Syracuse football training camp opened Saturday, Aug. 6. The Daily Orange beat writers, Chris Libonati, Jon Mettus and Matt Schneidman, will keep a running tab of updates from each SU practice this summer. Follow along here and @DOsports.

---

Thursday, August 25

Freshman wide receiver Devin Butler, who has spent time at running back during drills, donned a new number on Thursday, the last practice open to the media. He switched from his original No. 81 to No. 13.

Kenneth Ruff participates in pass-catching drills again

Ruff has practiced in pass-catching drills for two days in a row. He had been listed as a defensive end since the beginning of camp.

Offensive linemen work on hands

The offensive linemen worked on a new drill than the media had not previously been able to see. They hit a large hanging bag to work on their hand placement and arm extension.

Wednesday, August 24

Who’s out: Cornerback Wayne Morgan (wasn’t in pads, stretched), safety Rodney Williams (had helmet on), safety Devon Clarke, safety Evan Foster and wide receiver Clay Austin were not dressed for practice.

Who’s limited: Wide receiver Alvin Cornelius

Kenneth Ruff works with receivers and tight ends in pass-catching drills

Ruff wore an orange pinnie over his white practice jersey and ran routes. Players who have switched from offense to defense and vice versa, like Kyle Kleinberg and Scoop Bradshaw, have not returned to their initial position.

Walk-on Winston Lee practices at DB

Former SU track sprinter Winston Lee, who walked onto the team before training camp, spent Monday and Wednesday with the defensive backs. He spent the entirety of camp up to this point working with the running backs. Head coach Dino Babers has talked about creating depth at different positions by having guys move around during practice. SU had four defensive backs not dressed for pads in practice on Monday and all four were not in pads on Wednesday, but Morgan participated in some of the stretches and Rodney Williams had a helmet on.

---

Monday, August 22

Who’s out: Cornerback Wayne Morgan, safety Rodney Williams, safety Devon Clarke, safety Evan Foster, wide receiver Alvin Cornelius, wide receiver Clay Austin were not dressed for practice.

Who’s limited: No players were in green jerseys, which indicate if players are limited.

Moe Neal stays with running backs

Moe Neal stuck with the running backs for ball security and footwork drills on Monday. Since Aug. 12, he’s caught passes with the wide receivers during the portion of practice open to the media. Head coach Dino Babers said it was to keep his receiving skills sharp. Devin Butler had been doing the opposite since Aug. 15, but he stuck with the wide receivers.

Kyle Kleinberg runs pass-catching drills again

Kleinberg worked with the offense again on Monday. He’s been doing pass-catching drills with wide receivers and tight ends since Wednesday, Aug. 17. On his first day, he talked exclusively with Reno Ferri while he wasn’t catching passes.

Friday, August 19

Who’s out: Cornerbacks Wayne Morgan and Devon Clarke, safety Rodney Williams and redshirt freshman defensive end Jake Pickard

Who’s limited: Senior tight end Kendall Moore

Why players are training at different positions:

On Friday, Dino Babers said part of the reason players are practicing at different positions is because the team hasn’t filled its scholarship limit. Having players able to play multiple positions gives the team flexibility it wouldn’t have otherwise.

Devin Butler and Jacob Hill, both of whom are listed as wide receivers, have run drills with the running backs. Moe Neal, who is listed as a running back has practiced catching passes and running routes. Freshman Scoop Bradshaw and redshirt freshman Kyle Kleinberg also have started catching passes in drills after moving from defensive back and linebacker, respectively.

James Pierre’s status still uncertain

Syracuse still hasn’t heard back from the NCAA about James Pierre’s eligibility. Michael Moore failed to qualify through Syracuse just a week ago. Pierre committed to Syracuse after being denied admittance to North Carolina. Babers expressed frustration that the NCAA had yet to come back with a decision. 

George Morris out with ankle injury that requires surgery

Senior running back George Morris sustained an ankle injury in practice last Saturday that required surgery, according to an SU Athletics statement sent to The Daily Orange. Morris’ status will be determined in the following weeks.

