Syracuse's Ryan Nassib Makes Senior Bowl Watch List

Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib was named to the Senior Bowl watch list on Thursday. Nassib was the only Orange player listed and the only quarterback prospect from the Big East. A current grad student at Syracuse, he enters the 2012 season as the unquestioned offensive leader for Doug Marrone's club.

2012 marks the first time the Senior Bowl has released a watch list, part of a restructuring of the event under former Browns GM and new Executive Director Phil Savage. He spoke about the decision to release the watch list:

"The Senior Bowl is very pleased to announce our first-ever ‘official' Watch List," Senior Bowl Executive Director Phil Savage said. "We want both college and pro football fans to enjoy tracking the players on our list as they begin their journey towards the Senior Bowl and the 2013 NFL Draft. We have included prospects from almost every level of the college game and look forward to monitoring their progress throughout the upcoming season."

Nassib completed 62.4 percent of his passes last season for almost 2,700 yards. He'll try to build on that this season, which could culminate in a Senior Bowl invite.

For the latest on all things Syracuse, head over to Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician and join the discussion. Stay tuned to SB Nation New York, as well.

Syracuse Football: Orange Still Not Ready For Season

Syracuse football head coach Doug Marrone doesn't think his team is where they need to be with the home opener against Northwestern looming on Sept. 1.

"I don't think a coach ever says, 'We're exactly where we want to be or where we should be,'" Marrone said Wednesday night, emphasizing that conditioning was a concern.

"We're a ways away from being a team that can go out there and compete the way we all would like to compete. There's still a competition with some groups. I was wishing that it would separate itself better. Within the next couple of days, we'll make those decisions ... and move on from there and start getting ready for the upcoming season."

Starting quarterback Ryan Nassib agrees with Marrone that the team would not be ready to play the Wildcats right now.

"It's a whole 'nother year in the system," Nassib said. "We've got some guys stepping up, good competition. I think we got better. We're not ready to step up and play Northwestern yet. We still have some things to get down, but I think we're getting there. When the time comes, hopefully, we'll be ready."

The Orange may have to rely on Nassib's arm even more than they did last season after losing senior and 1,000 yard rusher Antwon Bailey to the NFL. However, Nassib did set the SU records for single-season completions (259) and passing yards (2,685) last season. He also tied the school's single-season record with 22 touchdown passes.

For the latest on all things Syracuse, head over to Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician and join the discussion. Stay tuned to SB Nation New York, as well.

Syracuse Football Preseason Camp: OL Kristofer Curtis Collegiate Career Ends Prematurely

Kristofer Curtis playing career for the Syracuse Orange football program was cut short Wednesday, as the sophomore offensive lineman received news from doctors he can no longer play football. After a day of confusion, because of conflicting report about his health, Curtis' status was made official after the Orange's practice and head coach Doug Marrone spoke to the media.

"I found out this afternoon, late, that our doctors have recommended that Kris, because of his medical issues, will not be able to play again," Marrone said.

Curtis, 6-foot-4, 273-pounds, had been battling injury problems since he arrived at SU. Last season, Curtis redshirted because of health concerns, but was expected to be in the Orange's starting lineup for this season. However, a bad back kept him out of preseason camp and eventually ended his playing career.

Curtis, a Fayetteville, GA native, never played a single game for Syracuse.

For more on Syracuse football, check out Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician, while this SB Nation New York StoryStream has all the latest news on the Orange.

Syracuse Football Preseason Camp: Sean Hickey Stepping Up In Place Of Justin Pugh

The Syracuse Orange football program has been missing its best player since the start of preseason camp, as left tackle Justin Pugh has been out with a shoulder injury. Despite the loss of a Big East Conference First-Team selection, the Orange have gotten a lot of production out of junior Sean Hickey, who has taken over at LT.

"Sean Hickey’s really done a very good job," Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone told CuseNation.com Monday. "He’s been solid and I think that’s a credit to him because going into it, I was very concerned. I knew that Sean had the ability, big and strong, and we talked about it prior to as far as linemen coming in. Out of all the linemen we’ve ever brought in here, he’s probably had the best ability to get on the field fast because of his strength."

The Orange are looking for Hickey to fill the void of Pugh, who's expected to miss the rest of preseason camp and possible the first month of the season. As of right now, SU coaches aren't considered about the switch. What they are concerned about is the injury-prone Hickey staying healthy, something he hasn't done throughout his collegiate career.

