If there is one thing that the Syracuse Orange’s win over Colgate on Friday night showed, it’s the extreme amount of depth that is present in our WR room.
One of the many benefits of the blowout win against Colgate is that we got to see a ton of players that have gotten little to no minutes this season. This is especially prevalent in the WR room, as a total of 12 players got a reception against the raiders. This game was overall a really good opportunity to see WR’s other than the main three of Johntay
Cook, Darrell Gill Jr., and Justus Ross-Simmons
One of the young players to make his mark was Darien Williams. Williams got a ton of playing time this game, and he made it count getting three receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown. His score came in the third quarter, when Willems was able to get some space in between a few Colgate defenders, and Steve Angeli put in the perfect ball for six. This was not his only big play, as he also caught a 35 yard reception to get Syracuse out of trouble late in the fourth.
Of course, the main story when talking about Darien Williams is his backstory. Williams is a Syracuse kid, committing to the Orange last season after a state title winning season for nearby CBA. As a freshman, it may be difficult to see him get much playing time, however with how he played this week, it’s possible he could see himself in a lot more plays very soon.
Jaylan Hornsby has taken on an increased role with some of the injuries at the position and the freshman had 4 receptions for 56 yards and his first Syracuse touchdown. Gabe Daniels is another freshman receiver who shined in this game. He had two receptions, going for 29 yards and a score of his own. His score came in the fourth, where he had a one-on-one opportunity against a Colgate defender. He made himself some space, made a leaping grab, and kept his feet in for his first collegiate touchdown.
Further, another player who had a great night was the freshman phenom, Demetres Samuel Jr. Christian has already covered Samuel’s night at length, Samuel had by far his best game of the season in this one, and specifically, had his first game where he made an impact both offensively and defensively. On offense, he had a 10 yard catch late in the first quarter which set the Orange up with a first down. While that would be his only offensive contribution of the day, he would also have his first collegiate interception later in the game.
While it is important to recognize the new guys who got minutes in this one, it was also a good game for many of our more commonly used options. Specifically, Darrell Gill Jr had six catches for 152 yards and two touchdowns. Justus Ross-Simmons also had a touchdown, and Johntay Cook has a couple receptions as well. Overall, it was a great night for most of our WR room, and showcased the depth we have at that position.
Of course, you can’t cover how good the WR’s are without talking about the help they got from Steve Angeli. Angeli has his best game of the season in this one, carving up the Colgate defense to the tune of six touchdowns, including tying the record for most passing touchdowns and total touchdowns in a game. Angeli’s excellence was spread across the whole WR room, allowing them to have the game they did.
