With spring football reving up across the country, we’re keeping an eye out for various news items. ESPN has been going conference by conference and this week released their list of each ACC team’s most important newcomer
Syracuse fans might have expected it would be transfer quarterback Amari Odom, or maybe top-rated recruit Calvin Russell prior to his injury. but Syracuse went with transfer edge Keyshawn Johnson as their selection. Here’s what ESPN had to say for why they chose Johnson:
Syracuse’s
back end is in good shape, returning multiple starters and depth in the secondary, but the front seven took a big hit. The Orange lost five of their top six performers along the defensive front, including David Reese and Kevin Jobity Jr., who combined for eight sacks. A few rotational linemen and linebackers return but have yet to show they can consistently win one-on-one as pass rushers. Syracuse finished third-to-last in the ACC in sacks and tied Boston College for the highest average yards allowed per play (6.5) within the conference. The Orange needed a true one-on-one pass-rush winner to spark the front and turn pressures into actual negative plays. Johnson brings that résumé from the FCS level.
When you look at that breakdown it makes sense. Odom might slot in as the backup to Steve Angeli, and Russell will likely start as part of a rotation of receivers, but the Orange need a pass rusher to emerge next season and Johnson could be that guy.
ESPN also made an interesting comparison to Johnson when sharing what fans could expect from the UT-Martin transfer
He might not be the tallest, but he’s built like a truck and super flexible and twitchy. Expect a noticeable uptick in negative plays. It’s unfair to mention Dwight Freeney in the same breath, but there will be a resemblance for Cuse fans. Johnson was dominant off the edge for UT Martin the past two seasons, earning OVC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2025 with a school-record 13.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss. Over two years, he totaled 77 tackles, 24 TFLs and 17 sacks. His ability to win quickly and consistently as a pass rusher should immediately stress ACC tackles, though he will see a major jump in competition. If he adjusts to the speed and strength of Power 4 offensive lines, Johnson can be the missing piece that allows Syracuse’s strong secondary to play more aggressively behind a reinvigorated pass rush.
I don’t know if they realized that Freeney is helping the Orange and will likely be working with Johnson leading up to the 2026 season, but we’ll see if Johnson can make the transition and continue to wreak havoc in ACC backfields this Fall.
