From The Shadows | The Rise Of "Nitro" Nash Savage (CFB25)

[redsox907]

Re: From The Shadows | The Rise Of "Nitro" Nash Savage (CFB25)

Syracuse Secures 11th Ranked Class Despite Lackluster Transfer Portal Interest

Syracuse, NY. - Nash Savage rebuilt Ball State into a powerhouse largely through savvy moves in the transfer portal during his first two seasons. However, despite coming off a National Championship victory and boasting an impressive 43-3 career record, the new Syracuse head coach encountered challenges convincing players to transfer to New York.

“Only two guys in the portal were really interested in coming up to New York, so that surprised me a bit,” Savage admitted during his first offseason in charge of the Orange.

The lone transfer addition, junior guard Kane Harris from Rutgers, bolstered the roster, but thanks to the groundwork laid by former head coach Fran Brown, Syracuse still secured the nation’s 11th-ranked recruiting class. The group was headlined by 5-star defensive end Jason Veasly, a New York native, and 10 other 4-star commitments.

“We got off the ground running at Ball State thanks to the recruiting efforts of my predecessor, and it appears I’ve lucked out again,” Savage said, praising Brown’s contributions.

In total, Syracuse will welcome 21 new recruits (1 five-star, 10 four-stars, 8 three-stars, and 5 two-stars) as Savage aims to revive a once-proud program that has endured back-to-back seven-win seasons.

Meanwhile, Ball State remained aggressive in the transfer portal despite Savage’s departure, fueled by the buzz surrounding the program’s championship legacy and the arrival of new head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Savage had already secured 15 commitments for the 2028 season (7 four-stars, 8 three-stars), and Kingsbury added four key transfers, including two cornerbacks, to round out the 16th ranked class, a historical highmark for the program.

In all, Ball State will bring in 19 new players (11 four-stars, 8 three-stars) as they look to prove the program’s success was more than just the product of Kadin Semonza and Nash Savage.

Syracuse Recruiting Class

Syracuse Recruiting	Name	Position	Height	Weight	Tendency	Hometown	National Rank
5*	Jason Veasy	DE	6'5	252	Speed Rush	Buffalo, NY	10
4*	Antwan Calmelat	T	6'4	314	Agile	Malvern, PA	123
4*	Nelson Stephen	DE	6'2	293	Run Stopper	Bridgeport, CT	293
4*	Corbin Houghtaling	S	5'11	206	Run Support	Lake City, SC	324
4*	Don Zimmerman	TE	6'3	263	Blocking	Sharpsville, PA	344
4*	Jeffrey Franz	TE	6'2	212	Vertical	Wayne, NJ	350
4*	Layne Smith	S	6'1	200	Hybrid	Reidsville, NC	372
4*	JC Hoag	HB	6'1	184	Elusive	Monmouth Junction, NJ	391
4*	Trenton Gilliam	HB	6'0	181	Receiving	Chicago, IL	433
4*	Kevin Schweitzer	CB	6'1	184	Slot	Malden, MA	462
3*	James Alba	WR	6'0	198	Deep Threat	Miami, FL	970
3*	Desmond Brewer	K	6'1	192	Power	Youngstown, OH	1101
3*	Kasey Cobb	CB	5'11	183	Zone	Rochester, NY	1234
3*	Cam McQuaide	MLB	6'0	221	Run Stopper	Brooklyn, NY	1311
3*	Taylor McMahon	DT	6'5	309	Power Rusher	Burlington, NJ *JUCO*	1374
3*	Paul Reinhart	CB	6'2	170	Man To Man	Wayne, NJ	1508
3*	Troy McKinney	QB	6'1	184	Improviser	Sayreville, NJ	1636
3*	Dawand Ijalana	DE	6'0	264	Speed Rusher	Piscataway, NJ	1720
2*	Scotty Ulrich	CB	5'10	174	Zone	Mount Pleasant, SC	1974
2*	Ricky Jerry	S	6'1	186	Hybrid	Greenville, SC	2096
2*	Dallas Eulls	G	6'3	334	Power	Rochester, NY	2276
2*	Brian Vallos	LB	6'0	227	Run Stopper	Hollywood, FL*JUCO*	2541
2*	Walter Kush	DE	6'3	260	Speed Rusher	Havertown, PA	2592
Transfer (JR)	Kane Harris	G	6'5	309	Pass Pro	Matawan, NJ	Rutgers

Ball State Recruiting Class

Ball State Recruiting	Name	Position	Height	Weight	Tendency	Hometown	National Ranking
4*	Spencer Lewis	WR	5'9	202	Deep Threat	Oak Lawn, IL	42
4*	PJ Barmore	QB	6'1	195	Scrambler	Belleville, MI	44
4*	Daryl Pope	WR	6'3	195	Physical	Indianapolis, IN	46
4*	Jelani Philip	MLB	6'3	238	Field General	Naperville, IL	77
4*	John Stock	S	6'2	195	Hybrid	Sumter, SC	241
4*	Ty Mannelly	DE	6'3	264	Run Stopper	Hammond, WI	259
4*	Kyree Artmore	DE	6'4	281	Run Stopper	Chicago, IL	306
3*	Bart Blackstock	LB	6'0	234	Pass Coverage	Mooreseville, IN	494
3*	Frank Snyder	WR	5'9	187	Deep Threat	Huntington, IL	577
3*	Tyreke Rhodes	T	6'7	290	Power	Fort Wayne, IN	657
3*	Scott Landry	C	6'1	288	Agile	Sterling, VA	666
3*	Noah Meeks	G	6'2	312	Power	Saline, MI	671
3*	Junior Nakamura	LB	6'4	246	Power Rusher	Bolingbrook, IL *JUCO*	1071
3*	Austin McSorley	T	6'7	318	Pass Pro	Mooresville, IN	1423
3*	David Ojabo	LB	6'4	239	Power Rusher	Cary, IL	1614
Transfer (JR)	Austin Alexander	CB	6'0	175	Slot	Arlington Heights, IL	Illinois
Transfer (JR)	Kyson Anderson	WR	6'2	191	Deep Threat	Louisville, KY	Kentucky
Transfer (JR)	Quinnen Ford	CB	5'11	188	Slot	Louisville, KY	Louisville
Transfer (FR)	Shakir Cribbs	T	6'5	294	Power	Des Moines, IA	Iowa State

Notable Transfers

Name	Position	Previous School	New School
JR Michael Merdinger	QB	North Carolina	Georgia Tech
JR Luke Kromenhoek	QB	Florida State	Georgia
JR Cash McCollum	QB	North Texas	TCU
JR Trae'von Dunbar	HB	NC State	South Carolina
SO Shawn Ford	HB	Cincinnati	Notre Dame
JR Mitch Grayson	WR	SMU	Tulsa
JR Charlie Becker	WR	Indiana	Tennessee
JR Zacharyus Williams	WR	Utah	Cal
JR Dillon Lorick	WR	East Carolina	Tennessee
JR Ryan Pellum	WR	Oregon	Stanford
JR Ricky Ahumaraeze	WR	Northwestern	Texas
JR Koby Young	WR	Mississippi State	Alabama
FR Brian Moss	TE	Colorado State	Ohio State
SO Bradley Roos	TE	Southern Miss	Georgia
JR Adrian Griffin	T	South Alabama	Clemson
SO Alphonso HIxon	T	Alabama	Oklahoma
JR Roger Hyde	T	Army	Clemson
JR Hayes Johnson	T	Miami (OH)	Alabama
SO Mario Contreras	G	Illinois	Oklahoma
JR David Perez	G	San Jose State	USC
SO Jamille Hasty	G	Kentucky	Notre Dame
FR Eric Marshall	G	Georgia Tech	Oklahoma
JR Gibson Pyle	G	North Texas	Oklahoma
JR Aba Selm	C	Kentucky	Alabama
SO Noah Keiser	C	Mississippi State	Florida
JR Diego Ventura	DE	Indiana	NC State
JR Deric Dandy	DE	Virginia Tech	Georgia
JR James Contrereas	DE	Kentucky	Penn State
JR Javon Hammonds	DE	Miami (OH)	Penn State
JR Desmond Aladuge	DT	Duke	Maryland
JR Ki'shawn Harvey	DT	Western Kentucky	NC State
JR Jojo Johnson	DT	Utah State	Kansas State
JR Gabe Williams	LB	Virginia Tech	Clemson
JR Zakaih Saez	LB	Kansas	Florida
JR Payton Pierce	MLB	Ohio State	Texas A&M
JR Louis Carreon	MLB	Indiana	Notre Dame
JR Whittman Whaley	MLB	Tulane	Oklahoma
JR Jaylen Mbakwe	CB	Alabama	Clemson
JR Zavier Mincey	CB	Alabama	Georgia
JR Jayden Lewis	CB	Tulane	Georgia
JR George Ghee	S	Illinois	Arkansas
JR D'Mon Marable	S	Clemson	Arkansas State