Jamal Custis working on filling out frame and potential in 2016

Custis has changed his diet and seen results in the weight room and on the field. His teammates have said he’s one of the most improved wide receivers this preseason.

Moe Neal impresses at wide receiver

As Neal ran a tight corner route and looked over his shoulder, an Eric Dungey pass fell right into the running back’s hands. It prompted wide receivers coach Kim McCloud to praise the SU freshman.

“I don’t know what we’re doing with that running back stuff,” McCloud said.

Babers has said in the past that Neal would battle for the second running back spot, but if Neal impresses at wide receiver, he could earn a spot at inside receiver. Brisly Estime and Ervin Philips appear to be the frontrunners for the two starting inside receiver spots.

Ninety-nine bottles of beer

The offensive linemen sang “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” during their daily stance drill. One of the coaches yelled out, “You can sing your song all you want. It doesn’t matter until I say hit.” The linemen switch the direction of their stances when a coach says hit.

Mike Hart goes to double digits

Running backs coach Mike Hart continued his morning torture of the tailbacks, this time flashing double-digit numbers with the same hand for his group to call out as it maneuvered its way through the elevated ropes.

Jonathan Thomas fully participates

First-string linebacker Jonathan Thomas appeared to be full-go after being limited earlier in the week.

Field-goal block unit gets work

Defensive players worked on field-goal blocks during Friday’s open session. Earlier in the week, the field-goal unit worked on fakes.

Kyle Kleinberg with tight ends again

Sophomore walk-on linebacker Kyle Kleinberg worked with the tight ends during pass-catching drills again.

---

Wednesday, August 17

Who’s out: Freshman safety Devon Clarke

Who’s limited: Redshirt sophomore safety Rodney Williams

Kyle Kleinberg participates in pass-catching drills

Linebacker Kyle Kleinberg walked on for the Orange in 2015 and was one of 15 freshmen to receive playing time, mostly on special teams. On Wednesday, tight ends coach Reno Ferri personally coached up Kleinberg when the latter wasn’t running routes and catching passes.

Walk-on kicker Alex Grossman takes field goals

While the rest of the kickers were watching offensive drills from the end zone, senior walk-on kicker Alex Grossman took kicks on the narrow uprights marked on the netting on the wall in the Ensley Athletic Center.

He set up about 30 to 35 yards away and went 2-for-3. Then he strapped on his helmet, pulled the first one right, but finished 5-for-7 overall.

Grossman is the backup place kicker behind junior Cole Murphy. He stands at just 5 feet 9 inches and 155 pounds according to the post-spring depth chart, compared to Murphy’s 6-foot-3, 197-pound frame.

Murphy was named to the 2016 Lou Groza Award Watch List — the award is given to the nation’s best kicker.

---

Monday, August 15

Who’s out: Freshman safety Devon Clarke

Dino Babers coaches fake field goals

Dino Babers spent his time with the holders and kickers working on fake field goals. He worked on their technique performing multiple types of fakes. Syracuse.com’s Stephen Bailey got film of one.

Devin Butler practices with running backs

When the running backs started practicing ball security and footwork drills, Moe Neal went over to catch passes with the wide receivers and freshman receiver Devin Butler shifted to work with the running backs.

It doesn’t necessarily mean a position switch and could’ve been to balance numbers, but running backs coach Mike Hart put Butler through all the drills and asked him if he liked carrying the ball. Butler responded with a yes.

Scoop Bradshaw works with wide receivers

Bradshaw wore No. 18 instead of No. 26 on Monday and worked with the wide receivers during warmups with quarterbacks. He was recruited as a safety coming into the season and had worked with the defensive backs until Monday.  

---

Friday, August 12

Who’s limited: No player was wearing a green jersey to indicate that he was limited.

Who’s out: Safety Devon Clarke,  linebacker Shyheim Cullen and Safety Rodney Williams were in street clothes. Dino Babers described Williams’, Cullen’s injuries and an injury to cornerback Wayne Morgan as “owies” because he doesn’t want opponents to know what they are.

