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Syracuse Football: 3 signees who will have an instant impact in 2020

By Brendan Smith

SYRACUSE, NY - SEPTEMBER 09: Head coach Dino Babers of the Syracuse Orange leads his team onto the field before the game against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders on September 9, 2017 at The Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
SYRACUSE, NY - SEPTEMBER 09: Head coach Dino Babers of the Syracuse Orange leads his team onto the field before the game against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders on September 9, 2017 at The Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /
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Syracuse football is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 5-7 season and will look to a talented incoming class to work back to their 2018 form.

After a breakout 10-win season in 2018, Syracuse struggled through the 2019 season, ending the season 5-7 and missing out on a bowl game.

Still, optimism is high around the Syracuse program. New defensive coordinator Tony White should help improve a defense that gave up a ton of points, while Dino Babers has added new weapons to a potentially prolific offense.

James Williams, a top-10 kicker and three-star recruit from Athens, Ga., is tasked with replacing Sterling Hofricther, a sixth-round pick in this year’s NFL draft.

Williams will be slated behind star kicker Andre Szymt for the time being but has the inside track on the punter job. Syracuse is looking to continue their recent run on special teams talent. Before Hofricther, former punter Riley Dixon made the leap from central New York to the NFL after being drafted in the seventh round in 2016. Dixon has been a starting punter in the league since entering.

The incoming freshman will be competing with current punters Nolan Cooney and Noah Nwosu, neither of whom have ever attempted a collegiate punt. Cooney has served as the placeholder during the past two seasons and kicked off four times last season.

Williams was not among the group of freshmen that enrolled in January, but that should not be a disadvantage for the talented punter.

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