Countdown to Camp 2016

Syracuse football preseason storylines, No. 10: How SU’s tight ends will factor into this year’s offense

Daily Orange File Photo

Josh Parris is one of three tight ends battling for a spot in the starting rotation at tight end coming into 2016 training camp.

With Syracuse football training camp less than a month away, The Daily Orange beat writers, Chris Libonati, Jon Mettus and Matt Schneidman, will analyze one of the top 10 preseason storylines, top 10 position battles or reveal one of 10 player files each day. Check out dailyorange.com and follow along here to countdown to camp.

Former Syracuse offensive coordinator Tim Lester used his tight ends in traditional roles, but with new head coach Dino Babers gearing up for his first season, outlook at the position has become a little trickier.

Babers used his primary tight end Derek Lee as a tight end, fullback and wide receiver combination at Bowling Green last season. Redshirt senior Josh Parris stands out on Syracuse’s roster as the most athletic tight end who could provide that sort of flexibility. But SU’s No. 1 option at tight end over the last two years was limited with an injury during the spring and fell down to the third spot on the post-spring game depth chart.

Senior Cameron MacPherson is positioned as the starter right now ahead of senior Kendall Moore, who has bounced around between offensive line and tight end during his career at SU. MacPherson thrived as a blocker last year, which could be important if the offensive line struggles and Babers resorts to keeping an extra body in to help block.

Based on the spring game, it seems tight ends will contribute most to the passing game in the red zone or in other short yardage situations. MacPherson had a touchdown catch and Moore hauled in one with one hand in the red zone during the scrimmage.



All five tight ends on the roster are upperclassmen and there are no transfers or freshmen coming in to try to shoot up the depth chart. Back in October, Chris Clark, a former five star recruit and the No. 1 tight end coming out of high school in 2015, verbally committed to Syracuse after deciding to leave UCLA where he played one game in 2015. But 11 days later, SU pulled its offer and then-head coach Scott Shafer told Clark that it “wasn’t the best fit,” Clark said. He then decided to go to Pittsburgh and it is unclear whether he’ll be able to play for the Panthers in 2016 or have to sit out a year.

Which tight end sees the most time will likely come down to flexibility, assuming the multiple roles Babers could require of him and athletic ability to fit into the no-huddle offense.





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