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| Can Shamarko Thomas be the next Donovin Darius? |
Ahhh the secondary. The last line of defense. The men tasked with stopping diva wide receivers (and if you play in the B1G 10, tackling fulbacks) and making game changing interceptions. Syracuse has produced some fine corners and safeties over the years. Guys like Donovin Darius, Markus Paul, Will Allen, Mike Holmes and a personal favorite of T3I - Phil Nash have all played very well for the Orange over the years.....and OK, Nash might not have been anything special but for some odd reason, we loved that guy. Let's take a look at what the 2011 SU team will be working with back there.
Secondary
Position Overview
The Orange lose four-year starter Mike Holmes, Max 'the human missile" Suter and Da'mon Merkerson to graduation. However, all is not lost. At the safety spot Syracuse features two Thomases that are better than an English muffin slathered in butter after all night bender. If they can stay healthy, Shamarko and Phillip might be the best safety combo in the league. On the corners, the Orange will start the year with two guys who treat conventional name spellings like a baby treats a diaper in Kevyn Scott and Ri'Shard Anderson.
Behind those four are some athletic, inexperienced guys that will have to grow up in a hurry because defensive coordinator doesn't believe in giving his corners a lot of help. There's too much blitzing to be done to worry about safety help over the top -- and frankly that's OK by me.
Depth Chart
CB
- Kevyn Scott (R-Sr.)
- Brandon Reddish (Fr.)
- Phillip Thomas (Jr.)
- Jeremi Wilkes (So.)
- Shamarko Thomas (So.)
- Olando Fisher (Sr.)
CB
- Ri'Shard Anderson (Soph)
- Keon Lyn (Soph)
Kevyn Scott has fought injuries the last two years, so keeping him healthy all year is certainly not a given. Keon Lyn started the pre-season as the starter but he's been sidelined with injuries and has slid down to number 2 on the chart. I wouldn't be surprised to see him take a starting spot back if Anderson or Scott struggle.
Synopsis
Phillip Thomas and Shamarko Thomas are both very good. Shamarko hits people with criminal intent and loves contact, whereas Phillip (no relation) is widely recognized as the leader of the defensive backfield. The scary thing for SU fans is they both missed large portions of pre-season camp with injuries. Phillip had a broken jaw and Shamarko had a concussion. The broken jaw seems to be a fluke, but I'm a little worried about Shamarko and the concussion. For a guy that throws himself around with such reckless abandon, if he suffers another one, he could be gone for a long period of time. He's not a player SU can afford to lose.
On the corners Kevyn Scott showed he could play in 2009, while Nico Scott was getting repeatedly torched on the other side of the field. As a senior in a younger secondary, his leadership will be just as important as his talent. Anderson has also fought the injury bug since stepping on campus, but at 6'1" has nice size and could develop into a nice cover corner.
As far as reserves go, Dave Rahme has said a few times Keon Lyn is the team's most athletic corner (and also has the most baffling twitter feed) so I'd expect him to be on the field in nickel situations. He's also the first guy off the bench should the injury bug strike. Brandon Reddish is a true freshman and it will be hard for him to make much of an impact at a position as demanding as corner. If all goes according to plan he can contribute on special teams and get some spot time in the secondary.
At safety Wilkes and Fisher have been in the program for a while and can contribute. Wilkes has a nice nose for the ball and moved over to safety this past spring after having spent his freshman year at corner. He lacks ideal size but does give the team needed versatility.
As I noted above, Scott Shafer loves to blitz and that puts a lot of stress on a secondary. This year, the Orange will be going against teams that run wide-open spread attacks in Cincinnati, Pitt, West Virginia, and to a lesser extent, USF. In order to compete, these guys are going to have to play above their heads, as Chandler Jones won't be able to get to the QB every play.
Best Case Scenario
Everyone stays healthy. Shamarko adds to his legend and officially drops "Thomas" from his last name by bowl season. Phillip Thomas does a Markus Paul impersonation and picks off everything in site. Scott, Anderson and Lyn all develop quicker than projected and lock down opponents letting Jones and Marinovich get to the QB.
Worst Case Scenario
The injury bug hits. Every third play looks like a track meet - with SU a step behind as SU plays each game like last year's Pitt game. Dana Holgerson's offense racks up 500 yards and he heads to Turning Stone at halftime.
Position Grade
B
Bonus Video
Here's 9 minutes of Shamarko Thomas highlights. Enjoy.
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