Observations from Syracuse’s spring game: Backup QB battle, 2-way Samuel
With starter Rickie Collins sidelined, backup quarterbacks Michael Johnson Jr. and Jakhari Williams shared reps in Syracuse’s spring game. Leonardo Eriman | Asst. Video Editor
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Syracuse’s 2024 season put the program back on the map. With a 10-win campaign capped in a 52-35 win over Washington State, head coach Fran Brown’s first season ended with SU ranked No. 20 in the country.
Saturday acted as a preview of Brown and Co.’s encore act. LSU transfer quarterback Rickie Collins didn’t participate due to a minor hand injury, but the Orange scrimmaged and showed off their backup quarterback competition, freshman star and more.
Here are some observations from Syracuse’s spring game Saturday:
The backup race
While Brown declared Collins as the starting quarterback Monday, the second-year head coach emphasized the importance of Syracuse establishing Collins’ backup. With Collins on the sideline, redshirt freshman Jakhari Williams led the orange team while graduate student Michael Johnson Jr. played for the blue side.
While Johnson has the experience advantage, Brown said Williams is “very close” to the backup role after dominating on the scout team as a true freshman. The Orange team played as the offensive starters, as Williams was paired with Trebor Peña and Yasin Willis. Williams found a rhythm on his opening drive with a deep bomb down the left sideline to Justus Ross-Simmons, followed by a rollout to his right and a dime along the sideline to Peña.
Johnson charged down the field on his opportunity, but he overshot Jameer Thomas on a key chance down the right seam and missed a touchdown. On his next drive, Johnson used his legs on a run-pass option to scamper to his left inside the 10. Though, he failed to find the end zone. Similarly, Williams had a shot down the left sideline at a wide-open Ross-Simmons but overthrew him two strides. He made up for it with a dart across the middle to Emanuel Ross for a touchdown.
Rich Belin entered for Johnson, while Luke Carney took Williams’ spot. Belin showcased his quick release and sidearm talents, and Carney used his legs to extend a few plays. Williams mixed back in for a few more drives but threw an interception to Jalil Martin on a rollout to his left. Despite the misstep, Williams’ day put him neck and neck still with Johnson exiting spring camp.
Dual-threat
The talk of Syracuse’s spring through three weeks has been its freshman phenom. At 17 years old, Demetres Samuel Jr. has taken the college football world by storm with his keen ability to play both ways.
Samuel’s routine this spring has been unlike anyone else on SU’s roster. On Mondays, he’s with the offense. On Wednesdays, he’s with the defense. On Fridays and Saturdays, he goes both ways. He played largely for the orange defense, making two tackles and swatting away a pass intended for Jaylan Hornsby.
Samuel entered as a wide receiver in the second quarter for multiple snaps, working along the left side against Davion Kerr. He saw a target down the left flank but couldn’t connect with Williams. When Carney slotted a screen pass to him in the third frame, a low, wobbly ball was dropped by the freshman.
He lined up on the outside for the rest of the orange team’s offensive drives but didn’t make much of an impact against the younger Kerr brother. Samuel’s best play of the day was one that didn’t count. Down in the red zone, Carney threw a fade up to the left pylon to Samuel. The freshman made an acrobatic, leaping catch but landed out of bounds. On the defensive side a few plays later, he took a truck stick from Hornsby. Samuel didn’t have the greatest highlights Saturday, but showed signs of an ability to play both ways successfully.
Defensive standouts
Syracuse’s defensive standouts on the day came from both sides. While playing on the blue team, likely the second unit, KingJoseph Edwards got home to record a sack. On the starting unit for orange, Cornell Perry paired with Duce Chestnut at safety, while Davien Kerr matched with Samuel on the outside.
Ibn McDaniels sprinkled in the slot and on the defensive line, Maraad Watson and Dion Wilson Jr. held strong on the interior. Watson even broke through for a sack, establishing his presence ahead of his sophomore campaign. Davien matched up with South Carolina transfer Tyshawn Russell and strapped him up, forcing multiple incompletions.
Defensive back Martin, who rarely played in 2024 until an impressive performance in the Holiday Bowl, made his mark with a leaping interception on the right sideline. Wilson tallied a sack after missing much of last season. Overall, Both defenses held the offenses in check, limiting scoring for most of the day and making it a defensive battle.
Additional notes
SU’s rebuilt special teams unit under Ricky Brumfield was efficient in its limited appearances. Iowa transfer kicker Tripp Woody missed one field goal, but converted another and tallied two extra points while Jadyn Oh was 3-of-4. Jackson Kennedy didn’t attempt any kicks despite standing out in Syracuse’s second half of the season. Woody and Oh switched between kickoffs, and Woody’s often came up short.
A top spark for Syracuse was its young wide receivers. The Orange lost Jackson Meeks to the NFL Draft, and Umari Hatcher is still recovering from an injury and didn’t appear in the game.
Still, SU’s wide receiving depth showed off. Ross-Simmons grabbed multiple contested catches while Ross found a groove with Williams. The redshirt freshman appeared in only four games last season to secure his redshirt, but will be a key piece of the unit. Darius “Boobie” Johnson returned a few punts and mixed in a basket catch on the left side for a big gain. Russell eventually found a reception with a leaping grab along the right sideline from Carney.
Another standout was redshirt freshman running back Jordan Montanez. He broke free for multiple plays of 20-plus yards both on the ground and through screen passes. Montanez even scored a touchdown for the blue team with a drive right through the teeth of the orange defense. Montanez will likely be behind Willis, Jaden Hart and perhaps more pieces, but SU’s depth was truly on full display.
