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There were big games and signature performances, but Syracuse’s defense put together an average season under first-year coordinator Elijah Robinson.

The Orange gave up 28.67 points per game, ranking 13th of 17 teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference. They were the conference’s third-worst red zone defense with a 90.5% points allowed rate. They also ranked in the ACC’s lower half in interceptions (nine) and forced fumbles (eight).

SU’s saving grace, though, was its individual showings. Texas A&M transfer Fadil Diggs led the team with 7.5 sacks, while linebacker Marlowe Wax forced three turnovers and racked up 4.5 sacks in just seven games. Justin Barron even switched from safety to linebacker and paced Syracuse in total tackles (86) by a country mile.

All three helped spur wins; Diggs’ nationally-recognized two-sack game against UNLV, Wax’s game-winning forced fumble versus VT and Barron’s stellar outing at NC State.

But none will be at Syracuse next season. As the Orange look in the transfer portal to possibly replace key starters, here are eight names Fran Brown and Co. could pursue heading into 2025:

Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, DL, Texas A&M

Brownlow-Dindy should be at the top of the Orange’s list of attainable studs in the portal. The former No. 2 overall recruit in the state of Florida’s 2022 class, per 247Sports, Brownlow-Dindy is in the upper echelon of defensive portal gets. He committed to Texas A&M and redshirted in 2022, then hardly garnered any playing time from 2023-24.

Brownlow-Dindy only tallied 0.5 sacks as an Aggie. Playing in the ACC can allow him to reach his potential, though. There’s a clear connection established with Robinson, who was Texas A&M’s defensive coordinator when Brownlow-Dindy committed there. A similar path to Diggs could be in the cards for Brownlow-Dindy.

Even though Brownlow-Dindy’s Lakeland, Florida, roots don’t play into SU’s northeast agenda, he can bolster Syracuse’s defensive line immediately and feel relatively at home with its coaching staff. The 6-foot-3, 310-pounder is highly athletic for his size and has a lethal first step on pass rushes, according to 247Sports.

Mikai Gbayor, LB, Nebraska

On3’s transfer portal rankings have Gbayor as the No. 2 overall linebacker and 15th-best player nationally. And, he’s from Irvington, New Jersey.

Gbayor spent three seasons with Nebraska after committing there as a three-star. He earned solid playing time in his latter two years, starting 11 of the Huskers’ 12 regular-season games this past season. The linebacker stands out for his coverage ability and was a reliable tackler with consistent reps. Gbayor tallied career-highs with 49 tackles, one sack and three pass deflections in 2024.

With Wax gone and Anwar Sparrow hitting the portal, Gbayor is a clear-cut candidate to replace them in SU’s starting linebacker group and add to Brown’s northeast haul.

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CJ Heard, S, Florida Atlantic

Heard left FAU amid the tail end of its 2024 season after head coach Tom Herman was fired. But he was a breakout star as a freshman safety, earning Midseason True Freshman All-American honors. Brown is sure to try and boost his roster with players from the south, and with Alijah Clark possibly going to the NFL, Heard would be a welcome addition.

The Atlanta, Georgia, native is the No. 9-overall safety in the portal, per 247Sports. Heard led Florida Atlantic with 74 tackles through 10 games before transferring. He also tallied two fumble recoveries and a pass breakup. At the time of Heard’s transfer, he played more snaps than any true freshman safety in the nation.

Heard, who stands 5-foot-11, 200 pounds, would give the Orange a talented playmaker in the secondary with much-needed tackling prowess; PFF graded Syracuse’s tackling at a measly 60.4 in the 2024 regular season.

Da’Shawn Womack, Edge, LSU

This is a stretch, but Brown could steal someone else from the Southeastern Conference. A player of Da’Shawn Womack’s caliber would be difficult, as he’s the No. 3-overall edge rusher on 247Sports’ transfer-portal rankings. Womack is from Baltimore, though. If Brown wants to further expand his East Coast presence, the LSU transfer would help kickstart that.

Womack was the No. 1 recruit in the state of Maryland’s 2023 class. 247Sports compared him to NFL edge rusher Bud Dupree, considering his 6-foot-5, 260-pound build and sub 4.80 40-yard dash. Womack played in 20 games across his freshman and sophomore seasons with the Tigers, accumulating 2.5 sacks and 21 tackles. He started zero games.

Womack’s game could transfer extremely well to ACC play, though it’s highly likely he’ll end up at a different spot in the SEC.

Jordan Dunbar, CB, Kansas State

A Syracuse native, Dunbar could find a way home this transfer cycle. He’s in the portal for the second time in his college career, transferring from Rice after two seasons to join Kansas State. But his playing time saw a significant decrease, going from a consistent starter at Rice to a benchwarmer with the Wildcats. So, he transferred as a redshirt junior.

Dunbar attended Iona Preparatory School in upper Manhattan after growing up in Syracuse. He was a two-star recruit out of high school, according to 247Sports, but On3 now has him as a three-star transfer and the No. 21 player in the portal from New York State.

He totaled 55 tackles in two seasons with the Owls before a three-tackle year at KSU in 2024. He’s yet to tally an interception in his college career.

Josiah Trotter, LB, West Virginia

Trotter, a former high-school teammate of current Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord, appears to be a safe bet to consider coming to SU. Trotter entered the transfer portal after a stellar redshirt freshman season at West Virginia, where he ranked second on the team with 92 tackles, totaled an interception and added a half-sack.

The Philadelphia native attended Saint Joseph’s Prep and committed to the Mountaineers after being ranked as Pennsylvania’s No. 7 overall player in the 2023 class, per 247Sports. He burst onto the scene and became the Big 12’s Defensive Freshman of the Year, but hit the portal once WVU head coach Neal Brown was fired.

Trotter is already a solid downhill tackler one season into his career. For SU, sending its chips at Trotter makes sense geographically and would gain it a new starter.

Luke Banbury, LB, Cornell

Banbury led the Ivy League with 87 tackles in 2024 before entering the portal as a graduate transfer. The Pittsburgh native had a solid four years — three seasons of action — at Cornell, racking up 141 tackles, seven pass breakups and four forced turnovers.

This past season was Banbury’s best, captaining the Big Red’s defense by leading it in tackles, tackles for loss and interceptions.

247Sports ranks Banbury as the No. 8 overall linebacker transfer in this year’s cycle. With northeast ties and a few years in New York state under his belt, Banbury could make a short move north to join Syracuse and be a key veteran presence.

Julian Humphrey, CB, Georgia

Ending with the most unrealistic portal acquisition on the list, Humphrey has a long shot of landing at SU. Humphrey entered the portal on Dec. 1 after a second straight season of sparse playing time with Georgia. He ranks as the best corner on the transfer market, per 247Sports, and was a four-star recruit out of Houston, Texas, entering college.

Brown was the Bulldogs’ secondary coach when Humphrey committed, drawing an obvious connection for the rising junior to flock to central New York. The chances, however, are slim. On3 reported on Dec. 2 that Humphrey’s top-five schools consist of Oregon, Texas, Alabama, Miami and Texas A&M.

If Humphrey decided to shock the world and come to Syracuse, he’d bring speed with a 6-foot-1 frame, a long wingspan and the potential to be elite in both man and zone coverage.

Published on December 8, 2024 at 10:36 pm

Contact Cooper at: ccandrew@syr.edu | @cooper_andrews