Big Shoes to Fill in Syracuse Backfield

Big Shoes to Fill in Syracuse Back Field

Fran Brown enters year two of his Syracuse tenure after a 10-3 season last year. This year, Brown has many holes to be filled. Quarterback Kyle McCord, Running back LeQuaint Allen, and Tight End Oronde Gadsden II all went on to the next level. With the 2025 season closing in on us and the season opener against the Tennessee Volunteers nears. This year’s team has plenty of questions, but today I want to focus on the backfield and who can fill the shoes of Allen this coming season.

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LeQuint Allen

Last season, Allen ran the ball 228 times for the Orange with 1,021 yards and scored 16 touchdowns on the ground. Allen was a terrific pass catcher last season as well, adding 64 receptions, 521 yards, and four more touchdowns through the air. With Allen with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Fran Brown will need to lean heavily on an unproven young bunch this season. A true bellcow last season, owning 56.7% of the market share in the running game for the Orange. His backup, Yasin Willis, had less than 1% of the market share last year. Allen was fourth in the team in receptions as well. With Allen gone, the depth chart for the Orange lacks depth, and it will be a wait-and-see approach to who rises to the occasion.

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Yasin Willis

Yasin Willis sits atop the depth chart as of today, July 24th. The Sophomore was the backup last season and averaged 3.55 yards per carry for the Orange. Willis scored one touchdown on 36 carries for 128 yards last season. He did have eight catches for 26 yards. At six feet one and 226 pounds, Yasin is the biggest back on the team’s depth chart in terms of stature. Willis had his best game last season on the road against UNLV with eight carries for 62 yards and a score. Willis is the safest choice to take over the duty of RB1 position. Can he hold the role all year? Time will tell for the Newark, New Jersey native.

Will Nixon

Nixon is a Senior this year for the Orange. He played in these games last year before suffering an injury that he hopes will be fully recovered by the season opener. He transferred from the University of Washington, where he played the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Last year, Nixon had 19 carries for 76 yards and four catches for another 44 yards. Nixon, if healthy, could be a nice surprise for the Orange. He is a quick back who can catch the ball out of the backfield. He is five feet eleven and weighs 205 pounds. If healthy, the Waco, Texas native paired with Willis could be a nice one-two punch for Fran Brown and company.

Jaden Hart

A Sophomore, similar in size to Nixon, saw limited action like the rest last season behind Allen. With three carries for 18 yards and two catches for one yard. Hart is the RB2 entering the season, but if Nixon struggles to stay healthy, he would slide behind Willis as the primary backup.

Conclusion

Syracuse has a tough season ahead after a great 10-3 year in 2024. The backfield situation will be one to watch during camp, and especially interesting to watch during their first contest of the year against Tennessee. Can Fran Brown work his magic and blend two or three of these guys to recreate last year’s production from the running game? Personally, a success to me would be a 1,250 to 1,400 yards combined to go with 45-52 catches out of the backfield. Between the three, I think it’s doable. If healthy can stay healthy I think Will Nixon will be the most explosive back and could be the lead back by year’s end, of course, if healthy, as mentioned.

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