Veteran presence, young talent give SU newfound defensive line depth

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Syracuse’s defensive line was mostly intact before it played Minnesota in the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl. Though the Orange missed Stefon Thompson due to a lower body injury, and lost starting defensive end Steve Linton to the transfer portal in early December, Caleb Okechukwu and Kevon Darton combined for five tackles against the Golden Gophers.

Now, heading into the 2023 season, the Orange have returned both Okechukwu and Darton with Chase Simmons and Terry Lockett set to back them up. Thompson has since recovered from his lower body injury too.

SU retained the services of Denis Jaquez Jr., who missed the latter half of last season due to an arm injury. Syracuse also picked up former Alabama lineman Braylen Ingraham in the transfer portal.

Freshmen Ty Gordon and Rashard Perry and sophomore Kevin Jobity Jr., among others, have impressed veterans in the unit throughout training camp. Lockett said he feels the Orange have a deep defensive line this year and many players are ready to get in-game experience. Syracuse head coach Dino Babers agreed.

“It’s better, way better,” Babers said of the defensive line’s depth. “I really think this is as deep as we’ve been in a long time.”

With many of the returning defensive linemen holding three or more seasons of experience, SU has a chance, once again, to place in the upper half of scoring defenses in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The unit also has potential to take pressure off some of the pass rushing linebackers like Thompson and Marlowe Wax.

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“It’s definitely nice to have,” Okechukwu said. “Everybody’s here healthy and hopefully we have a whole year. I know if we have that, we’re going to be dangerous up front.”

Darton and Okechukwu have spent a combined nine seasons with the Orange and understand that health plays a crucial factor. Darton, who arrived at Syracuse in 2019, said every season he’s played in has come down to injuries. With everyone currently healthy, he feels confident with the unit’s performance.

At the end of morning practice on Aug. 11, SU’s linemen took part in a competition. In a series of one-on-one matchups, conducted by position coach Chris Achuff, linemen raced a short distance to tackle a dummy. Many of the freshmen and sophomores faced off against each other. Perry beat Jalil Smith, and Jaquez Jr. beat Elijah Fuentes-Cundiff.

The contest eventually whittled down to Jaquez Jr. and Okechukwu. The two were called for three false starts. Eventually, Okechukwu got stuck in his stance and Jacquez Jr. emerged on top.

Okechukwu, who’s entering his fourth season in the 3-3-5 defense, said he has been pleased with how quickly the younger and newer players have learned Rocky Long’s playbook. The linemen knows that he, Darton and Lockett can’t play every snap and rotating players in and out of the front will be vital.

“We’re gonna need them to come in and take some reps toward the back end,” Okechukwu said.

Younger players, like Gordon and Perry, received their opportunity to earn a spot on the depth chart during Syracuse’s second scrimmage of training camp on Sunday. Backup quarterback Braden Davis took a snap from under center but the two freshmen linemen broke through the A- and B-gaps to combine for a sack.

“I think all young guys are coming up right now,” Darton said. “It’s always hard to be a young guy coming into fall camp. But once you get progress…it’s definitely helpful.”

Among other newcomers, Ingraham has ingratiated himself with veterans on the defensive line. In four seasons with the Crimson Tide, Ingraham appeared in five games, including three during Alabama’s 2020 national championship season. He hasn’t played in a game since.

Darton said that Ingraham will be a great body to play down the middle of the line. Similar to many of the unit’s freshmen, Ingraham serves as a valuable rotation player for the starters.

The depth has also allowed the linebackers to focus on defensive aspects other than pass rushing. In 2022, Wax and former Syracuse linebacker Mikel Jones combined for 8.5 sacks. Throughout last season, Wax lined up next to the defensive ends on certain plays. His positioning occasionally led to sacks, including a strip-sack fumble that he returned for a touchdown against UConn.

Okechukwu agreed that a deeper defensive line will place less pressure on Wax and Thompson. The two can now play in pass coverage and stay at the second level of the defense.

“At the end of the day, we start it, we set the tone,” Okechukwu said. “So without us they don’t really make those plays, so it’s good to have that depth getting guys rotating in and out each and every play for them.”

The defensive line is excited about the ability to rotate numerous newcomers into the game. Babers smiled when talking about the depth but also acknowledged the injury history that has hindered Syracuse every year.

“Now you say that and all of a sudden guys start dinging out,” Babers said after praising the defensive line. “But the biggest thing is that I really do think this is as deep as we’ve been in a good while.”