Senior quarterback Eric Dungey turned to his right and looked at Oklahoma-transfer running back Abdul Adams. Dungey had just capped off a storied career, winning the Camping World Bowl MVP as he led No. 20 Syracuse (10-3, 6-2 Atlantic Coast) to a 34-18 victory over No. 16 West Virginia (8-4, 6-3 Big 12). Yet, despite being the face of SU for the past few years, he turned to one of its next leaders in Adams.

“I can’t wait to watch Syracuse football next year,” Dungey said. “(The) future’s very bright.”

As Syracuse capped off its best season since 2001, the senior class, who led the turnaround of a dilapidated program, looked to 2019 and the foundation they built. Adams, along with fellow transfer Trishton Jackson – a wide receiver from Michigan State – accounted for three of Syracuse’s four touchdowns in the Friday night win. All season SU head coach Dino Babers stressed the importance of building a brand of Syracuse football toward the future. The success of 2018 will fuel 2019, 2020 and so on. While the team lived in the moment, many had their sights set for next season, excited to see what the 2018 season would lead to.

“What we did this year, these young guys that came in and what the culture has turned into, ain’t no telling what’s going to happen,” redshirt senior wide receiver Jamal Custis said. “I think they’ll have a better season than this year.”

“Now all (the new guys) know is winning,” Custis said.

Next year, Syracuse will do something it has not done in recent memory: play a 4-star recruit at quarterback, running back and wide receiver — Tommy DeVito, Adams and Jackson. An offense that already ranked 12th in points per game this season will return all of its receivers aside from Custis, who led the team in receiving yards. But Jackson’s talent, along with a more experienced Taj Harris, Sean Riley and Nykeim Johnson should easily replicate Custis’ production. And while senior Dontae Strickland became SU’s most reliable back as a combination of rusher, receiver and blocker, Adams still averaged a gaudy 9.2 yards per carry at Oklahoma in 2017.

Josh Shub-Seltzer | Staff Photographer

But in Syracuse’s offense, all of its success centers around the quarterback, and the Orange saw their future firsthand back in October. Coming off of two-straight losses, Syracuse needed a win at home against a one-win North Carolina team to maintain its course and keep pace with its 4-0 start to the season. SU jumped out to an early lead, but quickly the Tar Heels bounced back and Dungey couldn’t respond. The second-worst team in the ACC this season was on the verge of handing the Orange a crippling loss until Babers benched his four-year starter in favor of the untested DeVito with just five minutes remaining.

After forcing two overtimes, DeVito emerged from the Carrier Dome a hero, potentially saving Syracuse’s season with 181 yards and three touchdowns to topple the Tar Heels. Many called for DeVito to be named the starter following that performance, and although he wasn’t, he proved he’s just as capable of leading Syracuse as Dungey.

While the offense will surely take a hit with the losses of offensive lineman Cody Conway, Koda Martin and Aaron Roberts, the team will still return center Airon Servais, and guards Evan Adams and Sam Heckel.

In a no-huddle, air-raid offense, Babers will have his deepest and his most-talented core over his four-year tenure at SU. And defensively, Syracuse may take a huge leap forward.

Perhaps the biggest loss from the entire senior class is the most unheralded on the team — defensive tackle Chris Slayton. The redshirt senior demanded double teams, opening one-on-one matchups for defensive ends Alton Robinson and Kendall Coleman. But SU has seen solid play from other defensive tackles this season like Josh Black and Kenneth Ruff. Even so, the return of Robinson and Coleman is more than enough to make up for the loss of Slayton. A combined 20 sacks from the pair led Syracuse to a program-record 43 sacks this year, and the two will only improve with another year of experience.

Dropping back further into the defense, Syracuse will lose seniors Ryan Guthrie and Kielan Whitner, who after a rough start to the season, finished strong as one of the ACC’s top units in the second half of the season, each finishing with at least 100 tackles. Guthrie’s 16.5 tackles for a loss also finished second on SU to Robinson. But, the Orange return two linebackers with plenty of experience in juniors Shyheim Cullen and Andrew Armstrong, plus, should Babers decide to switch positions around, Kingsley Jonathan started at outside linebacker for St. Frances, one of the top high schools in the nation and the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association champion in 2016 and 2017.

Where the Orange will be especially dangerous is in the secondary. A team that led the ACC this season in turnover margin is set to repeat that performance next year as it returns every starter aside from Antwan Cordy, who missed much of the season with injury. Freshman Andre Cisco tied for the nation-lead in interceptions with seven, while his opposite safety, Evan Foster, finished the season with 86 tackles, including 5.5 for a loss.

Max Freund | Staff Photographer

The ever-reliant Chris Fredrick will be back for his senior year along with Scoop Bradshaw, but tons of attention should fall on Trill Williams and Ifeatu Melifonwu, who showcased that each could be the top cornerback on the team at times this season.

Lastly, on special teams, Syracuse returns Lou Groza Award winner, Andre Szmyt, and one the nation’s top punters and returners in Sterling Hofrichter and Riley, respectively.

Babers has always promised that to have a great team, SU would need “a defense that is relentless. You have a special teams that has been well-coached. You have an offense that will not huddle.”

Next year, he will have all three along with a favorable schedule that includes nonconference games against Liberty, Maryland, Western Michigan and Holy Cross. The Orange will host Pittsburgh and Clemson, the only teams in the ACC they lost to this season, with their toughest road contest likely coming in the form of Florida State, who finished 5-7 this season and suffered a demoralizing 30-7 loss to SU in the Carrier Dome.

This season, Syracuse was picked to finish last in the ACC before the year, and ahead of 2019, the Orange think they are being overlooked again. Las Vegas projects SU to win just eight games next season, while Custis, Dungey, Adams, Jackson and several others think the Orange will surpass 10.

“Man, they could go undefeated in my eyes,” Custis said.

Syracuse still isn’t getting the respect it deserves. And it won’t matter because the Orange will follow a historic 2018 with an even better 2019.

Matt Liberman is a staff writer at The Daily Orange, where his column appears occasionally. He can be reached at matt.liberman@dailyorange.com or @Matt_Liberman on Twitter.

Published on December 31, 2018 at 11:20 am

Contact Matt: mdliberm@syr.edu