This year’s offensive line will feature a lot of players with starting experience, both at Syracuse and elsewhere. Four players started at least ten times for the Orange last year and the transfer portal produced four reinforcements for the offensive trenches with three of those players starting at least nine times last season. It still remains to be seen how this group will shake out before the season opener.

J’Onre Reed was a junior college transfer prior to last season and started all 13 games at center. Reed was an excellent pass protector in his first season at SU, being responsible for just one opponent sack and earning the team’s highest pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus.

Enrique Cruz has started 18 games at tackle over the last two seasons, including all 13 games last year at left tackle. Cruz allowed just one sack last season to go with three quarterback hits.

Thrust into the lineup last season at right tackle due to injury, Mark Petry started 11 games as a redshirt junior. Petry has 26 games under his belt and should be a rotational piece, at the very least. Jakob Bradford saw action in every game last season, including being part of the starting lineup ten times. Bradford, a redshirt junior, saw action at both guard spots last season.

Josh Ilaoa has been a rotational player during his collegiate career, seeing action in 46 games and starting twice. Ilaoa has been a fill-in across the interior positions of the line with one start at center and the other at guard. Joe Cruz appeared in a dozen games last season, including starting three times. Most of Cruz’s action came at left guard.

David Wohlabuagh Jr. transferred to the Orange prior to last season and earned the starting job at right tackle. Unfortunately, Wohlabuagh broke his fibula in the second game, prematurely ending his season and paving the way for Petry to be elevated to the starting lineup. Wohlabaugh eventually had to have a second surgery to repair the injury, causing him to miss spring camp, as well.

Of the three transfers with starting experience, Savion Washington played at the highest level after starting nine games and playing in a tenth at right tackle for Colorado last season. Prior to that, Washington played in a dozen games at Kent State, including starting ten times in the 2022 season for the Flashes.

Codie Hornsby transferred to the Orange after playing at Delaware State and Grambling. Hornsby started 21 games in two seasons at Grambling and arrives at Syracuse as a redshirt junior with two years of eligibility remaining.

Da’Metrius Weatherspoon transferred to SU after three seasons at Howard. While he only played in the 2023 season, Weatherspoon was named an HBCU All-American after starting all 12 games for the Bison.

There is also a fourth incoming offensive line transfer, as Joshua Miller joins the Orange program after one season where he did not play at Georgia. In high school, Miller was a three-star prospect as an interior lineman, ranking in the top 50 at his position in his class.

Among the incoming freshman, three-star recruit Willie Goodacre from Texas brings the most impressive resume, as he was ranked as a top-100 interior lineman in his high school class.

At one point early in training camp, the offensive line read Weatherspoon-Bradford-Reed-Petry-Washington going from left to right, which is five players who started last season, but only two in the same position for SU as last season and two new bookends. While the list of offensive skill players is the longest it has been in several years, building an effective five-man front, whether it is that quintet or not, will be required to let them produce at the level they are capable.

----

Chat about this story and all things Syracuse and Syracuse recruiting on our premium message board, Cuse Classified!

Follow us on Twitter @TheJuiceOnline, like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram @SUJuiceOnline and listen to our podcast.

Tips/questions/concerns? E-mail Recruiting Analyst Charles Kang here.

Not a subscriber to The Juice Online? Join today for access to all our premium content and message board community.