Syracuse, coming off its successful last season on offense and defense, now looks to fix their biggest issue, special teams.
Syracuse Special Teams
Kicking Issues
Last year, Syracuse kicked 22 field goals and only made 13. Along with misses, a big issue was stability. The Orange played three different kickers: Jackson Kennedy, Brady Denaburg, and Jadyn Oh. Denaburg, the starter at the beginning of 2024, was benched after missing 50% of his kicks. After benching him, they promoted freshman Jadyn Oh. Oh made two of his five field goal attempts, leading him to be benched for Cornell transfer Jackson Kennedy. Kennedy, the starter for the majority of the remaining games, made eight of his 11 field goal attempts.
As for their 52 extra points attempted, all 52 went in. With multiple stars on offense gone, it’s more likely that the field goal attempts will increase. It’s important that one of Syracuse’s kickers finds success from 40-plus yards away. Last year, Kennedy was the only kicker to make a 40-yard field goal as he went three-of-three. With Kennedy returning as the starter, he will be challenged a lot more this season as Syracuse will probably have fewer offensive touchdowns, putting more pressure on Kennedy.
Punter Returns and Punt Problems
Punter Jack Stonehouse returns as one of the best punters in the nation. Stonehouse averaged 46 yards per punt, putting him at 14th in the nation. As for net average, Stonehouse averaged 42 yards, putting him 25th in the nation. He punted 33 times last season, totaling 1,509 yards. His punting numbers this season will see an increase due to the changes and uncertainty on offense.
As for protecting Stonehouse, the Orange surrendered three blocked punts, including one returned for a touchdown against UNLV. This put them 130th in all of FBS for punt blocks allowed. This will be a major factor for this upcoming season because this number is far too large for a winning program.
Return Man
On the return side, Syracuse averaged just over ten yards per punt and just over 20 yards per kickoff. Lead punt returner Trebor Pena led the team with 120 punt return yards. Now with his departure, running backs Yasin Willis and Malachi James will take the reins in the return game. Willis put up 188 kick return yards, with his longest being 43 yards. As for James, he put up 152 kick return yards. With Pena’s punt numbers gone, it will take a lot to replicate that talent, but true freshman Demetres Samuel Jr. could be the replacement at punt returner.
Solving the Issue
To succeed on special teams, it won’t just take Kennedy, Stonehouse, Willis, and James, but these guys will truly dictate the season. Expect improvement on all three issues, especially the punt blocking stat.
Stay tuned for Syracuse news and stories, including their must-win games in the 2025 season.
Main Image: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
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