Syracuse Football Training Camp Position Preview: Linebacker

The Orange is talented at linebacker once again.

Mike McAllister | Jul 20, 2023

Syracuse Football Training Camp Position Preview: Linebacker /

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Syracuse football is expected to kick off training camp in the next few weeks or so with the season less than two months away. All Syracuse continues its series previewing each position headed into training camp with the linebacker position.

PREVIOUS POSITION PREVIEWS

WHAT WE KNOW

Syracuse has two top tier starters in Marlowe Wax and Stefon Thompson. In his last full season (2021), Thompson recorded 79 tackles, six sacks, eight tackles for loss and forced two fumbles. Wax had 91 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 10.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a blocked kick last year. Both are dynamic, impactful, playmaking linebackers who give the Orange one of the better groups in the ACC.

WHAT WE DON'T

Who will be the third? Several players rotated in for Syracuse last season after Thompson went down with an injury. Kadin Bailey, Derek McDonald, Leon Lowery and Anwar Sparrow were some of the main contributors. Look for each to be in the mix to earn that third linebacker spot to join Wax and Thompson in the starting lineup. Still, entering training camp, that spot is very much up in the air. It should be an interesting competition to monitor.

BIGGEST CONCERN

Stefon Thompson is not the same after recovering from injury. Thompson has been a dynamic linebacker since joining the Orange. He has speed, physicality, athleticism and instincts. He suffered a season ending injury in week one last year, however. How has that injury affected him, if at all? That is the biggest question entering training camp. If Thompson is even close to his pre-injury form, all is well. But if there are any lingering issues or it impacts one of those aforementioned traits, that would be a significant concern entering the 2023 season.

BIGGEST STRENGTH

Depth. The Orange is very deep at linebacker with young talent, veterans and experience. Wax and Thompson have played a lot of football for Syracuse. Youngsters such as Kadin Bailey, Derek McDonald, Anwar Sparrow, Leon Lowery, Austin Roon and Mekhi Mason have all played. Incoming players like Zyian Moultrie-Goddard provide more depth. Obviously losing Mikel Jones hurts, but Syracuse is well positioned to replace him with its depth.

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Published Jul 20, 2023

MIKE MCALLISTER

Title: Publisher All Syracuse Education: Roberts Wesleyan College Location: Syracuse, New York Expertise: Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting. EXPERIENCE Mike McAllister has been covering Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting for more than a decade. Mike's career started with his own free blog as a way to vent following sporting events. Shortly thereafter, a network of basketball sites called Coast 2 Coast Hoops asked him to run their Syracuse site. That site was called Nation of Orange, and Mike quickly established it as a go-to for Syracuse fans. After running Nation of Orange for several months, a position with the Syracuse site on the Scout network became available. After one year as the recruiting expert with Cuse Nation, he was named the publisher. Mike oversaw the transition from Scout to 247Sports, and ran the site on that network for years. Presented with the opportunity to join one of the biggest names in the sports journalism industry, Sports Illustrated, Mike jumped at the chance. All Syracuse was started from scratch by Mike and the Fan Nation team. It has now become a staple for Orange fans of various sports. Mike has broken news on recruiting, Syracuse basketball and football team information and has established himself as the top recruiting inside in the market. He has appeared on local radio shows, television broadcasts, national radio shows and much more. Mr. McAllister has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and Information Management from Roberts Wesleyan College.