Stanford vs. Syracuse Offensive Players to Watch

Dylan Grausz | Sep 20, 2024

Aug 30, 2024; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Ismael Cisse (84) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the TCU Horned Frogs at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Stanford 

Elic Ayomanor, WR

Despite having somewhat of a quiet season so far, having yet to find the end zone, Ayomanor has proven himself to still be a very valuable weapon for the Stanford Cardinal, leading the team in receiving yards with 147 while being second on the team in catches, trailing only Ismael Cisse who has 11 to Ayomanor's 10. The school record holder for most receiving yards in a single game, Ayomanor has shown that he can come through at any time and with the Cardinal beginning a tough slate of ACC games, Ayomanor could start becoming even more of a factor on offense as the season progresses.

Ashton Daniels, QB

Even through being a part of a quarterback rotation that involves Justin Lamson and now most likely Elijah Brown, Daniels is coming off of a very strong outing against Cal Poly, throwing for 221 yards and two touchdowns while leading the team in rushes with nine for 31 yards. Daniels is a very athletic quarterback while also providing a strong arm. After a strong game against the Mustangs, he will go into the game against Syracuse as the starting quarterback and is expected to take most of the snaps in week four.

Chris Davis Jr., RB

The Stanford running back room has seen a plethora of guys get in the mix this year, with Sedrick Irvin listed as the starting running back but Micah Ford leading the way in carries in week one. However against Cal Poly, it was the freshman Davis that was the main running back (Ashton Daniels led the way in total carries), carrying the ball six times for 53 yards while averaging 8.8 per carry. All camp long, head coach Troy Taylor and staff have raved about how good of a camp Davis Jr. had and with a good game in his last outing, he could very well start to be involved in more of a timeshare in the Cardinal backfield.

Syracuse

Kyle McCord, QB

The Orange have experienced a lot of changes from last year, not only moving on from longtime head coach Dino Babers but losing a handful of key players, particularly last year’s starting quarterback in Garrett Shrader, effectively beginning a new era for the program. However, McCord’s longtime relationship with current coach head coach Fran Brown, whom he has known since his days playing youth football, led him to choose Syracuse as his next school after transferring from Ohio State following the end of last season.

Through the team’s first two games in 2024, he has thrown eight touchdowns to only one interception, while throwing for 735 yards on a 69.4% completion, bringing a new identity to the Orange offense and allowing them to be a high octane offensive team. A star in Columbus, McCord’s experience playing for an elite program like Ohio State is a perfect addition to an up and coming Orange team.

Trebor Pena, WR

Last season, Pena finished the year with 22 catches for 203 yards and no touchdowns in 12 games. But this year, he has already managed to find the endzone four times in two games, beating his career high, while also leading the team in that category. He also has caught 12 passes for 166 yards, trailing only tight end Oronde Gadshen II, and on a team that likes to pass, Pena should continue to see action all throughout the year as he separates himself from all the rest.

LeQuint Allen, RB

McCord’s addition has been key in helping Syracuse’s passing attack start hot in the early portion of this season, but what Allen has done early on is another example of how lethal Syracuse’s offense has been. Leading the team in rushing, Allen has carried the ball 30 times for 181 yards, averaging six yards per carry. Despite not yet finding the end zone, Allen runs hard and coming off a 2023 season where he earned second team All-ACC honors, Allen is poised for an even bigger year.