Dino Babers rules Denis Jaquez Jr. out for season

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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Syracuse head coach Dino Babers said after its 40-7 loss to No. 14 North Carolina that the team had lost defensive end Denis Jaquez Jr. for the season. He did not reveal specifics of the injury. Jaquez Jr., a sophomore in his second season with Syracuse, went down in the fourth quarter and had to be helped off the field after being tended to on the turf for a few minutes.

Jaquez appeared in six games last season as a depth piece for the Orange, recording three total tackles. Amidst a crowded room of defensive linemen, helmed by Kevon Darton and Caleb Okechukwu, that saw additions through the transfer portal to help with depth, Jaquez Jr. won the starting job over Terry Lockett. He typically lined up opposite Darton and Okechukwu and was mostly a down lineman.

The loss marks Syracuse’s fourth player lost to an injury, with Oronde Gadsden II also falling for the season. Wide receivers Isaiah Jones and Trebor Pena have also played sparingly, though Jones was seen suited up before the game and got in for a few snaps against the Tar Heels.

Jaquez was a three-star recruit out of St. Augustine Prep (N.J.) High School that was recruited by former defensive coordinator Tony White and defensive line coach Chris Achuff. He chose Syracuse over 25 different offers, including from 20 different Football Bowl Subdivision schools.