Syracuse vs Wake Forest: Players to Watch

The Orange has a tough test as it hosts the 19th ranked Demon Deacons.

Syracuse faces its first top 25 opponent of the season as the 19th ranked Demon Deacons travel to the Carrier Dome Saturday.

Syracuse is looking to play spoiler to a Wake Forest team that’s hungry to earn national respect after a blazing 5-0 start. Coming off a tough loss at Florida State last week, Coach Babers’ squad will be looking for four quarters of pristine play to move one step closer to bowl eligibility.

Keep reading to see our player predictions for who could make an impact on Saturday’s in-conference matchup.

SYRACUSE ORANGE

Garrett Shrader #16 Quarterback

Shrader torched FSU’s defense with over 130 rushing yards and 3 TDs. It’ll be essential for Wake Forest to shut down the two-headed monster rushing attack of Shrader and RB Sean Tucker. The QB gets more and more comfortable with each game and looks poised to continue that streak.

Sean Tucker #34 Running Back

Tucker was held in check fairly well last week against FSU. However, he still managed to grind out over 100 yards on the ground. Tucker’s matchup this week is favorable against a Wake Forest defense that tends to grow weary with multiple weapons coming out of the backfield.

Duce Chestnut #20 Defensive Back

Chestnut is coming off another stout game where fans saw him jump a route and pick the ball off miraculously on a screen pass. He’s been a big key to the Syracuse defense all year long, and it’ll be a big test for him going up against a potent Wake Forest offense who puts up 38.4 points per game.

WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS

Sam Hartman #10 Quarterback

With 11 touchdowns and only two interceptions, Hartman may be one of the most underrated QBs in college football right now. His plays are consistent, he doesn’t turn the ball over often, and has completed 97 of 152 passes for 1,285 yards. Hartman is tied for 14th across the nation this season in touchdowns.

Jaquarii Roberson #5 Wide Receiver

Coming off a near 1,000-yard season last year with 926 yards, Roberson leads the team with 380 receiving yards. As Wake Forest’s deep threat option, it will be an interesting matchup, especially since he’s caught touchdown passes in six of the last eight games.

Traveon Redd #17 Defensive Back

Tied for most interceptions on the team, Redd is always looking to make a play on the ball. He’s also not afraid to come up and make tackles from his defensive back spot since he leads the secondary with 15 tackles. He’s versatile up front on the line of scrimmage as well where he’s gotten home to the quarterback multiple times before.