Syracuse’s depth continues to be tested
The Syracuse Orange will take on the Virginia Tech Hokies on Saturday at 12:00 pm. After Syracuse’s 41-13 loss to Pitt, the Orange are still looking for a win to become bowl eligible for the third year in a row. Syracuse Head Coach Fran Brown gave updates on some key players during his weekly press conference.
If you were in search of some more bad news, Oronde Gadsden has returned to the Syracuse sideline in street clothes pic.twitter.com/y8QlKfEiWd
— Ashley Wenskoski (@AshleyWenskTV) October 25, 2024
Brown first confirmed that TE Oronde Gadsden is “good to go.” Gadsden was seen in street clothes towards the end of the Pitt game and was reportedly going through concussion protocol. The tight end is Syracuse’s third-leading receiver with 466 yards and three touchdowns this season. He sits behind Jackson Meeks (512) and Trebor Pena (509) in receiving yards this year for the Orange. Gadsden missed most of the season last year with a Lisfranc injury he suffered in the second game of Syracuse’s 2023 campaign.
Brown also said he was “not sure” if RB Yasin Willis would be able to play against Virginia Tech. Willis was hurt towards the end of the Pitt game with what Brown confirmed as a high ankle sprain. Brown didn’t completely rule out the true freshman from playing on Saturday.
“If he’s anything like his pops, he’ll be playing Saturday,” said Brown.
Brown indicated that he wanted to be careful with Willis, noting that high ankle sprains can “linger a little bit longer.” Syracuse is already short on proven running back depth with Will Nixon out for the season with a Lisfranc injury. Willis started the season as RB3 on the depth chart. He has been LeQuint Allen’s primary backup since Nixon’s injury. The true freshman has rushed 28 times for 119 yards and a touchdown this season.
Brown also commented on WR Emanuel Ross, who played only his second game of the season against Pitt. Ross led the Orange in receiving yards with 78 yards on five catches against the Panthers. Brown confirmed that Ross was still dealing with a toe and Achilles injury, but that he needed the true freshman on the field.
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“I just tell him, like, we need him to fight through it.” said Brown. “We need you out there. It’ll help us more that he’s on the football field.”
Ross only previously played the season opener against Ohio, where he didn’t record any stats. He didn’t dress for a few games this season dealing with his injuries as well. The Orange wide receiver room is also slightly depleted. Zeed Haynes is still away from the team due to personal family issues and Trebor Pena was questionable for the Pitt game due to injury.
Finally, Brown talked about LB Marlowe Wax, who made his return to the field against Pitt. Brown had indicated earlier in the week that Wax would return against Virginia Tech this week. However, Wax looked good enough during practice during the week to give Orange coaches the confidence to play.
“Why would you not want that kind of talent on the football field?” said Brown.
Brown confirmed that Wax was not at 100% during the Pitt game, joking with the media that he was at “87%” right now. He couldn’t give an exact percentage on how effective Wax would be against Virginia Tech, but he was confident that Wax would not be as limited as he was against Pitt.
The Orange take on the Hokies at 12:00 pm on Saturday for the first Syracuse home game since September 28.