After the last official practice of spring football on Tuesday morning, Syracuse head coach Dino Babers reflected on the team’s spring. The Orange held 14 practices in March and April, ahead of the “Spring Preview,” or annual spring game, which is Friday night inside the Carrier Dome.

Here are four impressions Babers had this spring.

Senior quarterback Eric Dungey ‘as good as he can be’

Through the first half of the season, Dungey paced himself to his best season yet. But the soon-to-be senior missed the final three games of 2017 with a foot injury, and he underwent surgery on his right foot in November.

The quarterback from Lake Oswego, Oregon, finished 2017 having played in nine games and rushed for 595 yards and nine touchdowns. Dungey threw for 2,495 yards and completed 60 percent of his passes. He will enter 2018 in what is essentially his fourth season as the starting QB, despite not finishing the past three seasons due to injury. Babers and players said throughout much of 2017 that he is “the driver of the race car,” and the “heartbeat of the offense.” Syracuse’s late-season struggles the past three seasons have coincided with Dungey injuries, so his health is yet again key this offseason.

“He can handle it. We need to see him out there,” Babers said. “We’re a better football team when he’s out there … He’s as good as he can be.”

Redshirt freshman QB Tommy DeVito is progressing

DeVito, the face of Babers’ first recruiting class, redshirted last season. He had gone from a top-1600 recruit to near the top of his class, as the No. 8 pocket passer in the Class of 2017. He was an Under Armour All-American and Elite 11 finalist, who arrived on campus last fall as the program’s most heralded prospect since Donovan McNabb.

This spring DeVito offered Babers and his staff a closer look at what he can do. DeVito has a better arm than Drew Brees, according to Super Bowl-winning QB Trent Dilfer, but it’s likely he will be the backup behind Dungey. DeVito tossed three touchdowns in a recent scrimmage.

“He needs the reps,” Babers said. “He doesn’t have the experience and the knowledge that Eric has yet. The more he gets an opportunity to get behind the quarterback and see it live, the better he’s going to get.

“Everything’s evolving with him,” Babers continued. “There’s certain throws he’s thrown a lot better since he’s been with us. He’s not down on the scout team, like he was in November. He’s progressing. He’s just a young player. He’ll be alright.”

Lack of depth

Over four and a half minutes Tuesday morning, Babers reiterated variations of the phrase, “We don’t have depth,” five times.

The Orange lost five defensive starters from last season, during which SU essentially fielded two defenses. After the Clemson upset, Syracuse had the 38th-best defense in the country. SU finished the season ranked 105th after losing the final five games of the season, but Babers said the depth issue is not unique to the defense.

“We don’t have depth,” Babers said. “We really don’t have that depth yet. We have to continue to work on it and create it. That’s why we’ve got guys playing multiple positions. There are some positions that are a lot better than others. We have a little bit of a depth issue. Not at all positions, but most positions.”

One of the players Babers alluded to in a two-way role is Antwan Cordy, whose last two seasons have been cut in September with season-ending injuries. He has taken reps as both a slot receiver and defensive back, though he has practiced in live situations on defense only, Babers said.

Physicality stands out

When asked what impressed or surprised him most this spring, Babers did not waver. He said physicality was a focal point of 2017 spring ball a year ago, but Babers said his players this spring are more physical, which he hopes will pay dividends this fall. Babers is 8-16 over his first two seasons at Syracuse.

“The physicality has been unbelievable,” Babers said. “You see guys straining to get better. Straining to get better. That’s going to all pay off in the fall when we have the rest of the football team.”

Published on April 10, 2018 at 11:38 am

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