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Syracuse’s second week of spring practice offered a first glimpse with pads on and the Orange’s first 7-on-7 action this offseason. In the portion of practice open to the media, LSU transfer quarterback Rickie Collins — who’s likely Kyle McCord’s replacement — completed 1-of-2 passes, connecting with freshman running back Malachi Coleman on an out route.

Per usual, second-year head coach Fran Brown’s energy stood out. On Saturday, he was mic’d up for everyone from players and coaches to recruits to hear him in action.

“If you don’t like contact, this ain’t the place for you,” Brown said, as his voice echoed throughout Ensley Athletic Center while coaching the defensive backs.

Though it won’t be in collaboration with Colorado, which the NCAA Division I FBS Oversight Committee opposed Friday, the Orange’s spring game is less than two weeks away.

Here are some notes from the second week of SU’s spring practices:

Brown’s year two growth

Though Brown served as a co-defensive coordinator at Rutgers in 2020 and 2021, he never had full-time experience in a coordinator role before becoming the Orange’s head coach. Despite lacking the resume most coaches have upon earning their first head coaching gig, Brown’s recruiting prowess helped him land SU’s job.

And it resulted in one of the best seasons in program history. Brown tied Paul Pasqualoni (1991) as the winningest first-year head coach in Syracuse history and helmed it to its first AP Top 25 finish in six seasons, culminating in him winning the Bear Bryant Award for Newcomer Coach of the Year.

“We talk about D.A.R.T., being detailed, accountable, relentless and tough, and he lives by that every day,” defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson said of Brown. “And he expects the coaching staff, the players, the support staff, everybody from the athletic trainers to the strength coach staff to live by that.”

Offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon added that Brown isn’t afraid to consult other people who he thinks know certain aspects better than him, which has helped him “constantly grow.” But at the same time, Nixon noted Brown “challenges the staff daily.”

Linebacker Derek McDonald said Brown has “definitely grown,” but that the head coach “doesn’t change much.” The biggest adjustment, in McDonald’s eyes, is adapting to Brown’s style.

“I remember coming out last year in the first day of spring practice, where we didn’t know where to go, we didn’t know how fast everything was moving,” McDonald said. “Now that we kind of have the gist of it, we’re moving faster. We’re able to do more stuff, which is going to be helpful.”

Heading into Brown’s second season, cornerback Jalil Martin said he’s seen an increase in the buy-in from his teammates.

“One thing that changed, really, was we got a lot more guys bought in,” Martin said. “A lot more guys trust Fran and what he’s preaching and his process, so I feel like that’ll be the biggest difference.”

Chris Thomas talks transfer

While boosted by returners like McDonald, Devin Grant and Duce Chestnut, Syracuse’s defense will look extremely different without Marlowe Wax, Justin Barron, Alijah Clark and Fadil Diggs. Though the Orange didn’t make as big of a splash in the transfer portal as last year, one of their prominent additions was former Marshall defensive lineman Chris Thomas.

The 6-foot-6, 327-pound redshirt senior began his collegiate career at Florida, but appeared in just one game with the Gators over two seasons before transferring to Marshall before the 2023 season. With the Thundering Herd, Thomas notched 56 tackles across 23 games.

When deciding on his next school after entering the portal, Thomas instantly mentioned his brother, Eric, who committed to Syracuse’s 2025 class on June 25, 2024. As a result, Thomas got a firsthand look at Brown’s authenticity, which he said resulted in a “no-brainer” to commit to the Orange.

“I mean, they gave me a pitch, but it really wasn’t needed, like I already had relationships with them prior,” Thomas said. “And I just wanted to come and play for coach Fran and Syracuse.”

Beyond Thomas’ familiarity with Brown, Robinson recruited him when he was in high school. The defensive lineman said he built a good relationship with the defensive coordinator then, which also played a factor in his decision.

Thomas said his ultimate goal is to make it to the NFL. He said SU’s upset win over Miami to end the regular season showed him the Orange are a program capable of helping him get there. With the combination of Eric being in-person for the win, SU’s culture standing out and Brown taking the victory with grace, Thomas knew it was where he wanted to be.

“It made me realize, if I come here, I got a real good shot at making it to the NFL,” Thomas said.

LB, RB and TE talk

When McDonald got back to campus following winter break, he joked he didn’t know who to sit with in the cafeteria because of all the players Syracuse had left over the offseason. As the Orange’s linebacker room stands, McDonald, who saw an increased role last season because of Wax’s injury, should figure to be a starter with Wax and Barron pursuing NFL careers.

“They’re irreplaceable,” linebackers coach Robert Wright said of Wax and Barron. “Two guys that have played that much football. It was a blessing to have them, while we did, thankful and grateful to be able to coach them.”

Wright added that the linebacker competition is “wide open.” When asked who was stepping into Wax and Barron’s void, Wright mentioned McDonald and Anwar Sparrow. Sparrow initially intended to enter the portal over the offseason, but he decided to withdraw his name and return to SU for his redshirt senior year.

On the other side of the ball, the Orange are losing some of their best skill position players from last season, including running back LeQuint Allen Jr. and tight end Oronde Gadsden II.

“It’s tough to replace a guy like LeQuint Allen, but I do feel we have some talent to be able to get the job done,” Nixon said.

The offensive coordinator added SU “might be running back by committee,” but Yasin Willis seems to be the early favorite to receive the bulk of the work. As a true freshman, the New Jersey native totaled 130 yards and a touchdown on 36 carries. Behind him, Nixon mentioned Coleman, Malachi James, Jaden Hart and his son, Will, who is coming off an injury-riddled first season with the Orange, as other players in the room to look out for.

As for replacing Gadsden, Nixon expressed the solution wouldn’t be committee-based.

“I expect big things from Dan (Villari), you know, going into his senior year,” Nixon said.

When Gadsden missed virtually the entire 2023 season, Villari, a quarterback-turned-tight-end, had a breakout season. Also receiving significant wildcat snaps with quarterback Garrett Shrader banged up, Villari totaled 20 receptions, 180 receiving yards, 326 rushing yards and six total touchdowns. However, he tallied just 86 total yards and one touchdown in 2024.

The Orange also saw Maximilian Mang, who played a crucial blocking role, graduate; Nixon said junior David Clement is “kind of in that role” currently. He appeared in every game last year, but mostly on special teams. Nixon also mentioned sophomore Jamie Tremble, who he said is going to be a “really good player.”

Holiday Bowl defensive impact

With Syracuse’s defense set to undergo significant changes, its Holiday Bowl win gave underclassmen a prime opportunity to set the groundwork for breakout 2025 seasons. This was headlined by Martin, who notched his first career interception after playing just six snaps throughout the regular season.

“That interception made me more hungry because that was my first game having real playing time since I’ve been in college and my first interception, too,” Martin said.

While defensive backs Jayden Bellamy, Jaeden Gould and Marcellus Barnes Jr. all transferred, Martin still feels the position has a lot of competition, because Brown is always out recruiting. Among notable newcomers is freshman Demetres Samuel Jr., who’s practicing on offense and defense in spring practice.

Another player who received significant playing time during the bowl win was linebacker David Omopariola, who will be a redshirt sophomore in 2025. Omopariola made his first career start against Washington State, totaling a career-high 41 snaps, which also came from the defensive line, per Pro Football Focus.

“I know what I have to improve on just from my first start,” Omopariola said.

As the Orange broke the game open, they got every defensive player to play in the fourth quarter.

“It just shows you that you have to continue to develop these guys throughout the season,” Robinson said.

Published on March 30, 2025 at 9:00 pm
Contact Justin: justingirshon@gmail.com | @JustinGirshon