Top 25 Recruiting Classes

Top Recruiting Classes - 2027
RK	TEAM	5	4	3	2	1	TOTAL
1	Penn State	6	16	10	0	0	32
2	Wisconsin	5	10	20	0	0	35
3	Georgia	3	22	7	0	0	32
4	Miami	2	24	9	0	0	35
5	Oregon	2	27	6	0	0	35
6	Clemson	1	25	3	0	0	29
7	Tennessee	1	21	13	0	0	35
8	Notre Dame	1	18	16	0	0	35
9	Oklahoma	0	22	10	0	0	32
10	Alabama	2	14	12	0	0	28
11	Syracuse	1	10	8	5	0	24
12	Florida	0	17	16	0	0	33
13	USC	0	12	11	0	0	23
14	Texas	0	11	9	0	0	20
15	Ole Miss	0	12	19	1	0	32
16	Ball State	0	11	8	0	0	19
17	Michigan	0	13	18	0	0	31
18	LSU	0	17	10	0	0	27
19	South Carolina	0	10	15	0	0	25
20	Ohio State	0	12	18	0	0	30
21	Arkansas	0	9	8	!2	0	17
22	Texas A&M	1	6	16	0	0	23
23	TCU	0	8	15	2	0	25
24	NC State	0	12	19	2	0	33
25	Kansas State	0	7	15	0	0	22

[Deuce2223]

Re: From The Shadows | The Rise Of "Nitro" Nash Savage (CFB25)

Congrats on the new gig.. They got a history with some pretty talented players playing there and I think it could be a good fit for you. Nice rivalries built in with Penn State, Pitt, West Virginia as well as some others.. I played them in the ACC Championship game so I havn't seen/been to their stadium yet but it's a Dome if I remember correctly..

What are your plans with Ball State. Are you just going to recruit or do you plan on actually playing games and posting weekly recaps along with the Orange?

[redsox907]

Re: From The Shadows | The Rise Of "Nitro" Nash Savage (CFB25)

Congrats on the new gig.. They got a history with some pretty talented players playing there and I think it could be a good fit for you. Nice rivalries built in with Penn State, Pitt, West Virginia as well as some others.. I played them in the ACC Championship game so I havn't seen/been to their stadium yet but it's a Dome if I remember correctly..

What are your plans with Ball State. Are you just going to recruit or do you plan on actually playing games and posting weekly recaps along with the Orange?

Thanks Deuce. They weren't even on my list of teams I would consider, but they came up. I did play with the schemes a bit in an effort to garner up more than the West Coast. BYU and Washington offered me not matter what scheme I ran, but I was able to get an offer from Stanford, Syracuse, and strangely Michigan by changing my defensive scheme. Apparently not many teams like the 3-3-5 tite lol. With my disinterest in heading West it eliminated the three Pac-12 teams, I think Ball State -> Michigan is too big of a jump, so that disqualified them. The more I looked into the Orange the more I felt like it was a solid next step. Power 5 program that has had success in the past, albeit the distant past. They went 10-3 IRL, but dropped to 8-4 the next season, then consecutive 7-6 seasons spelt the end for Fran Brown. My plan was to see who Ball State was offering the HC gig, choosing my favorite of the three, then taking control. BUT they threw a wrench in it by hiring Syracuse's OC....didn't think it was very realistic for them to replace me with a fired OC from the school I'm going too. The coach in game is a level 30 with a recruiting background, so I felt that a former HC trying to regain his footing was a good pick. Came down to Kingsbury and Chip Kelly for names that wouldn't impact any other future coaching carousels moves from real life counterparts (Hartline is technically the Ohio State OC, so if he ever gets a job in game its him not Chip). Going down to Ball State seemed too much for Chip's pride, but Kingsbury riding the hype train and trying to parlay it into a power 5 program makes sense.

Sorry for the wall of text lol. Yes Syracuse plays at the JMA Wireless Dome, formerly the Carrier Dome.

I've been playing around with how reporting will go. I still plan on playing most of the games for Ball State, may super sim the defense in conference games or when I get up big. And I'll play all of Syracuse.

Reporting wise I'm going to do a season preview for both, albeit an abbreviated one for Ball State. Weekly reporting will be only Syracuse, but Ball State will be included in the notable matchups section each report. Then probably do like a week 6-8 update on the season progress, upcoming matchups, etc. for ball state at the same time I do the mid-season standings post.

[redsox907]

Re: From The Shadows | The Rise Of "Nitro" Nash Savage (CFB25)

2028 Pre-Season Top 25 & All Americans


Top 25

NCAA Football Rankings - AP Top 25 - Updated: Apr 1, 2028
RK	TEAM (VOTES)	OFF	DEF	OVR
1	Miami	89	89	89
2	Georgia	91	90	92
3	Oklahoma	88	86	90
4	LSU	86	87	86
5	South Carolina	86	85	87
6	Kansas State	86	86	86
7	Clemson	86	86	87
8	Texas A&M	89	90	89
9	Stanford	84	84	84
10	Tulane	83	85	82
11	Oregon	88	87	90
12	Texas	89	89	90
13	SMU	82	84	82
14	North Carolina	83	82	85
15	Houston	80	79	82
16	Maryland	82	81	84
17	Ole Miss	87	87	87
18	Ball State	89	89	89
19	Louisiana	79	79	80
20	Tennessee	87	87	87
21	USC	85	85	85
22	Louisville	86	85	87
23	Boise State	85	85	86
24	Northwestern	82	81	84
25	UAB	78	77	80

All-Americans

NCAA 1st Team	Position	School	NCAA 2nd Team	Position	School
SR(RS) Darian Mensah	QB	USC	SR(RS) Jadyn Davis	QB	Michigan
JR(RS) Caleb Meeks	HB	Florida	JR(RS) Shakim Granger	HB	Miami
SR Bradley Rhodes	HB	Ole Miss	SR(RS) Josiah McLaurin	HB	Maryland
SR(RS) Zion KEarney	WR	Oklahoma	SR(RS) Jelani Watkins	WR	LSU
JR(RS) Dalton Smith	WR	Miami	SO(RS) Jason Etienne	WR	Ohio State
SR(RS) Jacob Jordan	WR	Oklahoma	SR(RS) Ashton Bethel-Roman	WR	Texas A&M
SO(RS) Emmett Garrett	TE	Maryland	JR Mario Salas	TE	Oregon
SR(RS) Grant Seagren	T	Nebraska	JR(RS) Dennis Folk	T	Penn State
SR(RS Marques Easley	G	Georgia	SR(RS) Peter Jones	G	Notre Dame
JR(RS) Darrell Toder	C	Georgia	SR(RS) Jake Guarnera	C	Michigan
FR(RS) Josh Isidora	G	Clemson	JR(RS) Mafu Ring	G	Maryland
JR(RS) Donte Burton	T	Clemson	SR Elliott Whyle	T	Ohio State
SR(RS) Kam Fraklin	DE	Ole Miss	SR(RS) LJ McCray	DE	Florida
JR(RS) Cortez Kuhn	DE	Michigan	SR(RS) Dominic Kirks	DE	Ohio State
JR(RS) Keilan Bridges	DT	Illinois	SR(RS) Peter Pesansky	DT	North Carolina
SR(RS) Artavius Jones	DT	Miami	SO(RS) Roger Doss	DT	Miami
JR(RS) Byron Jones	LB	Ohio State	SR Tim Finley	LB	Ohio State
JR Manny Warmack	MLB	Texas A&M	SR Marvin Bowe	MLB	Iowa
SR(RS) Cameron Lindsey	LB	Pittsburgh	JR Kevin Bagent	LB	Miami
SR(RS) Bryce West	CB	Ohio State	SR(RS) Demello Jones	CB	Georgia
SR(RS) Warren Roberson	CB	Texas	SR(RS) Ashton Hampton	CB	Clemson
SR(RS) Peyton Woodyard	S	Oregon	JR(RS) Larry Motuapuaka	S	LSU
SR CJ Ziemann	S	Syracuse	JR(RS) Leo Tauscher	S	Syracuse
SR(RS) Aeron Burrell	K	LSU	SR Kevin Ekiyor	K	Miami
SR Callum Henderson	P	Louisville	SR Dorian Babers	P	Auburn

[redsox907]

Re: From The Shadows | The Rise Of "Nitro" Nash Savage (CFB25)

2028 Syracuse Orange Season Preview



Syracuse, NY. - The anticipation surrounding Syracuse football has reached a fever pitch with the arrival of head coach Nash Savage, fresh off leading Ball State to its first-ever national championship. Wasting no time in setting the tone, Savage made it clear from day one—this team isn’t here for mediocrity. It’s here to reclaim greatness.

