Secondary — 2023 Syracuse football preview

The defensive backfield is facing a high level of meaningful overhaul, as three starters departed for an increase in level of competition.

Cornerback Garrett Williams was selected in the NFL draft while safety Ja’Had Carter and corner Duce Chestnut transferred to Ohio State and LSU, respectively. Williams and Carter both suffered season-ending injuries during last season, so other players remaining on the roster picked up some starting experience as last year wound down.

Rover Justin Barron leads the way, having started in 21 of the last 22 games for the Orange at the position and appearing in all 36 games during his three years on campus. Barron finished third on the team last season and led all defensive backs with 65 tackles. The junior also paced the backfield with five tackles for loss and also forced a fumble last season.

Alijah Clark and Jason Simmons Jr. return to man the safety spots after combining for 17 starts last season. Clark started 11 times in his first year at SU after transferring from Rutgers and piled up 55 tackles to rank fourth on the team, including logging a career-high 13 against Wake Forest.

Another transfer, Simmons Jr. has started 16 games in two seasons at Syracuse. The former New Mexico State Aggie proved to be a significant pass coverage asset last season, topping the Orange with seven pass break-ups while also notching an interception against Clemson.

Isaiah Johnson has the most starting experience at corner on the roster, starting six times last season after Williams’ injury after transferring into the program from Dartmouth. Johnson proved to be a solid tackler, ranking sixth on the team with 53 tackles, including a team-best six on special teams.

Jeremiah Wilson appeared in every game as a true freshman last year, just one of three to do so for Syracuse, and logged 21 tackles, including 16 solo stops. Wilson also was credited with 1.5 tackles for loss and a pass breakup.

The rest of the defensive backs are thin on experience, with a couple exceptions. Aman Greenwood returns after a season lost to injury with 20 games and seven starts on his resume. Greenwood was pressed into duty at safety as a freshman, notching every start in his career and posting four pass breakups in that season.

Quan Peterson started once for the Orange last season, earning the nod at cornerback for the Pinstripe Bowl, but that was just his second appearance last season. Of the returning faces, Bralyn Oliver leads the way with five tackles last season, scattered over nine appearances, while Malcolm Folks had four stops in three games.

There are also four new faces who came to the program through the transfer portal. Jayden Bellamy, a two-time all-state defensive back at Bergen Catholic in New Jersey, spent last year redshirting at Notre Dame before transferring to SU.

Jaeden Gould, a high school teammate of Bellamy, was named the MaxPreps New Jersey High School Player of the Year as a senior and spent a redshirt year at Nebraska, appearing in one game before reuniting with him in Orange.

Jalil Martin, who redshirted at Nebraska this past season, also transferred to Syracuse this spring. The Chicago native was named All-State in Illinois as a senior.

Myles Farmer is the third Cornhusker defensive back to transfer to the Orange, doing so in mid-August. Farmer, however, has a load of game experience from his time in Nebraska, starting 16 times and finishing second on the team with 73 tackles last season.

Nebraska was converting to the 3-3-5 defense this past offseason under former SU defensive coordinator Tony White, so Farmer is not joining the defense as a complete newcomer to the system and has two seasons of eligibility left.

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