The Orange defensive line gas gone through almost a complete makeover. Nose tackle Kevon Darton (transfer to Arizona), defensive tackle Terry Lockett (transfer to Appalachian State), edge rusher Leon Lowery (transfer to Wisconsin), and Caleb Okechukwu (completed his eligibility) all are no longer with the SU football program, taking 26.5 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, and six fumble recoveries from last season with them.
Reinforcements came in to replace that quartet, headlined by defensive end Fadil Diggs. Diggs is the headlining incoming transfer, as the Camden, New Jersey native moved a lot closer to home after playing at Texas A&M, following defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson to Syracuse. Diggs was a two-time team captain for the Aggies and finished second on the team with 11 tackles for loss, including four sacks, last season. He played in 33 games at Texas A&M, including 20 starts in the last two seasons, but had his 2022 campaign shortened by injury.
Dion Wilson Jr. also joined the Orange for his final year of eligibility after playing at New Mexico State for one season and three years at Arizona prior to that. While never a full-time starter at either stop, Wilson has 34 games under his belt, including four starts for the Aggies last season. Wilson has three sacks to his credit in his career and will join the defensive tackle rotation.
Another interior lineman who transferred to Syracuse is Isaiah Hastings, a native of Toronto who transferred from Alabama. Hastings has three years of eligibility remaining after a redshirt season in 2022, then appearing in a single game last year.
This influx of transfers is key for the program, as they join Kevin Jobity Jr., the most productive returning player from last year’s unit. Jobity has played in the last 21 Syracuse games, including starting the final two games of 2023. The defensive end’s production picked up with his playing time last season, jumping from 13 tackles, including 4.5 for loss, in his freshman season to 30 tackles and seven stops for loss last season.
Defensive tackle Braylen Ingraham, who had previously transferred from Alabama, was lost to an Achilles injury early in fall camp. Ingraham was a rotational player for the Orange last season, appearing in every game at defensive tackle and notching 16 stops, three of which were for loss.
Defensive ends Denis Jaquez Jr. and Chase Simmons have both fought through injuries during their time on campus. Jaquez has a dozen appearances over two seasons to his credit, including three starts last season, while Simmons has played in 15 games. Both have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Three recruits of note also have joined the Syracuse program, highlighted by four-star defensive end KingJoseph Edwards out of Georgia. Three-star defensive tackles Xavier Miles and Maraad Watson, both of whom are listed at 310 pounds or more, come to the Orange with size on their side.
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