J’Onre Reed steps up vocally, physically to become SU’s ‘Big General’

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In the beginning of fall camp, J’Onre Reed went up to Garrett Shrader and said he wanted to be his starting center. Reed said Shrader appreciated it and the two got on the right foot. 

But he wouldn’t let Shrader forget it.

“He was liking it,” Reed said. “Because there used to be times where he was trying to leave practice. I was like, ‘Where the hell are you going?’” 

The center’s comment caught Shrader off guard. Eventually, Shrader bought into it. When other offensive linemen left practice, the two did 10 to 15 snaps. Some snaps went right over Shrader’s head, others hit him right in the chest. By the end of fall camp, Reed was the one trying to leave practice and Shrader was the one holding him back.

Reed eventually emerged as Shrader’s starting center during fall camp. He has become a vital piece on an offensive line which already lost its starting right tackle for an extended period of time. Being the No. 1 center for a Division-I quarterback meant Reed had to adjust his snapping style playing against high-quality defensive linemen. But Reed came to SU with a unique build, leading to the self-proclaimed nickname “Big General.” 

The nickname started when Reed played football at Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, Kansas in 2022. Reed said a wide receiver called him “Big General” during and after a rivalry game against Butler Community College (KS). The atmosphere was quiet, but everyone heard Reed communicating to teammates on the field.

“On that team, I knew my offense,” Reed said. “I knew it from inside and out. I knew formations. I knew everything. So I kind of understood what we were looking for.” 

But his coach at Eisenhower High School in Houston, Texas, Eric Jackson, said Reed wasn’t called the “Big General” in high school. Reed was never a vocal leader, but earned respect from his teammates through his play, Jackson said.

At Eisenhower, Reed only weighed in at 275 lbs. Despite his size, Jackson said Reed’s speed and footwork at center stood out. Since Eisenhower ran a spread offense, Reed regularly combated with not just defensive linemen, but also linebackers, safeties and cornerbacks. Reed was a proficient zone blocker, Jackson said, key for the spread offense.

“You’re sealing the side that you block to — A gap or B gap,” Jackson said. “And he was really good at that.” 

Reed fell in love with the center position. He previously dabbled with playing guard and tackle, but as a tackle, Reed said he never liked being on an island. With guard, he realized that he had to be super aggressive. 

“I just felt undersized for the guard. I was like ‘oh shit, the guard’s getting beat up,’” Reed said. “When I got to sit there at center, I was giving orders.” 

Once Reed got to Hutchinson, he improved at center under then-offensive line coach Phil Serchia. Reed said Serchia helped him to learn how to play on angles. Before, Reed played vertically until he learned how to turn. While it was an adjustment, Reed said he loved the position the moment he got under center. 

Reed and Serchia, who’s now an assistant for the Los Angeles Chargers, spent day after day in his small office at Hutchinson going over film. Even though Reed sat out a year to redshirt, Serchia said he prepared like he was the starter. 

“He was almost like another coach,” Serchia said. “Not necessarily taking over the meeting by any stretch, but he would want to watch a practice as soon as it was done before we even met as offensive staff.”

Along with Serchia, Drew Dallas, Hutchinson’s head coach, noticed Reed’s mobility. He said that Reed’s presence showed during running plays. As the backs ran upfield, so would Reed. Dallas also noted that Reed could handle a bull rush from a nose tackle, so he felt the “Big General” nickname was perfect. 

“It fits for a center because a lot of times he’s the one that’s making a bunch of calls and putting guys in the right positions,” Dallas said. 

When Reed got to Syracuse, he told his new teammates about his nickname even though he wasn’t the biggest offensive lineman on the roster. Head coach Dino Babers said in August that he only called Reed “BG” because Reed had to “play a whole bunch of games and do a whole bunch of good” before earning the full nickname. Eventually, other lineman like tackle Enrique Cruz Jr. called him “Big General” or “General.” 

First, though, Reed had to stand out. During training camp, Shrader noted that Reed’s 6-foot-3, 315 lbs. frame was a “different body type than the other centers that we’ve had here.”

Reed had to get used to the quarterback’s cadence, which Shrader said is the same with all centers, and a new way to snap the football. Before Syracuse, Reed was a spiral snapper. Now the center is a “dead ball snapper.” Instead of holding the ball at the laces to create a spiral, Reed holds it in the back point of his palm, cauing no real spin on the football once it hits Shrader’s hands. 

Serchia said the different snapping styles come down to the quarterback’s preference, and it’s the center’s job to adjust. Serchia said Reed needs to consistently meet his quarterback’s expectations.

Per PFF, Reed has faced 80 allowed pressure opportunities from opposing defenders. So far, he’s allowed two pass rushes and two quarterback hurries. With Reed’s nickname, the man he’s supposed to protect knows his physical presence is a benefit, but there’s more to come for the “Big General.”

“He’s learning. He’s good. He’s a physical player,” Shrader said. “He’s got a long way to go, but I’m glad we have him.”