Honoring the program’s rich history, Savage looked to the legacy of Ben Schwartzwalder, the winningest coach in Orange history and a decorated World War II veteran who forged his teams through what became known as “football boot camp.” Channeling that same grit, the new head coach brought in none other than retired Navy SEAL, author, and renowned speaker David Goggins—himself a Buffalo, New York native—to deliver a powerful message to the team before their first practice.

For over an hour, Goggins spoke about resilience, discipline, and the unrelenting pursuit of excellence. Two of his quotes resonated so deeply with Savage that they will be permanently displayed in the Michael M. Bill #59 Football Locker Room this season:

“It may be satisfactory, but that’s just another word for mediocrity.”

“Don’t stop when you’re tired. Stop when you’re done. Stay hard.”

The message was clear: the hype surrounding the program means nothing without the work to back it up. Savage reinforced that mentality, reminding his players that championship teams are built in the offseason.

“I wanted these guys to understand—there’s no shortcut to success,” Savage stated. “If we’re going to put Syracuse football back on the map, it starts now. If you don’t prepare like you’re going to win a championship, you’ll never get there.”

And with that, Savage issued his first major challenge to the team:

Every job is open.

“I don’t care if you’re a fifth-year senior with three years of starting experience—you have to earn it,” Savage declared. “Senior Day is when we honor those who stuck around and set the standard. Spring is where we find out who wants it.”

With a roster full of hungry players and a coaching staff determined to rewrite the program’s future, Syracuse is preparing for a new chapter—one built on discipline, toughness, and an unshakable belief in what’s possible.

Here’s a closer look at each position group as the Orange embark on the 2028 season.

Quarterback
SR Trevor Louis (84), SR(RS) Jakhari Williams (83), JR(RS) Jumaane Cox (80), FR(RS) Dennis Seri (77), FR Troy McKinney (68)
Former 2* recruit Jakhari Williams is the lead man in the quarterback room, a two year starter who threw for 3,072 yards and 25 touchdowns a season ago. Trevor Louis and Jumaane Cox are expected to give the senior a run for his money in a QB battle that might not be settled until the Orange take the field week one against the UMass Minutemen, a game Coach Savage said will serve as the dress rehersal for the upcoming season. Both Williams and Louis are pocket passers with the upper hand in regards to accuracy, but Cox brings the intrigue of a dual threat QB that thrived for Savage at Ball State.

Halfback
SO(RS) Spencer Vernon (84), FR JC Hoag (75), FR(RS) Tevin Westerman (72), FR Trenton Gilliam (72)
The top three backs for Syracuse graduated this spring and Savage's hopes of finding a workhorse in the transfer portal left him grasping at straws. His solution? Former 4* QB Spencer Vernon, shifting into the backfield in an effort to maximize the former QBs explosive athleticism (90SPD, 95AGI, 90COD). Frehsman JC Hoag is expected to see plenty of run as a reserve back and pass catchers out of the backfield while Westerman and Gilliam will fill out special team roles.

Wide Receiver
SR(RS) Ja'Meer Thomas (88), SR Phil Hutton (88), SR(RS) Jaylan Hornsby (84), SO(RS) Carlos Simms (82), SO(RS) Felix Redwine (81), FR(RS) Elton Romberg (68), FR James Alba (67)
Starting WRs Thomas (1,106 Yds, 11 TD) and Hutton (627 Yds, 4 TD) return with reserve WR Jaylan Hornsby joining the mix to form one of the best WR trios on the east coast this season. HC Nash Savage's offense has proved to be tailor made for speedy wide receivers and the Orange have that in aces. Expectations are high for the trio going into 2028 with reserves Simms and Redwine primed for breakout years in the result of injuries.

Tight End
JR Mateo Chickillo (86), SO Danny Pace (79), FR Don Zimmerman (75), FR Jeffrey Franz (75)
Mateo Chickillo is the roadgratting tight end your great grandpa would swear by and is likely going to be the starter in an additional offensive lineman role. But lookout for Pace and Franz, both are potentially dangerous mismatches for opposing defenses with their size (6'5 & 6'2) to speed (85 & 84) combination that could prove effective in key situations for Nash Savage's team.

Offensive Line
T - SR Kane Harris (86), SR(RS) Noah Rsahac (80), FR(RS) Joey Bierria (71), JR(RS) Ezekiel Roos (83), JR Tyler Bland (80), JR(RS) Emmett Telfort (76), FR Antwan Calmelat (76)
G - SR(RS) Travis Brown-Miller (84), SR(RS) Willie Goodacre (84), SR Ben Barbosa (83), JR(RS) Jeff Doucet (80), FR(RS) Dakota Soto (79), FR(RS) Marvin Ford (74), FR Dallas Eulls (61)
C - SR Carlos Conception (84), SO(RS) Dennis Strong (80)
Coach Savage may have said every job is open, but don't expect many changes along the offensive line. Rutgers transfer Kane Harris sliders over to tackle from guard, anchoring what should be an exceptional unit for the Orange.

Defensive Line
DE - SR(RS) Jahide Lesaine Jr (86), SR(RS) Jamichael Scantlebury (77), FR Nelson Stephen (74), FR Dawand Ijalana (66), JR(RS) Bryce Salaam (83)FR(RS) Robert Foster (82), SO(RS) Salesi Tuaolo (78), FR Jason Veasy (78), SO(RS) Miguel Barbosa (75), FR Walter Kush (58)
DT - JR Alex Clinton (85), JR Joey Akers (80), JR(RS) Johny Johnson (76), SO John Savage (75), Taylor McMahon (64)
Jahide Lesaine JR and Bryce Salaam are expected to man the corners of the defensive line while speed rushing specialist Alex Clinton should provide some push up the middle. 5* recruit Jason Veasy may appear buried on the depth chart, but look for Savage to get the prized recruit at least 5-10 snaps in pass rushing situations to let the speed rusher get to work. Some have compared him to another 'Cuse alum, Dwight Freeney. While the Buffalo, New York native will have to put in the work to earn the comparison, the sky is clearly the limit.

Linebackers
LB - JR(RS) Sean Schlauderaff (87), JR Brian Vallos (57), JR(RS) Nick McCalister (80), JR Juan Bishop (79), SO(RS) Marquise Johns (79), FR(RS) Clay Mooney (76)
MLB - SR(RS) Jayden Brown (90), FR(RS) Ernie McHugh (83), SO Max Shaver (82), SR Adrian Nitschke (81), FR Cam McQuaide (70)
"Dos Ese" (Schlauderaff) is the captain of the defense, with the speed to play sideline to sideline and the physicality to make receivers fear the middle. Himself and Jayden Brown remind many of the former 49ers duo of Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman.

Cornerbacks
SR Bradley Land (88), SO(RS) Deron Wusu (83), JR(RS) Dalvin Holley (82), JR Deon Stokley (80), Davonte Kuhn (78), FR Kevin Schweitzer (75), FR(RS) Ken LaRue (74), FR Paul Reinhart (68), FR Kasey Cobb (66), FR Scotty Ulrich (59)
Syracuse may have two of the best safeties in the country, but their 2028 defensive backfield is planning on living up to their former "No Fly Zone" moniker. The top 4 of the Orange CBs can matchup with any wide receiver core in the nation thanks to elite speed at key positions, but the unit is extremely front heavy. Any rash injuries to the unit could quickly turn it from a plus, into a net negative.

Safety
JR Tucker Colman (85), SO(RS) Clyde Weaver (76), FR(RS) Max Laborn (72), FR Corbin Houghtaling (72), SR CJ Ziemann (88), JR(RS) Leo Tauscher (87), SR(RS) Keke Adams (84), FR(RS) Tyree Kight (78), FR Layne Smith (73), FR Ricky Jerry (60)
Speaking of the safeties, CJ Ziemann and Leo Tasucher are an all-american duo, earning 1st and 2nd team respectively, and are expected to be on the field together constantly in Savage's 3-3-5 scheme. Savage has coached three straight Jim Thrope winners (DD Snyder, Tawfiq Byard, Devin Teague) and many expect one of the two safeties to make it a 4th this season. Tucker Colman is the do it all swiss army knife at FS, capable of playing in the box or dropping into coverage, and is happy to be back after originally entering the transfer portal (Persuaded him to stay, the only attempted deserter).

