Syracuse Football Breakout Candidates

A look at who could be a breakout star for the Orange this season.

Mike McAllister | Aug 8, 2021

Syracuse Football Breakout Candidates /

Five Syracuse football players who could have breakout campaigns during the 2021 season.

WR Courtney Jackson: The slot receiver generally receives a lot of targets in Syracuse's offense. Jackson will battle with JaVontae Williams for the starting spot. Whoever wins that battle will be in for a big chance to have a productive 2021 season. Jackson great speed and could become a big play option for the Orange.

WR JaVontae Williams: Williams is extremely athletic and can play inside or outside receiver. Even if Williams does not earn a starting spot, he will be in the rotation and have opportunities to make plays. Do not be surprised if he makes a few highlight reel plays this season.

TE Luke Benson: With Aaron Hackett gone, Benson is the clear starter at tight end. He is an extremely gifted receiving tight end, but that position was not utilized much last season. With a weapon like Benson, could the Orange move to make tight ends a bigger part of the offense in 2021? If it does, Benson could be in for a big season.

QB Garrett Shrader/Tommy DeVito: If Syracuse is going to have a successful 2021 campaign, it will need better quarterback play. That could mean Tommy DeVito wins the job, the offensive line takes a big step forward, and DeVito has a strong season. It could also mean that Shrader wins the job and displays his dynamic abilities with his arm and legs. Either way, both are candidates to be breakout stars in 2021.

DB Ben LaBrosse: LaBrosse appeared in nine games as a true freshman last season. He was highly regarded by the coaching staff as a recruit and made an instant impression during training camp. A larger role is expected this season and he will have an opportunity to earn a starting spot.

Published Aug 8, 2021

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.