Monday Musings: What Syracuse is Getting in OL Transfer Joe More (Evaluation)

Breaking down what the Orange is getting in its new offensive lineman.

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Syracuse football landed its first transfer portal commitment over the weekend when Richmond offensive lineman Joe More gave a verbal to the Orange. What is Syracuse getting in the 6-5, 302 pounder? We spoke to SI All-American's John Garcia Jr. to get a break down of his game and fit. 

"I think it's a fit," Garcia Jr. said. "Obviously you go into the frame, the maturity and the experience. Those are the first things that click when you dig into Joe More. In his early 20s, has started 30+ games, basically every game since his second season at Richmond. Which is great at 6-foot-5 over 300 pounds. Coming out of high school, he was a little bit lighter. So he really put in the work physically, which again points to a little bit more maturity. And then the experience there. Richmond plays a pretty modern style, from what I can tell, offensively, which means Joe is playing a lot of zone blocking schemes. He's reach blocking. He's having to control a gap from inside out. Doing some of the tackle duties that he would be expected to do under the Syracuse offensive system even though it might be tweaked a little bit going into 2023. I think there's some strong physical foundation here. He can play with leverage, got good enough length, to play on either side of the line. 

"I think from a comfort perspective, probably more of a right tackle. The patience, the skill set to redirect, the ability to reach block and set the edge in the run game and of course just classic one on one trying to mirror a pass rusher, Joe checks a lot of those boxes. That's what you would expect from someone from someone who is older and has been around since the class of 2018. He could have been gone on multiple occasions should he have elected to. Just one year of eligibility remaining, so it's kind of all or nothing for me. So beyond the physical gifts, you sort of like that. This might, for him, it might feel like a last chance or a back against the wall kind of moment. You pair that with an offensive lineman and good things will happen." 

Should Orange fans expect More to start?

"Most of these prospects moving around, especially with so much starting experience, it's really hard to envision them making a move where they would assume they wouldn't be starting," Garcia Jr. said. "Of course you've got to go out there and earn in. I think positionally, that stuff will figure itself out. That's what spring ball is for. That's what is advantageous for Syracuse going into 2023. You make this move, like I said earlier, with your back against the wall knowing, 'hey, I've got to win this starting job first.' That's the first box Joe has got to check for whatever additional aspirations he may have at Syracuse or wherever in 2023. I'm sure he knows that, I'm sure there were no promises made. But look, when you bring in a player like this with this kind of experience, 40 college games plus, you expect them to make an immediate impact. I think you compete for the left tackle spot and you certainly feel comfortable if he has to slide in on the other side because that's where he's played most of his college career."