Syracuse is less than 24 hours from the start of training camp when it will practice 19 times in the next three weeks in preparation for its season opener at Western Michigan on Aug. 31. A lot can change before then. But, for now, here’s what Syracuse head coach Dino Babers was talking about heading into training camp.

Wide open receiver battle

Syracuse enters the 2018 season without its top two pass catchers from a year ago in Steve Ishmael and Ervin Philips. The two combined for 2,251 yards which equates to 63.6 percent of Syracuse’s total yards through the air in 2017.

The early depth chart released ahead of training camp lists Devin Butler, Jamal Custis, Sean Riley and Nykeim Johnson as the four starting receivers. Butler heads the group in experience, starting nine games last season while recording 33 catches for 327 yards.

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“There’s a lot going into a wide receiver, you just can’t run routes,” Babers said. “You actually have to know what the coverage is after a step and a half to make sure you do the correct release, so you know whether it’s man zone, whether you’re going to be moving or whether you’re sitting down in an area.

“With a veteran quarterback that’s not going to sit there and wait for you to have time to grow up, you better be right.”

When asked about the wide receiver group in general, Babers recalled his first training camp with SU. The position was stacked that season, with Amba Etta-Tawo, Ishmael and Phillips. Babers said the best receiver through that camp was Jamal Custis.

But after a high ankle-sprain in camp, Custis sat out the 2016 season. In three seasons the redshirt senior has caught 13 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns.

“We haven’t seen that consistently,” Baber said. “But during that period of time he was the best wideout on the team.”

Talking Tommy

After a redshirt season, the highly anticipated debut of Tommy DeVito could come this season. The former Elite 11 quarterback took first team reps at the Spring Showcase in April, with three-year start Eric Dungey not participating. DeVito went 8-for-15 for 58 yards.

Babers noted at the end of the spring that DeVito had “closed ground” on Dungey.

“I expect those guys to compete,” Babers said Wednesday. “I expect it’s no different than any other position on this football team.”

Dungey has thrown for 6,472 yards and rushed for another 1,239 over 26 games. DeVito hasn’t taken an in-game snap. Still, there’s ground to gain Monday through Friday.

“Practice counts regardless of what some of the Philadelphia 76ers believe,” Babers quipped, referring to former-NBA player Allen Iverson’s infamous press conference. “It’s not game experience, but if you see somebody doing it consistently good in practice you want to give them the opportunity to see if they can do it consistently good in the games.”

Other notes:

With talk swirling about Tristan Thompson and Taj Harris wanting to pursue opportunities with SU’s basketball team, Babers provided his stance. “I believe in guys being multisport guys, but you gotta handle your business,” he said. “First of all you better be a good football player, and you better know what’s going on the football team, you got to handle your academics, there’s a lot of things that go into that.”

Babers noted he’s never had a year three. He said things are starting to come together and camaraderie is building after what he described as “the best offseason we’ve had.”

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Published on August 1, 2018 at 3:07 pm

Contact Josh: jlschafe@syr.edu | @Schafer_44