The Syracuse Orange open the 2028 season with a visit from the Minutemen from Massachusetts, a game that while unchallenging is going to prove critical for Nash Savage to asses this years squad in real time.

"We aren't releasing any depth charts or naming any starters until after week one. Those who perform in camp will get the first shot at making an impression in the game," announced the coach when discussing the depth chart.

Syracuse will follow up the quick warmup game with a visit from rival Penn State as they renew their annual rivalry, a game which the Orange one last season in the beginning of an utterly disappointing campaign for the Nittany Lions, before traveling to Louisiana to face Savage's former offensive coordinator, Brian Lindgren.

Syracuse Orange 2028 Schedule
DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT
Sep 2	vs UMass Minutemen
Sep 9	vs Penn State Nittany Lions
Sep 16	at Louisiana Lafayette
Sep 23	vs BYE
Sep 30	at Duke Blue Devils
Oct 7	at Florida State Seminoles
Oct 14	vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Oct 21	vs Pittsburgh Panthers
Oct 28	at Virginia Tech Hookies
Nov 4	vs West Virginia Mountaineers
Nov 10	at Miami Hurricanes
Nov 18	vs Virginia Cavaliers
Nov 25	at Maryland Terrapins

Ball State Cardinals Preview

Muncie, IN. - All eyes will be on Muncie when the defending National Champion kickoff the Kliff Kingsbury era as they play host to in-state rival Notre Dame.

"I guess it's tradition around here to kickoff your career with a game against the Irish," joked Kliff Kingsbury, referencing Coach Savage's debut, a 26-20 loss against the defending National Champion Irish, three seasons ago.

Without Kadin Semonza Ball State will turn to Titus Awe, who played encouragingly well in limited action last season, with 4* QB PJ Barmore ready and waiting should the sophomore falter.

"He's not as accurate as Kadin was, few are, but he's got the physical tools to put it all together, especially with the weapons he has," Kingsbury said praising the young signal caller.

While Awe will most certainly miss the presence of Nyck Harbor on the outside, he still has arguably Semonza's favorite target to rely on - Philip Onwualu.

The senior WR enters the 2028 season just 80 receptions shy of Zay Flowers NCAA record 399. Having never finished with less than 103 receptions, even with a 4 game absence last year, Onwualu is expected to be the lone man in the record books by seasons end.

After Ball State hosts Notre Dame they'll enjoy a short break before a visit from 2027 National Champion runner up Stanford, then a short trip over to Ohio Stadium to face the Buckeyes, hoping to rebound from a disastrous 2027 campaign that nearly cost Ryan Day his job, before opening up MAC play.

Ball State Cardinals 89/89/89 Depth Chart - 2028
Regular Offense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
WR	JR(RS) Dee Katula (84)	JR(RS) Barry Poutasi (77)	FR Spencer Lewis (73)
TE	SR(RS) Theo Hrynkiewicz (83)	JR(RS) Marvin Mooney (77)	SR(RS) Carson Bruhn (81)
LT	SR Carl Poyer (82)	JR(RS) Anthony Okine (80)	JR(RS) Antonio Cheeks (78)
LG	SR(RS) Zach Bandy (86)	JR(RS) Jaden Rasmussen (80)	SO(RS) Alonzo Atogwe (77)
C	SR(RS) Logan Wilber (82)	FR Scott Landry (67)
RG	SR(RS) Arkel Anugwom (82)	FR(RS) Tyler Carraway (79)	FR Noah Meeks (69)
RT	SO Shakir Cribbs (81)	FR(RS) Terrance Madison (79)	SO(RS) Rashad Bunting (77)
WR	SR Philip Onwualu (87)	SR(RS) Kyson Anderson (84)	FR Daryl Pope (75)
QB	SO Titus Awe (77)	FR PJ Barmore (72)
HB	SO(RS) Legend Ogbogu (84)	SO Cortez Duval (81)
Base 3-4 Defense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
LDE	SR Scott Humphries (88)	SR(RS) Ben Marsh (82)	FR(RS) Stephen Hippenhammer (77)
NT	FR(RS) Timote Dove (82)	SR(RS) Brenan Vernon (81)	JR(RS) Devin Lund (79)
RDE	SR(RS) Cameron Jones (83)	JR(RS) Barry Hockenson (81)	JR(RS) Jamie Duarte (76)
LOLB	JR(RS) Tucker Foster (83)	JR(RS) Amari Jimoh (76)	SR Kyle Fong (80)
LILB	JR JaMichael Tabor (85)	SR Dalton Townsel (78)
RILB	SO(RS) Matthew Scroggins (85)	FR Jelani Philip (75)
ROLB	JR Glenn McCord (77)	SO Greg Vernon (76)	FR(RS) Jarrad Ogle (72)
CB	SR(RS) Brandon Nicholson (86)	JR(RS) Warren Hart (83)	SR(RS) Willizhuan Yates (82)
SS	JR(RS) Devin Teague (84)	FR(RS) Jeremy Maslowski (74)	FR John Stock (75)
FS	SO(RS) Steven Tyree (81)	SR(RS) Jason Cross Jr (81)	FR(RS) Pat Ruggins (74)	Jordan Davis (81)
CB	SR(RS) Austin Alexander (84)	SR(RS) Quinnen Ford (83)	SR(RS) Jordan Suggs (82)	JR(RS) JP Kitchings (78)

Ball State Cardinals 2028 Schedule
DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT
Sep 2	vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Sep 9	vs BYE
Sep 16	vs Stanford Cardinal
Sep 23	at Ohio State Buckeyes
Sep 30	at Eastern Michigan Eagles
Oct 7	vs Western Michigan Broncos
Oct 14	at Bowling Green Falcons
Oct 21	vs Central Michigan Chippewas
Oct 28	vs Miami University RedHawks
Nov 4	at Ohio Bobcats
Nov 11	vs Northern Illinois Huskies
Nov 18	at Kent State Golden Flashes
Nov 25	at Akron Zips

[redsox907]

Re: From The Shadows | The Rise Of "Nitro" Nash Savage (CFB25)

2028 Syracuse Pre-Season Recruiting Preview

Syracuse, NY. - Syracuse enters the 2028 recruiting cycle with 19 graduating seniors (11 offensive - 8 defensive) with the biggest need unquestionably being the offensive line with four of their five projected starters set to graduate.

Luckily for 'Cuse the nations 7th best prospects - 2nd ranked T - Antwuan Loudermilk hails from Middle Village, NY and has the Orange at the top of his list.

With all three of Syracuse's projected starting WR slated to graduate as well Coach Nash Savage has targeted 5* WR AJ Yeast and 4* receivers Specner Everett and Roy McCleon in an effort to quickly inject speed and physicality amongst the receiving core.

In all Syracuse begins the recruiting cycle with 22 prospects on their "big board" with 11 of them hailing from New York or New Jersey.

Syracuse 2028 Recruiting Rankings:
Championship Contender: C+ (74th)
Program Tradition: B- (64th)
Campus Lifestyle: C (71st)
Stadium Atmosphere: B (44th)
Pro Potential: B- (52nd)
Brand Exposure: B+ (28th)
Academic Prestige: B+ (26th)
Conference Prestige: A+ (2nd)
Coach Stability: B- (56th)
Coach Prestige: B (41st)
Athletic Facilities: B (42nd)
Overall Prestige: 3 1/2*

