2012 Biletnikoff Award Watch List: Syracuse's Alec Lemon Makes List

The 2012 Biletnikoff Award watch list was announced Tuesday, and Syracuse Orange senior wide receiver Alec Lemon was one of players who made the list. The Biletnikoff Award is given annually to college football's top wide receiver by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc..

Last season, Lemon led the Orange in about every receiving category, as he collected a school-record 68 receptions for a team-high 834 yards. Lemon's numbers helped him earn All-Big East Conference Second Team honors.

Currently, Lemon ranks fifth in school history with 127 receptions and is ranked ninth with 11 touchdown grabs. He will enter the season as the Orange's top wide out, however, teammate Marcus Sales is expected to be the SU's play-making flanker.

Lemon joins Syracuse offensive linemen Justin Pugh as Orange players to be named to preseason watch lists.

For more on Syracuse football's offseason check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. Meanwhile, the SB Nation blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician has everything on the Orange.

2012 Lombardi Award Watchlist: Rutgers' Khaseem Greene, Syracuse's Justin Pugh Makes List

A few hours after being named to the 2012 Butkus Award Watchlist, Rutgers Scarlet Knights' junior linebacker Khaseem Greene made the grade to be a part of the Lombardi Award Watchlist. The award is presented to college football's best linebacker or linemen.

Last season, Greene earned the Big East Conference's Co-Defensive Player of the Year Award after collecting 140 tackles, including 3.5 sacks. However, Greene had his season end on a sour note when he broke his ankle in the Pinstripe Bowl. Greene is making progress in his rehab and is expected to be fully recovered for the 2012 season.

Also named to the watch list was Syracuse offensive linemen Justin Pugh, who's quickly becoming a household name when it comes to NFL Draft scouts. Pugh is also entering his junior season and is expected to be the anchor of the Orange's front-five.

For more on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights footballl team, be sure to check out our blog On The Banks and SB Nation New York for all the latest news and notes. For everything Syracuse Orange related, check out Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician.

Syracuse Football: Orange Adding JUCO Depth - Report

The start of the 2012 Syracuse Football season is quickly approaching, and head coach Doug Marrone and his staff are trying to finalize a roster that can be good and deep enough to win the Big East Conference. With time winding down, it seems the Orange are looking at the junior college ranks to fill holes in their roster.

A source close to the program confirmed Sunday night that Christopher Clark, who played last season at East Los Angeles College, will be on scholarship and with the team when preseason camp opens next month should his application for admission be granted. This morning the source said defensive tackle Davon Walls (6-foot-7, 310 pounds) is in the same situation as Clark.

Clark is a 6-foot-0, 175-pound wide receiver who, according to Syracuse Post-Standard writer Dave Rahme, was used as a deep threat. Meanwhile, Walls has a massive 6-foot-7, 310-pound frame and is shown below in the YouTube video.

Davon Walls#51 (via keno8650)

If both player are accepted to SU, they will have two years of eligibility left.

For more on Syracuse football's offseason check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. Meanwhile, the SB Nation blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician has everything on the Orange.

Augustus Edwards Commits To Syracuse

It was all but a certainly, but Staten Island running back August Edwards made his commitment to the Syracuse football program official on Tuesday. Edwards, a Class of 2013 recruit, picked the Orange over schools like Rutgers, Connecticut, Miami and Pittsburgh.

Edwards (6-foot-1, 200-pounds) is rated a three-star prospect by Rivals.com, and becomes one of the many recent New York City prospects to commit to Syracuse and head coach Doug Marrone.

Edwards comes from Staten Island's Tottenville High School, where he played alongside current Syracuse freshman wide receiver Alvin Cornelius last season. Edwards rushed for 1,411 yards and 11 touchdowns on the season, and added one receiving touchdown and scored twice on kick returns. At 6'1", 210 lbs, Edwards utilizes a unique blend of size and speed as a running back.

Edwards becomes already the eighth verbal commitment of the Class of '13 for Syracuse.

Augustus Edwards RB Jr highlights (via godsgiftgus)

For more on Syracuse football's offseason check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. Meanwhile, the SB Nation blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician has everything on the Orange.

Augustus Edwards Will Commit To Syracuse, According To Sources

The Syracuse Orange football program's goal of owning the New York City recruiting trail could move one step closer to becoming a reality Tuesday, as Staten Island running back Augustus Edwards, Class of 2013, is expected to make his commitment to SU at 10 a.m. ET on MSGVarsity.com.