"Going through those injuries, and really not being on the field, for him to come in and do the job he’s done, I think that’s very commendable on that part."

For the latest on all things Syracuse, head over to Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician and join the discussion. Stay tuned to SB Nation New York, as well.

Syracuse Football: Adrian Flemming's Status Still Unknown

Syracuse wide receiver Adrian Flemming landed awkwardly after going up for pass during Saturday's scrimmage and was later carted off the field with his left ankle heavily bandaged. According to the Syracuse Post-Standard, the team has yet to release an update on the status of the junior wideout.

The 6-foot-3 197-pound Flemming has reportedly been one of the biggest bright spots for the Orange throughout camp this summer. The injury appeared serious at the time. Flemming reportedly screamed in pain as he lay on the grass for several minutes.

The Orange have had several injury issues at receiver already. Leading returning receiver Alec Lemon sat out the scrimmage due to a minor lower-body injury and redshirt freshman Keenan Hale was sidelined due to undisclosed reasons.

For the latest on all things Syracuse, head over to Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician and join the discussion. Stay tuned to SB Nation New York, as well.

Syracuse Football Preseason Camp: Orange Offense Needs Improvement As Season Opener Looms

Preseason football camp for the Syracuse Orange has less than two weeks remaining, and entering its second-to-last week there's one big concern hovering around the program entering its season opener, Sept. 1, against visiting Northwestern-- the offense.

Despite entering the season with a offensive-minded head coach in Doug Marrone, a third-year starting quarterback in senior Ryan Nassib and an offensive line that returns three starters -- one being a Big East First-Team selection, Justin Pugh, who notably has missed preseason camp with a lower body injury -- the Orange's offense is struggling to find a rhythm.

"We’re not ready to play right now in game-like conditions," Syracuse University head coach Doug Marrone said Saturday following his team’s first formal scrimmage of the preseason. "Obviously, we need to make some vast improvement."

For the Orange, which managed five touchdowns but five interceptions during its scrimmage at Fort Drum, preseason has been a grind. So far, coach Marrone has pushed his squad maybe further than he ever has, and its obvious he's still not pleased with the results.

Because of that, Syracuse returned to practice Monday with its final double session of the year. The Orange will have one full practice Tuesday before another scrimmage Wednesday, which hopefully will showcase more fluidity.

With the preseason winding down, here's were the struggling offense stands now:

• Quarterback, Ryan Nassib: Has relied on short to intermediate passes during preseason camp, a trend my Syracuse fans were hoping would end after last season's dink-and-dump showing. However, Nassib has all the tools and is expected to lead the Orange to the postseason in his final year.
  
• Running backs: Not one of the five tailbacks -- juniors Jerome Smith and Prince-Tyson Gulley, sophomore Adonis Ameen-Moore and freshmen George Morris and Ashton Broyld -- have separated themselves enough for SU to have a clear-cut No. 1 running back. Smith is listed as No. 1 on the depth chart, but if anyone of the handful of backs show progression in the next few weeks, the junior could be passed.
• Wide receivers: Senior Marcus Sales is expected to be Nassib's deep-play wide out, but there's been little of that during camp. Meanwhile, senior Alec Lemon, who last year set a SU record for receptions in a season, has been out with an injury, while sophomores Jarrod West and Jeremiah Kobena have been inconsistent. The biggest bright spot has been junior Adrian Flemming, but he suffered an leg/ankle injury during Saturday's scrimmage at Fort Drum.
• Tight ends: It seems the "F" starting spot (a hybrid position) has been claimed by redshirt senior David Stevens; while the "Y" position (a traditional tight end spot) features a a battled between Beckett Wales and freshman Rob Thompson.
  
• Offensive line: It has been a grind for this crew, which is trying to fill the shoes of its left tackle, Pugh, who will miss preseason camp and maybe the first week of the season with a shoulder injury. Pugh's replacement is expected to be junior Sean Hickey. Senior Lou Alexander is trying to hang onto the right tackle spot, while at right guard two redshirt freshmen Ivan Foy and Rob Trudo are battling it out. Meanwhile, returners Macky MacPherson (center) and Zach Chibane (left guard) are expected to both progress and carry the load while Pugh recovers.
  

For the latest on all things Syracuse, head over to Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician and join the discussion.