	Name	Position	Height	Weight	Tendency	Hometown	National Ranking
5*	Antwuan Loudermilk	T	6'7	293	Power	Middle Village, NY	7
5*	Terrell Sturm	DT	6'4	303	Speed Rusher	Berwick, PA	11
5*	AJ Yeast	WR	6'6	211	Physical	West Palm Beach, FL	25
5*	Lee Browner	HB	5'10	184	Elusive	Irvington, NJ	30
4*	Spencer Everett	WR	6'3	209	Deep Threat	Madison, MS	41
4*	Conor Herbig	CB	6'2	186	Man To Man	Wayne, NJ	70
4*	Sam Yates	G	6'3	300	Agile	Elizabeth, NJ	85
4*	Alex Addington	MLB	5'11	239	Pass Coverage	Brooklyn, NY	147
4*	Quin Cheeseman	FS	6'0	195	Hybrid	Boston, MA	189
4*	Stanley Wendt	QB	6'4	198	Scrambler	Staten Island, NY	205
4*	Demetrious Vilma	LB	6'2	253	Power Rusher	Williamstown, NY	210
4*	Amani Little	DE	6'4	297	Power Rusher	Brockton, MA	236
4*	Roy McCleon	WR	6'4	214	Physical	Fairless Hills, PA	296
4*	Tim Cleveland	T	6'5	307	Agile	Middle Village, NY	319
4*	Darrelle Kirkendoll	G	6'5	295	Power	Malvern, PA	344
4*	Pat McGarigle	TE	6'2	235	Vertical	Bridgton, ME	406
4*	Matthias Mixon	T	6'8	313	Power	Everett, MA	411
4*	Bruce Wheat	G	6'5	319	Agile	Needham, MA	431
3*	Matt Spain	C	6'1	309	Agile	Aliquippa, PA	621
3*	Mitch Bettis	LB	5'11	215	Pass Coverage	Buffalo, NY	915
3*	Colton Schweitzer	DT	6'2	326	Power Rusher	Buffalo, NY	1004
3*	Hugh Hennessy	S	6'0	202	Zone	Vineland, NJ	1006

Ball State 2028 Recruiting

Spoiler

Ball State Recruiting Rankings
Championship Contender: A- 23rd (26th - 2027)
Program Tradition: B 50th (56th - 2027)
Campus Lifestyle: C- 130th
Stadium Atmosphere: C- 95th (98th - 2027)
Pro Potential: C- 97th(103rd - 2027)
Brand Exposure: B 42nd (91st - 2027)
Academic Prestige: C 85th
Conference Prestige: C- 10th (11th - 2027)
Coach Stability: D+ 105th (108th - 2027)
Coach Prestige: C- 98th (19th - 2027)
Athletic Facilities: C- 100th(108th - 2027)
Team Prestige: 3*

	Name	Position	Height	Weight	Tendency	Hometown	National Ranking
5*	Brendan Jerman	CB	6'3	184	Zone	Gettysburg, PA	8
5*	Toby Meinerz	DE	6'6	261	Run Stopper	Saint Cloud, MN	15
4*	Prince Beach	CB	6'0	177	Slot	Alcoa, TN	38
4*	Zach Byham	TE	6'6	252	Possession	Detroit, MI	48
4*	Cam Boudreaux	MLB	6'2	225	Pass Coverage	Detroit, MI	57
4*	Dominick Glennon	CB	5'10	185	Man To Man	Indianapolis, IN	58
4*	Matthew Foucha	HB	6'3	225	Power	Perry, OH	60
4*	Taylor Beckner	QB	6'1	223	Improviser	Chargin Falls, OH	75
4*	Frank Vines	HB	6'0	204	Elusive	Sandusky, OH	100
4*	Ben Kane	ATH	6'3	248	Possession	Indianapolis, IN	106
4*	Laron Turner	WR	5'10	196	Deep Threat	North Versailles, PA	120
4*	Kyle Murphy	T	6'5	312	Power	Creston, OH	150
4*	Lashawn Whalen	G	6'4	288	Agile	Alpena, MI	163
4*	Kionte Cano	T	6'7	304	Power	Chicago, IL	166
4*	Robby Van Maaten	WR	5'9	206	Deep Threat	Kealakekua, HI	173
4*	Lionel Merrick	WR	5'9	205	Deep Threat	Winfield, MO	192
4*	Rashaaad Bickley	ATH	6'1	305	Agile	Massillon, OH	226
4*	Theo Greisen	DE	6'4	294	Power Rusher	Midlothian, VA	231
4*	Soni Fualema	S	5'11	203	Run Support	Honolulu, HI	260
4*	Russell Howden	S	6'2	205	Hybrid	Charleston, IN	277
4*	Lynn Bess	DE	6'6	284	Power Rusher	Cincinnati, OH	366
4*	Gabe Yearby	CB	5'10	198	Man To Man	Sterling Heights, MI	404

[redsox907]

Re: From The Shadows | The Rise Of "Nitro" Nash Savage (CFB25)

2028 Week One Preview

Matchup Preview *|* September 2, 2028
	@
Massachusetts Minutemen (1-0, 0-0 Away)		Syracuse Orange (0-0, 0-0 Home)
Injury Report Game Notes Syracuse, NY. - The Minutemen defeated their "dress rehearsal" opponent - D2 Bentley - and will now look to spoil the Oranges own rehearsal attempt. All eyes will be on the QBs as Coach Savage has yet to name a starter between returning starting QB Jakhari Williams and backups Trevor Louis and Jumaane Cox. In a somewhat telling move, Cox will get the 2nd crack into the game after Williams' 1st quarter warm up.

UMass Minutemen 82/82/82 Depth Chart - 2028
Regular Offense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
WR	SO(RS) Charlie Spears (77)	JR Dennis Stein (74)	SO(RS) Vai Latu (70)
TE	SO(RS) Tony Whitehead (72)	FR(RS) Delvin Verrett (72)	FR(RS) John Uwazurike (70)
LT	SR(RS) Tanner Burlingame (84)	JR(RS) Conner Cushenberry (80)
LG	SO(RS) David Ogunbowale (84)	JR(RS) Von Uzomah (78)
C	JR(RS) Robert Dogbe (78)	FR Leon Forsett (66)
RG	SR(RS) Brock Taylor (85)	SO Max Sabri (79)
RT	SO(RS) Darrius Byler (78)	SR(RS) Anthony Robsock (79)
WR	SR(RS) Kezion Dia-Johnson (85)	SR(RS) Jimmie Bartow (76)	FR(RS) NIck Mendoza (74)
QB	JR(RS) Darrell Edmond (81)	SR(RS) AJ Hairston (80)
FB	SR Trent Meeks (80)
HB	SR(RS) Da'marion Alberic (84)	FR(RS) Landon Kacyvenski (75)	JR(RS) Eric Clayborn (75)
Base 3-4 Defense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
LDE	JR(RS) Greg Copper (78)	JR(RS) Chuck Sherwood (75)
NT	SR(RS) Bo Westmont (81)	SR Calvin Washington (80)
RDE	JR(RS) Shawn Hill (83)	JR(RS) Daryl Wiggins (79)
LOLB	SO(RS) Jimmy Seder (74)	FR(RS) Gage Chester (74)
LILB	SR(RS) Rashad Henry (78)	FR(RS) DJ Wear (69)
RILB	SO Tyree Tate (77)	JR(RS) Hakeem Duggan (76)
ROLB	JR Mike Apple (79)	JR Kaseem Peters (77)
CB	SR(RS) Keith Sarkodieh (81)	JR(RS) Earl Herbig (79)	JR(RS) Troy McBurrows (74)
SS	SO Ryan Costanzo (80)	JR(RS) Dalton Flanagan (78)
FS	FR(RS) Faitele Good (86)	JR(RS) Erick Kane (74)
CB	JR(RS) Dane Angerer (79)	FR(RS) Dustin Pears (78)	JR(RS) Troy McBurrows (74)

Week One ACC Schedule
#16 Maryland @ #12 Texas
NC State @ East Carolina
Georgia Tech @ Michigan State
#5 South Carolina @ #14 North Carolina
Troy @ #7 Clemson
Duke @ Western Michigan
Wake Foret @ TCU
#1 Miami @ #2 Georgia
Virginia @ Old Dominion
Pittsburgh @ Western Kentucky
West Virginia @ #20 Tennessee
Liberty @ Virginia Tech

Notable Week One Matchups
#22 Louisville @ #8 Texas A&M
Notre Dame @ #18 Ball State

[tobin834]

Re: From The Shadows | The Rise Of "Nitro" Nash Savage (CFB25)

Ohhh MYYYY what? I'm from Syracuse so I'm ALL IN. This is an amazing choice of college here haaha,

[redsox907]

Re: From The Shadows | The Rise Of "Nitro" Nash Savage (CFB25)

Ohhh MYYYY what? I'm from Syracuse so I'm ALL IN. This is an amazing choice of college here haaha,

Thanks man! As I said before, I would have never put them on a list of destinations when starting this but once they came up in the carousel I quickly bought in. Just played my first game in the Dome and it was a blast. Hopefully we can make you proud this year!

[redsox907]

Re: From The Shadows | The Rise Of "Nitro" Nash Savage (CFB25)

'Cuse Finds Their QB In 4th Q Explosion


Jakhari Williams got the call in the pivotal 4th quarter and put the QB battle to rest with a pair of touchdowns.