According to sources, Edwards (6-foot-1, 200-pounds) will chose Syracuse over schools like: Boston College, Connecticut, Miami, Pittsburgh and Rutgers. Edwards is rated three stars by Rivals, three stars by ESPN and three stars by Scout.

The commitment of Edwards, the No. 3 recruit in the state of New York, not only will add play-making talent to the backfield, but also could lead to another even bigger signing for the Orange -- defensive end Ebenezer Ogundeko.

Ogundeko is also a native of Brooklyn, NY and a friend of Edwards, and both have said they would like to attend college together. Ogundeko (6-4, 265) is the better prospect out of the two, and has scholarship offers from a lot of major schools such as Alabama and Ohio State.

Ogundeko is expected to announce his commitment in a few weeks.

For more on Syracuse football's offseason check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. Meanwhile, the SB Nation blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician has everything on the Orange.

Syracuse Football Schedule 2012: Syracuse Vs. USC To Be Played On National Television

Does the tri-state/New York City area care about college football? Well, sports fans will soon find out, as a nationally televised non-conference contest between the Syracuse Orange and USC Trojans will be showcased on Sept. 8 (3:30 p.m. ET on ABC) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.

The New York College Classic, the new branding name for a game that has been on the books for years now, will feature two different programs at the opposite ends of the college football spectrum.

The Orange will be coming off a disappointing 5-7 season, which ended on a five-game losing streak; while the Trojans will finally be bowl eligible for the first time in two seasons and probably ranked in the top five with aspirations of a National Championship.

For Syracuse fans, the nationally televised game will be welcomed, however, many will be praying their team doesn't get embarrassed on the national stage -- last year, the Orange played the host Trojans to a respectable 38-17 loss.

The Orange will play four other nationally televised games during the 2012-13 seasons. Here's the complete rundown via SUAthletics.com:

For more on Syracuse football's offseason check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. Meanwhile, the SB Nation blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician has everything on the Orange.

Syracuse Football 2012: Orange Release Post-Spring Game Depth Chart

As promised, the Syracuse Orange football program release its post-Spring Game depth chart just about two weeks after the exhibition contest which featured Team Anselmo downing Team Moore 9-0. Despite some key injuries to some of last year's starters, there wasn't many surprises to the depth chart. (Last year's starters are listed in bold.)

Here's a few quick thoughts about the depth chart that I like:

• Understanding that senior wide receiver Alec Lemon is injured, its nice to Jeremiah Kobena in the No. 2 role on the depth chart. Now, if healthy, Lemon, who had 68 receptions last season, will be the opening-day No. 2 wide out, however, Kobena is more athletic and a play-maker that can get the ball into the end zone. Pair him with No. 1 wide receiver Marcus Sales, and there could be some fireworks in the SU passing-offense come next fall.
• The deepest position seems to be linebacker, as sophomores Dyshawn Davis and Cam Lynch are possible future All-Conference players (well, if the Orange continued to play in the Big East Conference), while Siriki Diabate and Dan Vaughan add solid leadership. And, that's leaving out sophomore Marquis Spruil, who had the fourth-most tackles on the team last season.
• Freshman Ashton Broyld, who's probably Syracuse's best athlete, isn't listed as a quarterback, a position in played most of his career, instead, he's the third-string running back behind Jerome Smith and Prince-Tyson Gulley, respectively. However, it's expected that Broyld is going to be the future starting quarterback, but head coach Doug Marrone is trying to find a way to get him on the field this season.
• Sophomore Brandon Reddish earned the No. 2 corner back spot thanks to senior Keon Lyn being not listed because of an injury. With that said, it would not be shocking if Reddish eventually find himself in the starting lineup, as he had a terrific Spring practice and game, and he could be one of the best additions this season.
  
• The defensive line looks solid as there are a lot of familiar names there. Both Brandon Sharpe and Jay Bromley had a good performance in the Spring Game, and seemed confident in the post-game presser they both are ready to create some havoc for opposing quarterbacks. Of course, everyone will need to step-up as the line lost first-round NFL Draft pick Chandler Jones.
  

For more on the Syracuse football depth chart, make sure to check out the breakdown the the SB Nation blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician did.

