R-Fr.

Cleveland, Ohio / St. Edward

93 De’Jon Wilson

6-3

250

R-Sr.

Washington, D.C. / H.D. Woodson

40 Zack Lesko

6-0

215

Fr.

Solon, Ohio / Solon

95 Chris Slayton

6-4

296

R-So. University Park, Ill. / Crete Monee

41 Eric Anthony

6-0

202

Sr.

Baldwinsville, N.Y. / C.W. Baker

98 McKinley Williams

6-4

253

Fr.

Miramar, Fla. / Dillard

42 Joe Stanard

5-10

202

Sr.

Baldwinsville, N.Y. / C.W. Baker

99 Jake Pickard

6-5

256

R-Fr.

Short Hills, N.J. / Millburn

the daily orange football guide 2016

syracuse 2016 football schedule DATE

OPPONENT

TIME

LOCATION

Sept. 2

vs. Colgate

7 p.m.

Syracuse — Carrier Dome

Sept. 9

vs. Louisville

8 p.m.

Syracuse — Carrier Dome

Sept. 17

vs. South Florida

3:30 p.m.

Syracuse — Carrier Dome

Sept. 24

at Connecticut

TBA

East Hartford, Connecticut —

Pratt and Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field

Oct. 1

vs. Notre Dame

TBA

East Rutherford, New Jersey — MetLife Stadium

Oct. 8

at Wake Forest

TBA

Winston-Salem, North Carolina — BB&T Field

Oct. 15

vs. Virginia Tech

TBA

Syracuse — Carrier Dome

Oct. 22

at Boston College

TBA

Chestnut Hill, Massachussetts —

Boston College Alumni Stadium

Nov. 5

at Clemson

TBA

Clemson, South Carolina — Memorial Stadium

Nov. 12

vs. North Carolina State

TBA

Syracuse — Carrier Dome

Nov. 19

vs. Florida State

TBA

Syracuse — Carrier Dome

Nov. 26

at Pittsburgh

TBA

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — Heinz Field

football guide 2016 the daily orange

ON THE HUNT

HUNTER RENFROW started his career as a preferred walk-on for Clemson and then earned himself a scholarship the following year. In his first season on scholarship, Renfrow broke out for two touchdown catches and 88 yards in the national championship game against Alabama. courtesy of clemson athletics

When Renfrow finally earned the scholarship in August, it caught some of them by surprise. “I was like, what?” sophomore running back Ray-Ray McCloud said. “I thought he already had one.” In practice, Renfrow was one of the hardest receivers for Clemson’s defensive backs to cover, wide receiver’s coach Jeff Scott said. He also used his time with the scout team to work on his position as a slot receiver— a position in

which Renfrow is asked to block almost as often as he’s asked to catch. “He earned (the scholarship) through the way he practiced his redshirt year,” Scott said. “When a scholarship became available, I think it was a no brainer to all of the coaches and the players who to give it to.” His total receiving yards that year placed fifth best on the team, and his 14.9 yards per catch was the third best. Renfrow’s breakout season climaxed in the most important game of the year

HALFWAY HERO Renfrow notched 22 of his 33 receptions last season after Oct. 24. He also scored four of his five touchdowns and racked up 338 of his 492 receiving yards on the season in that span.

1st half of season 2nd half of season

4 3

games

october 17 december 5

october 10 november 28

october 3 november 21

september 17 november 14

january 11

october 24 december 31

september 12 november 7

unter Renfrow made his way down from where he had been sitting on the balcony in a Clemson football auditorium, high-fiving his teammates as they cheered, screamed and whistled for him. He embraced punter Andy Teasdall, then hugged head coach Dabo Swinney as he grabbed an envelope out of his hand. “Hunter is the perfect example of don’t judge a book by its cover, right?” Swinney told his players, who were still on their feet clapping. “Because he damn sure don’t look like a football player, but this little boy can ball.” The 2015 season was nearly underway, and Swinney had called a team meeting to give out two scholarships. One went to Teasdall, the other to Renfrow. After joining the Tigers in 2014 as a preferred walk-on, Renfrow earned a scholarship in his redshirt freshman season with the Tigers. He amassed 492 yards on 33 receptions and five touchdowns in 2015, including two touchdowns on seven catches and 88 yards in the NCAA college football championship game on Jan. 11 against Alabama. Swinney’s scholarship offer was the first time that Renfrow had ever been offered a scholarship from a Division I FBS team. The 5-foot-11 receiver earned seven D-I I FCS football offers and one D-I baseball offer out of high school but chose to walk on at Clemson. As a walk-on, Renfrow was determined to prove himself, working so hard with the scout team during the spring and summer of 2015 that he had almost all of the incoming freshmen convinced he was a scholarship player.

Clemson WR Hunter Renfrow catches on after earning scholarship

september 5 october 31

H staff writer

number of receptions

By Matt Feldman

for Clemson. After scoring a touchdown against Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl a week and a half prior, Renfrow shocked the Crimson Tide secondary, catching seven passes for 88 yards and two firstquarter touchdowns. He was named Clemson’s co-player of the game along with quarterback Deshaun Watson. “It really was not a surprise to any of us coaches or players, because Hunter made those types of plays in practice this past year,” Scott said. “The fans, the media, the national spotlight, everybody was able to see the player that we’ve seen in practice since he’s been here.” Both of Renfrow’s touchdowns ended with him sprawled out in the southeast end zone of University of Phoenix Stadium, just in front of where his family was sitting in the main-level seats. It was exactly what he imagined when he was younger playing football in his backyard. “It was definitely a surreal experience,” Renfrow said. “It was like when I was 10 years old — imagining that I would catch two touchdowns in the national championship.” Clemson lost the title game, 45-40, but the loss didn’t blemish Renfrow’s storybook season. He has since has evolved into Clemson’s walk-on poster child. The attention from fans and the media has skyrocketed since the Alabama game. Renfrow realizes that he must mentor other walk-ons at Clemson and hopes that they can learn from his experiences. “I’ve been there, and I know what it’s like,” Renfrow said. “That’s why I just told (the walk-ons) to have fun and enjoy it. Fifteen years from now, you’ll look back on your college experience and you want to make a difference, but at the same time had fun and enjoyed life.” mjfel100@syr.edu