Massachusetts Minutemen at Syracuse Orange
Sep 2, 2028 1 2 3 4 F MASS (1-0) 3 0 10 0 13 SYR (0-0) 0 7 7 21 35 Top Performers PASS: SYR Jakhari Williams - 19/25, 130 Yds, 2 TD, INT RUSH: SYR Spencer Vernon - 10 Att, 127 Yds, TD REC: UMASS Charlie Spears - 5 Rec, 134 Yds, TD	Team Stats Comparison MASS SYR First Downs 12 24 3rd Down Efficiency 3/13 8/14 4th Down Efficiency 0/2 1/3 Total Yards 381 544 Passing Yards 225 269 Rushing Yards 27 - 80 23 - 210 Penalties-Penalty Yards 3 - 30 6 - 49 Turnovers 2 3 Time of Possession 20:08 23:52
Scoring Summary FIRST QUARTER SCORING MASS SYR 5:28 (MASS) Evan Bowie, 19 Yd FG 3 0 SECOND QUARTER SCORING MASS SYR 9:17 (SYR) Phil Hutton, 1 Yd Pass From Jakhari Wiliams 3 7 THIRD QUARTER SCORING MASS SYR 10:13 (MASS) Charlie Spears, 78 Yd Pass From Darrell Edmond 10 7 6:05 (SYR) JC Hoag, 10 Yd Run 10 14 2:10 (MASS) Evan Bowie, 41 Yd FG 13 14 FOURTH QUARTER SCORING MASS SYR 1:50 (SYR) Jakhari Williams, 5 Yd Run 13 21 1:31 (SYR) JC Hoag, 8 Yd Pass From Jakhari Williams 13 28 0:30 (SYR) Spencer Vernon, 80 Yd Run 13 35
Massachusetts Minutemen PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Darrell Edmond 13/29 225 1 2 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Da'Marion Alberic 14 39 2.7 0 Darrell Edmond 13 41 3.1 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Charlie Spears 5 134 26.8 1 Jimmie Bartow 3 6 2.0 0 Tony Whitehead 3 65 21.6 0 Kezion Dia-Johnson 2 20 10.0 0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK Tony Whitehead 3 0 Tanner Burlingame 2 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD FS Faitele Good 10 0 0 0 MLB Rashad Henry 9 0 1 0 CB Dane Angerer 6 0 1 0 CB Earl Herbig 5 0 (1TFL) 1 0 DE Daryl Wiggins 5 0 (3TFL) 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LG Evan Bowie 2/2 1/1 7 41 PUNTING TOT YDS AVG -20 Eric Creech 5 158 31.6 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Dennis Stein 6 72 12.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Dennis Stein 1 4 4.0 0 Syracuse Orange PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Jakhari Williams 19/25 130 2 1 Jumaane Cox 6/12 74 0 2 Trevor Louis 5/10 65 0 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Spencer Vernon 10 127 12.7 1 JC Hoag 6 33 5.5 1 Jumaane Cox 3 15 5.0 0 Jakhari Williams 3 18 6.0 1 Trevor Louis 1 17 17.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Jaylan Hornsby 10 129 12.9 0 Phil Hutton 8 43 5.3 1 Spencer Vernon 4 24 6.0 0 Ja'Meer Thomas 3 25 8.3 0 JC Hoag 2 15 7.5 1 Mateo Chickillo 2 20 10.0 0 Felix Redwine 1 13 13.0 0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK Carlos Concepcion 7 0 Ezekiel Roos 6 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD FS Tucker Colman 10 0 0 0 MLB Jayden Brown 6 1 (3TFL) 0 0 LB Juan Bishop 5 0.5 (1TFL) 0 0 DT Joey Akers 3 1 (2TFL) 0 0 LB Scott Schlauderaff 3 1 (2TFL) 0 0 DT Alex Clinton 3 0 (2TFL) 0 0 DE Jason Veasy 2 1 (1TFL) 0 0 DE Bryce Salaam 2 1.5 (2TFL) 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LG Desmond Brewer 0/1 5/5 5 NA PUNTING TOT YDS AVG -20 Michael Chickillo 1 36 36.0 0 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Carlos Simms 1 29 29.0 0 Elton Romberg 2 26 13.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Elton Romberg 3 10 3.3 0

LEFT - Deon Stockley (pictured) and Max Shafer each nabbed an interception to end the final two UMass drives with turnovers.
CENTER - Darrell Edmond gave the Orange defense all they could handle, burning them for 225 passing yards and an additional 41 rushing yards despite 6 Syracuse sacks.
RIGHT - Prized 5* Jason Veasy wasted no time establishing his presence, putting constant pressure on Edmond before finally getting home in the 4th quarter.

Syracuse, NY. - Syracuse head coach Nash Savage wasted no time making good on his promise to evaluate his quarterback room in live action, cycling through three different signal-callers in the first three quarters. But when the Orange needed a closer, it was last year’s starter, Jakhari Williams, who took the reins and led a dominant fourth-quarter surge to secure a 35-13 victory over UMass in the season opener at the JMA Wireless Dome.

The game opened with a sluggish start for Syracuse, as UMass struck first with a 19-yard field goal from Evan Bowie in the first quarter. The Orange finally found the end zone in the second when Williams capped off his second drive with a one-yard touchdown pass to Phil Hutton, giving Syracuse a 7-3 lead at halftime.

The second and third quarters saw continued experimentation at quarterback, with Jumaane Cox taking over in the second and struggling with two interceptions. Trevor Louis got his opportunity in the third and helped engineer a scoring drive, handing off to JC Hoag for a 10-yard touchdown run. However, UMass responded with a big play of its own—a 78-yard touchdown strike from Darrell Edmond to Charlie Spears—before adding a 41-yard field goal to cut the Syracuse lead to 14-13 heading into the final frame.

With the game in the balance, Savage turned back to his veteran leader. Williams’ return to action was shaky, as he threw an interception on his first drive of the fourth quarter. But after a defensive stop, he settled in, completing three key passes for gains of 30, 11, and five yards before finishing the drive with a determined five-yard scramble into the end zone.

The Syracuse defense tightened the screws from there, grabbing two second-half interceptions, including a crucial red-zone pick from Deon Stokley. That set up Williams’ eight-yard touchdown pass to JC Hoag, stretching the lead to 28-13. The knockout punch came moments later when converted quarterback Spencer Vernon broke free for an electrifying 80-yard touchdown run, sending the home crowd into a frenzy and sealing the 35-13 victory.

Elsewhere, Savage’s former team, Ball State, suffered a heartbreaking season-opening loss to Notre Dame. The Cardinals took a late 29-26 lead when Titus Awe connected with Philip Onwualu for a 27-yard touchdown with 45 seconds remaining. But the celebration was short-lived, as Irish quarterback CJ Carr responded immediately with a stunning 90-yard touchdown strike to Bobby Johns, crushing Ball State’s hopes in a 33-29 thriller.

For Syracuse, the win marked a strong start to the Savage era, but quarterback uncertainty remains a storyline to watch. Williams reaffirmed his leadership when it mattered most, but with a pivotal rivalry match against Penn State looming Coach Savage will continue to monitor the games most crucial position.

Week One ACC Results
17 #11 Maryland @ #16 Texas 13
20 NC State @ East Carolina 27
66 Georgia Tech @ Michigan State 21
34 #4 South Carolina @ #20 North Carolina
24 Troy @ #6 Clemson 44
38 Duke @ Western Michigan 22
30 Wake Forest @ TCU 34
39 #7 Miami @ #1 Georgia 41
14 Virginia @ Old Dominion 33
35 #21 Pittsburgh @ Western Kentucky 17
19 West Virginia @ #17 Tennessee 27
24 Librerty @ Virginia Tech 31

Week One Notable Results
32 #12 Louisville @ #15 Texas A&M 30
24 Kennesaw State @ #23 Penn State 27
17 Cincinnati @ Boise State 16

[redsox907]

Re: From The Shadows | The Rise Of "Nitro" Nash Savage (CFB25)

2028 Week Two Preview

Matchup Preview *|* September 9, 2028
	@
#23 Penn State Nittany Lions (1-0, 0-0 Away)		Syracuse Orange (1-0, 1-0 Home)
Injury Report DE Javon Hammonds (82) Fractured Shoulder Blade (4 Weeks)