Syracuse Football Spring Game 2012: No Offensive Touchdowns Scored In Team Anselmo's 9-0 Victory

SYRACUSE - There wasn't any offensive fireworks at the Syracuse football program's Spring Game Saturday, as two defensive scores was the difference in a 9-0 victory for Team Anselmo over Team Moore. Starting quarterback Ryan Nassib completed 11 of his 18 pass attempts for 163 yards for the winning team, which was led by assistant head coach John Anselmo.

Junior defensive tackle Jay Bromley finished the game with three tackles, all for losses, two of them being sacks that each led to scores for the defense. The first sack came in the first quarter that helped his team take a 2-0 lead, while the second forced a fumble, which was scooped up by defensive end Brandon Sharpe who returned it for a touchdown.

After that, however, there was very little excitement as only a few long passes and a nice catch-and-run from freshman Ashton Broyld got the small crowd of less than 3,000 cheering. But despite the lack of offensive plays, head coach Doug Marrone was pleased with his team's effort of the last 13 days.

"We had 13 outstanding days of Spring practice," said Marrone, who closed all but one practice to the media and fans.

In the end, there were a few takeaways from the exhibition:

• Nassib was by far the best quarterback on the field, which is both good and bad for Syracuse. It's good in the sense that Nassib is "the guy" and will be "the leader", however, if anything were to happen to him, the Orange offense will be in trouble.
• Freshmen quarterback/running back/wide receiver Broyld saw some action at all possessions and had a few big plays, the most impressive being a 44-yard reception that featured him catching and quick slant, eluding a few defender before being caught from behind.
• The player, at least to me, that stood out the most was sophomore defensive back Brandon Reddish, who was filling in for the injured Keon Lyn. Reddish had a total of three pass break-ups and nearly collected a few interceptions. In the post-game, defensive players Bromley, Sharpe and Dyshawn Davis, expressed that Reddish was a big bright spot in Spring practice and coach Marrone backed-up those feelings in his post-game presser. If Syracuse is looking for someone to replace saftey Phillip Thomas, Reddish could
• Prince-Tyson Gulley looked good despite rushing for just 18 yards on seven attempts. Gulley, who's listed at 5-foot-9, 181 pounds, seems to have good size (same height has last year's running back Antwon Bailey but with a bit more poundage) that is complimented by some speed. However, it seems the issue for Gulley during Spring ball is the amount of drops which coach Marrone hasn't liked.
• Meanwhile, junior tailback Jerome Smith (5-11, 213) rushed for 14 yards on five carries, but coach Marrone said Smith was one of a handful of players that stood out during Spring practice.

All-in-all, the 2012 Spring game wasn't a pretty one, as there were a lot of yellow flags on the field because of dumb penalties, no offensive touchdowns (last year, there was just ONE offensive score in a 13-7 contest) and two missed, chip-shot field goals.

Coach Marrone and his staff can sugar coat a lot of things, but there will need to be a lot of improvement over the off season if this team wants to make its second postseason trip in three seasons.

For more on Syracuse's Spring Football Game, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream, and make sure to follow SB Nation New York and our own Jared Smith on Twitter.

Syracuse Football Spring Game, Halftime Score: Team Anselmo 9, Team Moore 0

A safety and fumble recovery turned defensive touchdown, both setup by junior defensive tackle Jay Bromley and senior defensive end Brandon Sharpe, has helped Team Anselmo take a 9-0 halftime lead over Team Moore in the Syracuse Orange Spring football game at the Carrier Dome.

Bromley recorded a sack in the endzone on quarterback Charley Loeb to give the squad led by assistant head coach John Anselmo a 2-0, first-quarter lead. Then, in the second quarter Bromley sacked and stripped quarterback John Kinder, which led to a fumble recovery and a touchdown by Sharpe.

Offensively, both squads have really struggled. Syracuse's starting quarterback Ryan Nassib has led just one drive inside the opponent's territory, however, the drive stalled around midfield.

There has been a lot of penalties on both sides of the balls, which has led to both squad not getting into a lot of rhythm.

As for "prized" recruit Ashton Broyld, he's carried the ball a few times out of the backfield for short gains -- one of them brought back because of penalties -- and dropped a swing pass out of the backfield.

Anselmo's running back Prince-Tyson Gulley has shown a few good bursts of play-making ability, but has yet to bust a long run. None of the wide receivers or tight ends has stood out yet.

For more on Syracuse's Spring Football Game, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream, as our Jared Smith will be providing updates from the Carrier Dome.