Dino Babers gives impassioned speech

At the beginning of Syracuse’s practice on Friday, Babers brought the team together because it’s the Orange’s first two-a-day of training camp. Here’s the full transcript.

Fan Fest canceled

The football team’s open scrimmage scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 11 was canceled due to the impending inclement weather. The open practice will probably not be made up, Babers said, because he doesn’t want to reveal any schemes as the team progresses in its practices.

Cornerback Michael Moore ineligible

Sophomore cornerback Michael Moore won’t play for Syracuse this season, Babers said on Friday. Moore had been waiting on certification through SU following his transfer from Palomar (California) College.

Babers explains why Moe Neal practiced at wide receiver

Moe Neal worked with the wide receivers and Jacob Hill worked with the running backs on Friday. Both previously worked with the other group primarily.

“Moe Neal has really good hands,” Babers said. “Running backs don’t get to catch passes really far down the field. So we’d like for him to work the receivers just so he can work his hands and keep his growth going there.”

Babers added that Neal is working exclusively with the running backs during full team exercises.

Running backs practice with heavier footballs

Dontae Strickland, Fredericks, Hill and George Morris used bright orange footballs labeled “3 pounds” while doing several drills, including ball security drills. New running backs Winston Lee and Otto Zaccardo appeared to use a regular football.

How Dino Babers chooses captains

Babers doesn’t know if he’ll have team captains, he said. In the past he has decided “usually on a gut feeling” and he said that it is his decision alone to make. “Unless we want to vote for it on the open the interview,” Babers quipped.

High temperatures a ‘blessing’

Babers referred to the high temperatures affecting the area as a blessing. “We’re getting ready to play all those guys that are eating grapes down in the south,” he said. The high on Thursday was observed at 92 degrees in Syracuse, according to Weather.com, after being 89 degrees for the two days prior. The highs for Friday and Saturday are 90 and 91 degrees, respectively.

“When you think about the temperatures, how high the humidity is up here. I mean these guys are walking around. Their socks are soaked. And you can hear them coming up behind you because you got that ‘squish, squish, squish, squish’ thing going on from all the water being inside their cleats and stuff. … It’s a difficult task … For them to push through this week in 12 to 15 pounds of gear. I thought they’ve been doing a nice job.”

---

Wednesday, August 10

Who’s limited: No one was limited for the first time in the three days that practice has been open to the media.

Who’s out: Safety Devon Clarke was in shorts and a T-shirt watching again.

DEs switch based on strong and weak side

In the Tampa-2 defense Dino Babers brought to Syracuse, the defensive linemen will be moving based on the strong and weak side, multiple players said after Wednesday’s practice. Under Scott Shafer, the defense did not use the same strategy last season.

Practice moved to Ensley

Because of the rain, the team’s morning practice was moved into the Ensley Athletic Center. Santana’s “Smooth” was blasting through the sound system during the 10 minutes open to the media, as was the case during every spring practice. Kicker Cole Murphy sang along as the offensive and defensive position groups worked on drills.

DT Chris Slayton practices with DEs

Defensive tackle Chris Slayton has started moving out to defensive end at times during practice, he said. He was listed as the first string defensive tackle on the post-spring depth chart, but the team has limited experience at the end spot.

Trey Dunkelberger switched back to working with the tight ends after spending the spring at defensive end.

Slayton wasn’t expecting the move prior to camp and said that utilizing the space on the end has been the most difficult adjustment. He doesn’t know where he’ll be at the start of the season, but thinks he can bring “strength and leadership” to the end spot.

“I’m just trying to be comfortable playing end,” Slayton said.

Defensive line rep distribution

Several guys have been getting in the mix for Syracuse on the defensive line. So far, the distribution has been a mix among several players.

Laguerre said the freshmen defensive ends have had their moments in the first five days of practice. The senior mentioned Josh Black, Kendall Coleman, Kenneth Ruff and Jaquwan Nelson.