Penn State Nittany Lions 89/89/90 Depth Chart - 2028
Regular Offense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
WR	JR(RS) Alexander Selzner (90)	JR Brady Burns (83)	SO(RS) Paul McCaskill (78)
TE	JR(RS) Rob McAllister (82)	FR(RS) Stephen Gruber (82)
LT	JR(RS) Dennis Folk (90)	SR(RS) Marquise Thorpe-Taylor (83)
LG	SO(RS) Damon Thompson (88)	JR(RS) Louis Spaulding (82)
C	FR Shonn Keglar (74)	JR Jameson Butt (68)
RG	SO Eric Clemens (85)	FR(RS) Cameron Ezekiel (80)
RT	FR(RS) Kenan Cushenberry (83)	FR(RS) Jason Artmore (79)
WR	SR(RS) Josiah Brown (89)	SO(RS) Joe Kosier (84)	JR Lee Haynos (80)
QB	SO(RS) Calvin Vaughn (83)	JR(RS) Emmanuel Willie (77)
HB	SR(RS) Corey Smith (90)	JR(RS) Jamichael Chestnut (87)	FR(RS) Eddie Krosnodomskie (81)
Base 3-4 Defense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
LDE	SR(RS) Mylachi Williams (89)	SR James Contreras (85)
NT	SR(RS) Xavier Gilliam (86)	FR Calvin Petis (76)
RDE	JR(RS) Marcques Muamba (88)	FR(RS) Chris Cantwell (82)
LOLB	JR(RS) TJ Genus (84)	SR(RS) Kari Jackson (79)
LILB	SO Tremaine Boyett (86)	SO(RS) Morgan Harvin (83)
RILB	SR(RS) Antony Speca (84)	FR Sergio Sahara (75)
ROLB	SO(RS) Martin Brookins (85)	FR(RS) Joe Harms (83)
CB	SO Paul Faulk (86)	FR(RS) Zach Robinson (83)	SR(RS) Davion Pritchard (82)
SS	KR Scott Luck (77)	SR(RS) Christian LeBrun (76)
FS	JR(RS) Johnny Daniels (82)	JR John Bouye (81)
CB	SR(RS) Jon Mitchell (85)	SR(RS) Braydon Lee (83)	SR(RS) Davion Pritchard (82)

Week Two ACC Schedule
FCS vs #21 Pittsburgh (1-0)
Illinois (1-0) @ Virginia (0-1)
Western Kentucky (0-1) @ #20 North Carolina (0-1)
UL Monroe (1-0) @ #6 Clemson (1-0)
#9 Tulane (1-0) @ West Virginia (1-0)
Purdue (0-1) @ Wake Forest (1-0)
Old Dominion (1-0) @ Virginia Tech (1-0)
TCU (1-0) @ Duke (1-0)
FCS @ #11 Maryland (1-0)
FCS @ #4 South Carolina (1-0)
USF (2-0) @ #7 Miami (0-1)
NC State (0-1) @ #2 Oklahoma (1-0)
FCS @ Georgia Tech (0-1)

Notable Week Two Matchups
#15 Texas A&M (1-0) @ Nebraska (1-0)
#18 Louisiana (1-0) @ Washington (1-0)
Fresno State (1-1) @ #23 USC (1-0)

[Deuce2223]

Re: From The Shadows | The Rise Of "Nitro" Nash Savage (CFB25)

Sometimes those 1 and 2* guys who stick it out for 4 years become ballers

[redsox907]

Re: From The Shadows | The Rise Of "Nitro" Nash Savage (CFB25)

Sometimes those 1 and 2* guys who stick it out for 4 years become ballers

Theres a handful of them on the roster surprisingly. Maybe if I've got extra points near the end of the season I'll find a low ranked QB and scout em to see how they'll turn out lol.

On the subject of recruiting, been having something weird happen. Not sure if its because I'm controlling two coaches, but both school had a small amount of interested prospects. And nothing below 4*. IIrc Syracuse had 15 total propsects with me on their board and Ball State had 21? Just weird, normally there are a ton of 2/1* guys with interest. So needless to say I had to slightly break the house rule of only going after 1 guy with me not on their list for recruting. Any players that were in a gold/silver pipeline were free game, otherwise I'd be going into 2029 with no guards or centers to replace the departing ones.

Hoping its just something weird for this season and not a consistent problem that's going to pop up every year. Reading online its a mixed bag and no one knows why

[redsox907]

Re: From The Shadows | The Rise Of "Nitro" Nash Savage (CFB25)

Orange Crush The Nittany Lions In The Dome


Freshman JC Hoag had the JMA Dome in a frenzy after his 59 yard TD run put Syracuse up 35-3.

Penn State Nittany Lions at Syracuse Orange
Sep 9, 2028 1 2 3 4 F #23 PSU (1-0) 3 0 7 0 10 SYR (1-0) 7 21 10 0 38 Top Performers PASS: PSU Calvin Vaughn - 14/18, 162 Yds, TD RUSH: SYR JC Hoag - 17 Att, 176 Yds, 2 TD REC: SYR Jaylan Hornsby - 6 Rec, 117 Yds, TD	Team Stats Comparison PSU SYR First Downs 12 23 3rd Down Efficiency 2/8 2/6 4th Down Efficiency 0/1 1/1 Total Yards 356 569 Passing Yards 208 234 Rushing Yards 18 - 41 30 - 273 Penalties-Penalty Yards 1 - 10 3 - 25 Turnovers 1 1 Time of Possession 19:40 24:20
Scoring Summary FIRST QUARTER SCORING PSU SYR 7:06 (SYR) Phil Hutton, Returned Fumble 22 Yds 0 7 2:50 (PSU) James Allgeier, 45 Yd FG 3 7 SECOND QUARTER SCORING PSU SYR 9:11 (SYR) JC Hoag, 1 Yd Run 3 14 1:59 (SYR) Jakhari Williams, 6 Yd Run 3 21 0:52 (SYR) Jaylan Hornsby, 42 Yd Pass From Spencer Vernon 3 28 THIRD QUARTER SCORING PSU SYR 5:01 (SYR) JC Hoag, 59 Yd Run 3 35 4:49 (PSU) Josiah Brown, 87 Yd Pass From Calvin Vaughn 10 35 0:41 (SYR) Desmond Brewer, 22 Yd FG 10 38
Penn State Nittany Lions PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Calvin Vaughn 14/18 162 1 0 Emmanuel Willie 5/8 46 0 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Corey Smith 9 84 9.3 0 Calvin Vaughn 6 -56 -9.3 0 Emmanuel Willie 2 14 7.0 0 Lee Haynos 1 -1 -1.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Josiah Brown 4 93 23.2 1 Paul McCaskill 4 23 5.7 0 Corey Smith 3 19 6.3 0 Lee Haynos 2 28 14.0 0 Alexander Selzner 2 18 9.0 0 Rob McAllister 2 15 7.5 0 Stephen Gruber 1 3 3.0 0 Brady Burns 1 9 9.0 0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK Kenan Cushenberry 3 3 Damon Thompson 1 2 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD CB Davion Pritchard 8 0 (1TFL) 0 0 MLB Anthony Speca 7 0 0 0 DE Mylachi Williams 5 0 (1TFL) 0 0 MLB Tremaine Boyett 6 0 (1TFL) 1 0 DT Xavier Gilliam 4 0.5 (1TFL) 0 0 DE Joel Doubs 2 0.5 (1TFL) 0 0 DE James Contreras 3 0 0 (FF) 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LG James Allgeier 1/1 1/1 4 45 PUNTING TOT YDS AVG -20 Kevin Phifer 4 137 34.2 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Brady Burns 7 100 14.2 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Brady Burns 1 7 7.0 0 Syracuse Orange PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Jakhari Williams 14/19 192 0 1 Spencer Vernon 1/1 42 1 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD JC Hoag 17 176 10.3 2 Spencer Vernon 8 56 7.0 0 Jakhari Williams 5 41 8.2 1 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Jaylan Hornsby 6 117 19.5 1 Phil Hutton 4 43 10.7 0 JC Hoag 2 12 6.0 0 Spencer Vernon 2 19 9.65 0 Ja'Meer Thomas 1 43 43.0 0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK Willie Goodacre 9 0 Kane Harris 4 0 Carlos Concepcion 1 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD CB Bradley Land 7 1 (2TFL) 0 0 MLB Max Shaver 6 0.5 (1TFL) 0 0 MLB Jayden Brown 5 0 (1TFL) 0 0 LB Sean Schlauderaff 4 1 (2TFL) 0 0 DE Jason Veasy 3 2.5 (3TFL) 0 0 DT Johnny Johnson 2 1 (2TFL) 0 0 DT Joey Akers 2 0.5 (1TFL) 0 0 SS Leo Tauscher 1 0 1 0 DT Alex Clinton 1 1 (1TFL) 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LG Desmond Brewer 1/1 5/5 8 23 PUNTING TOT YDS AVG -20 Michael Chickillo 1 32 32.0 0 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Elton Romberg 1 15 15.0 0 Carlos Simms 2 29 14.5 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Elton Romberg 3 18 6.0 0

LEFT - Sometimes its better to be lucky than good, after a 18 yard fumble QB Jakhari Williams put the ball on the turf, but thankfully WR Phil Hutton scooped the ball and dashed into the endzone.
LEFT CENTER - QB Calvin Vaughn faced relentless pressure from the Orange defense suffering 6 1st half sacks as 'Cuse battered the sophomore signal caller.
RIGHT CENTER - Nash Savage went deep into his bag of tricks in an effort to win the historic rivalry, calling a HB pass with 52 seconds left in the 1st half.
RIGHT - Josiah Brown with the lone bright spot for PSU fans, sneaking behind the corner and safety before sprinting for a 87 yard TD.