Syracuse Football Game 2012: Alec Lemon, Jarrod West, Marquis Spruill Not Participating

The Syracuse Football Spring Game non-participant list is out, and there a few big names on the list that will not be playing during the exhibition at the Carrier Dome. The biggest names come from the wide receiving corps where 2011-10 starter senior Alec Lemon and backup junior Jarrod West are out with upper and lower body injuries, respectively.

Last year's starting left tackle Justin Pugh is also out (upper body), while on defense corner back Keon Lyn, linebacker Marquis Spruill.

Here's the full list of players who will not participate for the annual Spring Game:

Lou Adazzio, TE, Upper Body
Carl Cutler, FB, Lower Body
Kyle Foster, WR, Lower Body
Sean Hickey, RT, Lower Body
MaCauley Hill, WR, Lower Body
Alec Lemon, WR, Upper Body
Keon Lyn, CB, Upper Body
Adonis Ameen-Moore, RB, Upper Body
Justin Pugh, LT, Upper Body
Micah Robinson, RE, Upper Body
Marquis Spruill, LB, Lower Body
Greg Tobias, RB, Lower Body
Rob Trudo, RG, Lower Body

For more on Syracuse's Spring Football Game, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream, as our Jared Smith will be providing updates from the Carrier Dome.

Syracuse Football Spring Game 2012: Orange To Reveal Duel-Threat Offense

After having weeks of an unusual batch of Spring practices, which featured the media being blacked-out for most of it, the Syracuse Orange football program will reveal themselves to the fan base Saturday when they hold its annual Spring Game at the Carrier Dome (noon ET).

Head coach Doug Marrone, who's entering his fourth season, will conduct a split-scrimmage for the second straight year to showcase to Orange fans what they have come the Fall. Last season, Syracuse played its first scrimmage-like Spring Game in years, and it featured the White Team, led by quarterback Ryan Nassib, downing the Blue Teem 13-7.

Unfortunately, in that contest there was only one offensive touchdown scored which was a foreshadow of what was to come for the 2011-12 season -- the Orange's offense was stagnate for most of the season which ended at 5-7 overall.

However, there is some anticipation to this Spring Game, as fans will be looking for Nassib to make that next-big step in a more run-oriented offense, and if he doesn't he'll be looking over his shoulders because backup quarterbacks Charley Loeb and freshman Ashton Broyld will be breathing down his neck for playing time.

Meanwhile, there's excitement about the return of wide receiver Marcus Sales, who was suspended all of last season due to some issues with the law, and junior running back Prince-Tyson Gulley and sophomore Jerome Smith, who're both expected to be a solid "thunder-and-lighting" duo.

On defense, the linebackers and defensive line will be under a strong spotlight. Last season, the linebackers struggled with consistency but showed flashes of greatness with freshmen Cam Lynch and Dyshawn Davis. While, the defensive line will need to replace pass rusher Chandler Jones, who's predicted to go in the first round of the NFL Draft.

For more on Syracuse's Spring Football Game, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream, as our Jared Smith will be providing updates from the Carrier Dome.

Syracuse Football Schedule 2012: Big East Releases Conference Schedule, Syracuse Schedule Complete

The Big East Conference released its conference football schedule on Monday, filling out the 2012 Syracuse football schedule.

The Orange will begin conference play on Friday, Oct. 5 against the Pittsburgh Panthers and conclude it on Friday, Nov. 23 against the Temple Owls.

View Syracuse's non-conference schedule here, or the entire Syracuse Orange football schedule follows:

Sat., Sept. 1: Northwestern

Sat., Sept. 8: Southern California (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2)

Sat., Sept. 15: Stony Brook

Sat., Sept. 22: at Minnesota

Fri., Oct. 5: PITTSBURGH (7 p.m., ESPN)

Sat., Oct. 13: at RUTGERS

Fri., Oct. 19: CONNECTICUT (8 p.m., ESPN)

Sat., Oct. 27: at USF

Sat., Nov. 3: at CINCINNATI

Sat., Nov. 10: LOUISVILLE

Sat., Nov. 17: at Missouri

Fri., Nov. 23: at TEMPLE (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2)

For more on the Syracuse's 2012 football season, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream, while the SB Nation blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician is all about the Orange.

Syracuse Football Schedule 2012: Missouri Tigers Fill Out Orange's Non-Conference Slate

The Syracuse Orange filled out its non-conference football schedule Friday, as the Missouri Tigers will be one of five BCS programs to play SU next season.