Amidst Offseason Change, Syracuse Players Have Lofty Goals For 2022 Season

The Orange football program is looking for a bounce back year.

Day four of fall camp on Friday was the first day in pads since the spring. As the Orange battled the heat, the defense had to battle an offense with a new component attached to them: Robert Anae. The new offensive coordinator is tasked with taking a really skilled offense and turn them into an ACC powerhouse.

Led by junior linebacker Mikel Jones, Syracuse’s defensive core has been lively early on. The first-team All-ACC selection is looking to set the standard for the younger group.

“That was the difference between making a bowl game and not making a bowl game,” Jones said. “So, I tell them just focus on the little things. All the little things that you think don’t matter, they matter.”

The Orange lost three games last year by a field goal. If the result had been flipped in two of the three contests, they may have been eligible for a bowl game. But Jones is not alone in his efforts to acclimate the younger players to Syracuse’s style of play.

Caleb Okechukwu, a redshirt junior who played in all 12 games last season, is leading the charge on the line of scrimmage after 21 tackles, two tackles for a loss and one sack in 2021. The redshirt-junior says the defensive line looks good thanks to good coaching and a lot of confidence.

“Coach Achuff does a good job of coming out and getting on [us],” Okechukwu said. “Fundamentals, that’s what we are working on right now. Just the fundamentals every day. Worrying about the little things so we can be great on the field.”

Just like Jones, the defensive lineman knows that doing the little things make the difference between being a good football team and taking it to the next level. Luckily, Okechukwu has a plethora of talent behind him in the secondary who are all on the same page.

“We’re all a tight knit group. I’m not worried about any of those guys back there. We all are really close off the field as well, so it transfers to the field. We communicate. If I see something and they see something, then we all let each other know which is good.”

One of the guys Okechukwu is referring to is cornerback Duce Chestnut. In his freshman campaign, Chestnut was able to make an immediate impact on the field with 43 tackles, three interceptions and being the runner-up in ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.

While many guys are fitting in early on in camp, nobody feels more comfortable than Chestnut being alongside his long-time teammate, Alijah Clark.

“We’ve been better players since high school,” Chestnut said. “In high school it was not easy but we have to be more focused in college and you can see the difference from high school and college. We’re more locked in together.”

For Chestnut, his goals and aspirations during week one of camp have been high for this Syracuse football team. He thinks that with everyone on the same page, the Orange will be able to soar above the rest.

“Our goal is to be top 10 in the country and we know we can even be top five when we’re playing at our best. It’s definitely going to be better this year.”

With Louisville lurking under a month away, Syracuse will need to have a short memory after their 41-3 loss last season on the road. A tight defensive group with lots of skill and chemistry could help them take down the Cardinals and start the season 1-0.

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