Syracuse, NY. - Syracuse made a statement under the lights of the JMA Dome, overwhelming No. 23 Penn State in a 38-10 rout to move to 2-0 on the season. Head coach Nash Savage’s defense set the tone early, while the offense delivered a mix of power and creativity to secure a convincing win.

The Orange struck first in dramatic fashion when quarterback Jakhari Williams fumbled on an 18-yard scramble, only for wide receiver Phil Hutton to scoop up the loose ball and sprint 22 yards into the end zone. Penn State responded with a 45-yard field goal from James Allgeier, but the Nittany Lions’ offense struggled mightily against a relentless Syracuse pass rush.

Syracuse dominated the second quarter, rattling off three unanswered touchdowns. Running back JC Hoag powered in from a yard out, followed by a six-yard touchdown run from Williams. Then, with a 21-3 lead, Savage dipped into his bag of tricks—calling for a halfback pass off a screen fake. Converted quarterback Spencer Vernon delivered a strike to Jaylan Hornsby for a 42-yard touchdown, leaving Penn State reeling heading into halftime.

Hoag continued his explosive night with a 59-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter, pushing the lead to 35-3. Penn State finally broke through on the next play from scrimmage when Calvin Vaughn connected with Josiah Brown for an 87-yard touchdown. However, that would be the only highlight for the Nittany Lions, as the Orange defense remained in control, highlighted by two and a half sacks from five-star freshman Jason Veasy in the first half alone.

Syracuse tacked on a 22-yard field goal from Desmond Brewer and shut out Penn State in the fourth quarter to complete the dominant performance. Despite running back Corey Smith’s 84 yards on just nine carries, Penn State head coach Mark Stoops faced criticism for his game plan, as the Nittany Lions abandoned the run early and failed to establish offensive rhythm.

With the win, Syracuse solidifies itself as a team to watch under Savage, while Penn State is left searching for answers after a humbling loss on the road.

Week Two ACC Results
0 FCS @ #17 Pittsburgh (2-0) 47
21 Illinois (2-0) @ Virginia (0-2) 16
10 Western Kentucky @ #18 North Carolina (2-0) 14
21 UL Monroe (1-1) @ #6 Clemson (2-0) 37
20 #8 Tulane (2-0) @ West Virginia (0-2) 19
17 Purdue (0-2) @ Wake Forest (1-1)
Old Dominion (1-1) @ Virginia Tech (2-0)
31 TCU (1-1) @ Duke (2-0) 42
0 FCS @ #9 Maryland (2-0)
0 FCS @ #4 South Carolina (2-0)
35 USF (3-0) @ #23 Miami (0-2)
20 NC State (0-2) @ #2 Oklahoma (2-0) 27


Notable Week Two Results
26 #13 Texas A&M (1-1) @ Nebraska (1-1) 24
27 #24 SMU (1-1) @ Vanderbilt (2-0) 35
10 Fresno State (1-2) @ #16 USC (2-0) 31

[redsox907]

Re: From The Shadows | The Rise Of "Nitro" Nash Savage (CFB25)

2028 Week Three Preview

Matchup Preview *|* September 16, 2028
	@
Syracuse Orange (2-0, 0-0 Away)		Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (1-1, 1-0 Home)
Injury Report QB Daniel Beal (78) Partial ACL Tear (8 Weeks) Game Notes Lafayette, LA. - Louisiana Lafayette crashed the CFP last year with a 12-1 record and a C-USA title, but fell in their bowl game against the equally upstart Tulane Green Wave. Jim L Mora parlayed the success into the HC gig at BYU and the Ragin' Cajuns select Brian Lindgren, Nash Savage's former OC at Ball State, to lead the charge into another successful chapter in "The Swamp." Lindgren and Co were dealt a tough blow in their week 1 win over D2 Archbishop Shaw, with SR QB Daniel Beal going down with a partial ACL tear. JR Josh Ellefson played admirably in his steady during the week two matchup with the Washington Huskies, but the Cajuns ultimately fell. The meeting between Savage and his former OC is the first time Savage has faced a former coordinator, with the coaches own Syracuse Orange looking to continue their 2-0 start after a suffocating defensive effort in a win over rival Penn State last week.

Louisiana Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns 85/85/85 Depth Chart - 2028
Regular Offense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
WR	SR(RS) Tyrique McGee (79)	SR(RS) Zyion Jarrett (77)	FR(RS) Jamie Jones (76)
TE	FR(RS) Kristian Vickerson (71)	SR Kasey Pride (70)	FR Dakota Shivers (65)
LT	SO(RS) Evan Jaimes (70)	FR(RS) LaMarcus Pilgrim (71)
LG	SR(RS) Noah Kirkwood (83)	SO(RS) Brian Gutierrez (77)
C	SR(RS) Cooper Fordham (82)	SO Donovan Senior (74)
RG	SO Cameron Brady (72)	FR Enrique Montgomery (65)
RT	SR(RS) Weston Davis (85)	FR(RS) Steve Bourne (77)
WR	JR(RS) Roy Butts (81)	SR(RS) Marquise Keys (77)	SO Connor Boyett (76)
QB	JR(RS) Josh Ellefson (78)	SO(RS) Greg Fort (74)
HB	JR(RS) Darien Eze (87)	SR(RS) David Eziomume (82)	SR(RS) Steven Blanco (80)
Base 4-3 Defense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
LDE	JR(RS) Quan Heath (84)	JR(RS) Shaun Yaraborough (82)
LDT	SR(RS) Ashton Wright (82)	JR(RS) Emmett Stewart (79)
RDT	SR Cameron Vigil (80)	JR Jameson John (75)
RDE	JR(RS) Jaren Ficken (83)	SR(RS) Ralph Hurley (75)
WLB	JR(RS) Karlos Hooks (76)	SO(RS) Demar Gallimore (81)
MLB	SR Kevin Ezeike (87)	FR(RS) Sean Kryspin (78)
SLB	SR(RS) Peter McLeod (76)	FR(RS) Kaleb Minor (72)
CB	SR(RS) Shemar Welch (88)	SO(RS) James Aikman (78)	SO(RS) Ruke Odeyingbo (77)
SS	JR Tim Oshinowo (84)	SR DeMaio Higdon (83)
FS	JR(RS) Josh Slater (79)	JR(RS) Christian Rubin (76)
CB	JR(RS) David Bales (83)	SO(RS) Slade Kalinic (78)	SO(RS) Ruke Odeyingbo (77)

Week Three ACC Schedule
West Virginia (0-2) @ Rice (1-1)
FCS @ #6 Clemson (2-0)
Virginia Tech (2-0) @ #9 Maryland (2-0)
Middle Tennessee (2-0) @ Georgia Tech (2-0)
FCS @ #23 Miami (0-2)
#18 North Carolina (1-1) @ #17 Pittsburgh (2-0)
FCS @ Wake Forest (1-1)
Duke (2-0) @ Temple (0-2)
#4 South Carolina (2-0) @ Auburn (0-1)
Virginia (0-2) @ Indiana (2-0)
Vanderbilt (2-0) @ NC State (0-2)

Notable Week Three Matchups
#2 Oklahoma (2-0) @ #14 Tennessee (2-0)
#25 Utah (1-0) @ Wisconsin (2-0)
#21 Stanford (1-1) @ Ball State (0-1)
#22 Rutgers (1-0) @ #5 Kansas State (2-0)