Week two of fall camp is in the books, and the Syracuse depth chart is starting to take shape. As it stands, some position battles have concluded, including the cornerback position. Still, the quarterback position is up for grabs, and the running backs are battling it out for the starting spot. On top of position battles, some players have received preseason recognition and preseason award watchlist honors, including a freshman. Lastly, a 2026 commit could be bringing his teammate with him to Central New York. Here is everything from week two of training camp.
Syracuse Fall Camp Update, Week Two
The Secondary is Set
By far the most productive position group returning to Syracuse in 2025 is its secondary. It returns Duce Chestnut, Devin Grant, and Berry Buxton III. Along with familiar faces, it introduces fresh faces in freshmen defensive backs Demetres Samuel Jr. and Kaylib Singleton. Still, one name has broken through and has won the job at nickelback; sophomore Davien Kerr.
Kerr returns to Syracuse this season, already making waves this offseason. As a freshman, he appeared in eight games, four of which he started. He would end with 16 total tackles, 13 of them being solo tackles, and an interception. His interception came against California in Berkeley, which was his first start. The interception shocked many as he would be challenged one-on-one on the outside, ultimately making a great play high high-pointing the ball. Kerr used to play receiver, so his ball skills make him a difficult corner to throw against. Kerr had his best game against UConn, where he had seven tackles, six of them being solo tackles.
Now, Kerr steps into a full-time role, looking to break out this season. Immediately, he will have to match up against Tennessee’s breakout candidate in slot receiver Braylon Staley. This will be a must-watch battle come week one.
A Running Back Battle Consisting of Talent
Running backs Will Nixon and Yasin Willis are competing to lead the Orange out of the backfield. Both backs have different strengths and stories, but they both have the same goal.
Nixon is going into his fifth year of college football, while Will is going into his second year. Nixon started at Nebraska, later transferring to Washington for two years, finally ending up at Syracuse in 2024. At Washington, he would run for over 200 yards and would get two carries in the National Championship game against Michigan. Last season with the Orange, his season was cut short due to injury, but in the time available, he ran for 76 yards.
Due to Nixon’s injury, Willis would see the field as a freshman, running for 130 yards and 188 return yards. Before fall camp started, Willis was one of our picks to have a breakout season in 2025. Still, both players have been named to the Doak Walker Award watchlist. Time will tell who the winner of this battle is, but both guys could have great seasons.
A Syracuse Freshman is Seeing the Field
Samuel, previously mentioned above, will see playing time as a freshman at safety and receiver. Yes, Samuel is a two-way star, and ESPN has caught notice, as they put him in their top ten freshmen for 2025. ESPN named him their eighth-best freshman, mentioning how he has developed faster than expected. On top of that, ESPN even gave him a subtle comparison to Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. Of course, that’s extreme to say now, which ESPN agrees with, but still, Samuel could surpass many expectations, as he already has.
Their Best Player is their Punter
Syracuse might be the only team ever to bring their punter to Media Day, but it’s starting to make sense why it did. Jack Stonehouse was recently named to the Ray Guy award watchlist. He and 14 others were named to the watchlist, but he is the only ACC punter on that list. Stonehouse was also named to the All-ACC team. This will be his third and final year at Syracuse, but the fans hope he won’t have to punt much.
Recruiting your Teammate
The final big story to come out of early last week was about a receiver from Miami Northwestern visiting the Orange, it’s not Calvin Russell, but instead his teammate Nick Lennear. Lennear is going into his junior season at Miami Northwestern, as he is already the fourth-highest-ranked receiver in the 2027 class. Russell and Lennear helped the Bulls win a state title and are now looking towards the future. Russell verbally committed to the Orange in early July, so maybe he will recruit Lennear to follow suit. No exact date has been announced for Lennear’s visit, but he will likely visit against Pitt or North Carolina, since those are Syracuse’s biggest home games.
Only two more weeks of camp to go until kickoff in Atlanta. The next update will see more depth chart updates and storylines, so be on the lookout for more news about the Orange.
Main Image: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images