“Whatever coach is trying to feel nowadays, trying to get guys more opportunities,” Laguerre said. “… Everyday it’s something different, and if a guy shows out, he’ll get more reps of course and not showing out as much, he won’t. If he didn’t get that much reps, he’ll get more, so it’s pretty much like a feel thing.”

Biggest hits

Freshmen defensive backs Evan Foster and Scoop Bradshaw delivered the biggest hits during the first day of contact, sophomore safety Kielan Whitner said.

“He just rolled down into like a perfect fit and laid a good hit on the running back,” Whitner said of Foster’s hit.

“The young guys really were flying around hitting the hardest today,” he added. “Older guys, I mean it’s the same old same old.”

C Jason Emerich leads O-line

Center Jason Emerich was the most vocal during a drill where the offensive lineman practiced staying in their blocking stances.

“Stay, stay, stay,” he yelled as the drill was nearing its end and some players were losing their form.

---

Monday, August 8

Similar to Saturday, receivers and tight ends worked with quarterbacks, running backs did agility and ball security drills and the defense stretched. Here are some news, notes and observations from the second open practice.

Ball security

The running backs spent much of the first 10 minutes of practice on Saturday and Monday working on ball security. During one drill, a coach holds the ball carrier back with an elastic band as two players try to strip the ball. During another, the ball carriers hold one hand in the ground jumping in a circle over four bags while a coach hits at the ball with a bag.

Freshman Otto Zaccardo had to run a lap for fumbling one on Saturday and did push-ups after the ball security drills on Monday. Jordan Fredericks fumbled one during practice on Sunday, he said. “It was depressing to me,” he added. “I thought about it all night.”

Dunkelberger switches back

Trey Dunkelberger worked out with the receivers and tight ends, who ran routes as quarterbacks worked on their releases. Several times, tight ends coach Reno Ferri pulled him over to work on running routes.

“He’s willing to go wherever he needs to get playing time and contribute to the team,” tight end Cameron MacPherson said.

Who missed practice:

Safety Devon Clarke was on the sidelines again.

Who was limited in practice:

Cornerback Cordell Hudson was a new addition to the limited list. Parris Bennett, Josh Parris, Ted Taylor and Chauncey Scissum were limited at practice again.

Here are some highlights courtesy of the SU head coach:

---

Saturday, August 6

Syracuse held its first training camp practice under Dino Babers on Saturday at the Hookway Fields Complex. Running backs did rope drills, quarterbacks worked on their releases and the stretch run toward SU’s first game of the season against Colgate got started.

Click here to see a gallery of Saturday’s best training camp scenes.

John Williams | Contributing Photographer

Here are updates from Saturday’s practice.

Who’s new:

Syracuse added two new walk-ons for the 2016 season: punter/kicker Nolan Cooney (No. 92) and running back Winston Lee (No. 32).

Lee was a sprinter for Syracuse last year and placed fifth in the 60-meter dash at the Atlantic Coast Conference indoor track and field championships.

Who missed practice: 

Freshman safety Devon Clarke sat out of practice on Saturday in shorts and a T-shirt. Babers said that Clarke is working through a medical issue and doesn’t know if it’s short-term or long-term.

Who was limited in practice: 

Linebacker Parris Bennett, tight end Josh Parris, linebacker Ted Taylor and safety Chauncey Scissum were in green jerseys and limited at practice. Bennett is likely to start at one of the three linebacker spots, while Taylor is competing with Jonathan Thomas for one of the other linebacker spots.

The grass is always greener:

Instead of using the turf football fields next to the Ensley Athletic Center, the Orange is holding its training camp practices at the grass Hookway Fields Complex, primarily used by the soccer teams.

“We play on grass. We don’t play all our games on turf,” Babers said. “So while the weather is good we’ve got to have an opportunity to train the guys on grass. Make sure that it’s not a disadvantage when we play grass teams.”

John Williams | Contributing Photographer

Published on August 25, 2016 at 8:45 am

Contact Matt: mcschnei@syr.edu | @matt_schneidman