Syracuse Scrimmage: Orange Offense Struggles In Final Day At Fort Drum

The Syracuse football program concluded its week of practice sessions at Fort Drum with a scrimmage Saturday, and according to reports by Gordon Block of the Watertown Daily Times, the offense struggled while the defense flourished.

While enthusiasm was high, the scrimmage exposed a few flaws in the team’s game plan only weeks before its Sept. 1 opener against Northwestern at the Carrier Dome.

Overall, says Block, Orange head coach Doug Marrone was not pleased by his team's effort.

Marrone expressed concern that his team was not executing well, and that the offense was dropping too many passes and not finding openings. The quarterback unit gave up five interceptions during the two-hour scrimmage.

"Obviously, we need to make some vast improvements," Marrone said.

This was the squad's first scrimmage with referees, who blew the whistle a lot, says Block. It featured just one big play between starting quarterback Ryan Nassib and tight end David Stevens.

The highlight of the scrimmage came when freshman wide receiver Ben Lewis came up with a difficult diving catch while under tight coverage on a perfectly thrown, floating pass from sophomore quarterback Terrel Hunt. The 20-yard touchdown catch drew one of the largest cheers of the day.

The Orange will head back to the SU campus on Sunday.

For the latest on all things Syracuse, head over to Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician and join the discussion.

Syracuse Football Camp: Syracuse Set To Scrimmage Saturday

Training camp continues for Syracuse on Saturday, as the Orange are set to play an intrasquad scrimmage in what Syracuse.com has dubbed "Separation Saturday."

Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone didn't shy away from the importance of Saturday's scrimmage.

"We've got a big scrimmage coming up tomorrow - a really important scrimmage," Marrone said after SU finished its fifth day of workouts at this Army post in the North Country.

"I'm just looking to see separation," he said. "Some guys are starting to play well. There are other players on the field that we're going to look at to see if they're truly competing and are in the mix - what you're looking for is separation."

With so much stock being put into this scrimmage, Saturday could indeed make or break some players' positions on the depth chart.

For the latest on all things Syracuse, head over to Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician and join the discussion.

Syracuse Football Camp: Fan Fest Highlights Day 5 Of Preseason

For the first time in almost four months, the fanbase of the Syracuse Orange football team will get a chance Friday to see its team, as the program will hold its annual Fan Fest beginning at 3 p.m. inside the Carrier Dome. This will be Day 5 of the Orange's preseason camp and the first full-pad practice.

"I think Fanfest is something that the players look forward to," Syracuse head coach Doug Doug Marrone said Wednesday. "I know I look forward to it."

For about two hours (3:20-5:30 p.m.), Syracuse will go through full contact and individual drills. Its expected most eyeballs will be on all-purpose player Ashton Broyld, who has been getting most of his preseason reps at running back.

For more on Syracuse football's preseason camp, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. Make sure to visit the SB Nation blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician for much more on the Orange.

Syracuse Football Camp, Day 2: Ryan Norton, Rob Thompson, Markus Pierce-Brewster

The Syracuse Orange football program took to the field, again, Tuesday, as Day 2 of preseason camp took place. The Orange, trying to improve on last season's 5-7 record, still were wearing shorts and t-shirts (head coach Doug Marrone said the team would put shoulder pads on Wednesday and Thursday before going full pads on Friday at Fan Fest) and mainly working on technique, says Syracuse Post-Standard writer Dave Rahme.

"...much time was spent on the technical aspects of each position such as proper hand placement, steps, form and stance as well as installation," wrote Rahme.

For about 45 minutes, Rahme was about to wonder around Syracuse practice and came away with a few observations. Here's some of them in bullet point form:

• Freshmen kicker Ryan Norton has a big leg and will be an asset on kicksoffs.
• Freshman tight end Rob Thompson (6-foot-4, 266 pounds) moves well for his size, he also has solid hands.
• Defensive end Markus Pierce-Brewster, last year a JUCO All-American, has good size and is fast: "fast enough to be on the kickoff unit that opens the season Sept. 1 vs. Northwestern in the Carrier Dome," says Rahme.

A more detailed breakdown of practice can be found here.

For more on Syracuse football's preseason camp, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. Make sure to visit the SB Nation blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician for much more on the Orange.

Syracuse Football Camp, Day 1: Orange Have 'A Lot Of Work To Put In'

The Syracuse Orange football program has opened its preseason practice. Check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream for the latest information.