Scouting Syracuse: Defense

Safety Phillip Thomas leads a talented secondary.

The Syracuse defense is a solid unit. They allow over 250 yards a game through the air, so Daniels will have a chance to throw down the field, but he will have to watch for the ball hawks that lurk in the Orange secondary.

Defensive line

Starting at defensive end is senior Mikhail Marinovich (6-5 245-pounds). He ha 22 tackles on the season, including 3 tackles for loss and 2 sacks. His back-up is junior Brandon Sharpe (6-2 233-pounds) he has 15 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a half sack. The other starter at defensive end is junior Chandler Jones (6-5 251-pounds). He has 22 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks on the season, getting great pressure off the edge. His back-up is senior Torrey Ball (6-3 247-pounds). He has 20 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks on the season.

Senior Deon Goggins (6-3 280-pounds) is the starter at nose tackle. He has 36 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and a half sack on the season. His back-up is freshman Eric Crummey (6-0 332-pounds). Sophomore Jay Bromley (6-3 273-pounds) is the starter at defensive tackle for the season. He has 20 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks on the season. Senior Corey Boatman (6-1 281-pounds) is the back-up. He has 10 tackles on the season and one sack. Overall, the defensive line is solid for the Orange, causing pressure and getting tackles for loss. They will get pressure on Daniels and try to contain Scott and the run game.

Linebackers

Starting at strong side linebacker is Senior Dan Vaughan (6-2 219-pounds). He has 54 tackles on the season, including 6.5 tackles for loss and one sack on the season. His back-up is freshman Cameron Lynch (5-11 233-pounds) who has 30 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks on the season. Starting at middle linebacker is sophomore Marquis Spruill (6-1 216-pounds). He has 51 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks on the season. His back-up is junior Siriki Diabate (5-10 210-pounds) who has 17 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a half sack on the season. Starting at weakside linebacker is freshman Dyshawn Davis (6-3 213-pounds) who has 33 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks on the season. Junior Dom Anene (6-1 224-pounds) is his back-up. He has 5 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Overall, the linebacking unit is fairly average, but plays well in the box and does get pressure on the quarterback.

Secondary

Starting at cornerback is senior Kevyn Scott (5-11 208-pounds). He has 23 tackles on the season and 2 interceptions. His back-up is freshman Brandon Reddish (5-10 179-pounds) who has 6 tackles on the season. The other starting corner is sophomore Keon Lyn (6-1 190-pounds). He has 21 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and one sack on the season. His back-up is junior Ri'Shard Anderson (6-1 189-pounds) who has 15 tackles and one tackle for loss on the season.

Starting at safety junior Shamarko Thomas 95-10 208-pounds) who has 47 tackles and 2 tackles for loss on the season. His back-up is senior Olando Fisher (5-10 201-pounds) who has 8 tackles. The other starting safety is sophomore Phillip Thomas (5-11 190-pounds) the leading tackler on the team. He has 68 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, leads the team with 6 interceptions, and has forced one fumble. The offense has to be aware of where he is at all times. Sophomore Jeremi Wilkes (5-9 189-pounds) is his back-up, who has 31 tackles and one interception on the season.