Training Camp 2021

Syracuse football training camp blog 2021: How Syracuse improved 3-3-5 defense

Courtesy of Dennis Nett | Syracuse.com

In the first season using the 3-3-5 defense, Syracuse went just 1-10.

By Anish VasudevanEditor-in-chief

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Syracuse football training camp opened Thursday, Aug. 5. The Daily Orange beat writer Anish Vasudevan will keep a running tab of updates from each practice this summer before SU’s first game at Ohio on Sept. 4. Follow along here and on Twitter @DOsports.

Aug. 20

Heading into spring workouts, junior linebacker Mikel Jones thought he finally understood Syracuse’s 3-3-5 defense, a scheme introduced the prior season. But as the team made their way back to Ensley Athletic Center for the first time in April, Jones realized that he, as well as his teammates, still hadn’t mastered the unique system. 

“We knew the defense, but we didn’t know it like our coaches knew the defense,” Jones said. “The best way for us to be successful is to know the defense like our coaches.”



Defensive back Garrett Williams said this unfamiliarity meant last summer, two weeks before their first game, was spent inputting the 3-3-5. But this summer, Jones and Syracuse’s defense have worked on the intricacies of the system, ensuring that every player knows “what everyone is doing in every position.”

Last weekend, in the team’s first fully-padded scrimmage, defenders had the ability to showcase what they learned last season and during this summer. Though players understood the strategic components to the 3-3-5 because of spring practices, Jones said the issue was endurance during the first game-style setting for the team.

“There’s a lot of things we can clean up,” Jones said. “A lot of people get tired, they get fatigued and forget their techniques or small things.”

The Orange added an extra practice to their camp schedule this week which Jones said helped with the team’s endurance. 

“If bullets are flying, you can still stay locked in,” Jones said. 

Throughout the scrimmage, Jones said younger players were able to get their chance to sign, replacing players who were “green shirted” or limited like Kingsley Jonathan. Another young player who made quick impact on Saturday was freshman Darian “Duce” Chestnut, a 3-star recruit from New Jersey.

“He’s tough,” Jones said aboutChestnut. “He knows what to do with his mindset, he knows that he belongs on the first team since he got here.”

Williams, who is at the forefront of the young secondary core, added that Chestnut’s physicality wasn’t “timid” — something that’s expected from players shifting to the college level. Jones said physicality is the tenet of the 3-3-5, and with players like Chestnut coupled with the “moving parts,” Syracuse is almost ready for its first game.  

“The biggest thing we can preach is being aggressive, physical and getting to the ball,” Jones said. “If we have those three things, no one can stop us.”

Aug. 19

Mississippi State transfer Garrett Shrader walked alongside Syracuse head coach Dino Babers at the conclusion of practice. The pair made their way to the end zone, accompanied by a handful or receivers.

Babers shouted out instructions at the receivers, sending them on fade routes in the end zone. Shrader delivered ball after ball, each receiver getting back in line again, with Babers talking to the bunch after every throw.

Even after a “dynamite ball” from Shrader, Babers would stay on the field for an extra 30 minutes to give his critiques. Fifteen days before SU’s season-opener against Ohio, the miniscule details are the most important, especially in the midst of a quarterback battle between Shrader and Tommy DeVito.

“Hearing that (we’re 15 days away from our first game) this morning was really eye-opening,” DeVito said. “Time is flying and camp is almost over.”

DeVito said he’s seen Babers “harp” on the smallest details more than in past seasons. Babers is not just getting on the players, but the coaches and training staff as well to make sure that the team is working towards perfection, Devito said.

“It can’t be the team is doing well, but the training room is slacking off and the weight room is slacking off,” DeVito said. “Everyone needs to be all in.”

The entire team showcased its attention to detail in the team’s first scrimmage last weekend, day after the team’s first fully padded practice. Players finished on plays against each other rather than the “thud” plays — where players tag off each other rather than tackling — that they’re accustomed to.

The quarterbacks, however, were not allowed to get hit, donning black jerseys instead of the team’s orange and white colors. Still, Babers said one of the quarterbacks separated themselves from the pack, though he declined to say who the exact player was.

“It was fun to finally be out there,” DeVito said. “It was good to see the play extend a little bit and see how some players showcase their abilities live.”

DeVito and other older players on the team didn’t play in the scrimmage for the entirety, allowing younger players and transfers like Shrader to get more reps in their updated playbook. Shrader said that there are some plays that he still doesn’t know, but that the team is finally “comfortable” as summer practices come to a close.

Syracuse only has 12 practices left before hopping on a plane to Athens, Ohio for its season-opener. SU’s playbook has been revitalized, but DeVito stressed the importance of the “base stuff” in order to get its first opener win since 2019.

“From day one to day two there has to be a jump mentally and physically on the field,” DeVito said. “Everyday you have to get better and better because in 15 days we’re traveling to Ohio.”

Aug. 17

Syracuse head coach Dino Babers closed his eyes today at practice, trying to decide if this was how his sixth season of training camp should sound. The Orange have only had three fully padded practices thus far in camp, but Babers knows that this is where they should be and how they should sound. 

“Those sounds happened today,” Babers said. “Shoulder pads popping, they’re not just there for decoration and to make people look good.”

The pieces in the puzzle are finally starting to fall in place for the Orange 10 practices through training camp as they determine their starting squad and backup positions. The team had its first scrimmage last weekend, and Babers said there’s finally been some “separation” at SU’s most crucial spot — quarterback. 

“We’re really going to start to sharpen the knife,” Babers said. “We’ve given a lot of people a lot of reps and now it’s time to start whittling down and make sure we have the right people in.”

Babers didn’t give any hints to which quarterback outperformed the others, but at the forefront of the competition is Mississippi State transfer Garrett Shrader and returning starter Tommy DeVito. Shrader took reps with the second unit last Friday at practice, but he said he is still “easing” his way into the system. 

While the quarterback competition is underway, on the other side of the ball, Syracuse is starting its second season using the 3-3-5 defensive set. Sixth-year senior Josh Black said last week that it took almost the entirety of last season for SU to feel comfortable in the system. Babers agreed and said the team has started to add more intricacies to the unique setup, making the setup more “complex” for the opposing offenses. 

“Those guys are past the high school stage,” Babers said. “They’re moving around and they’re very confusing.”

However, Babers also said that some of the new additions to the team who were not with the team in the spring still have to get used to the tricky structure. Specifically, at the safety position — the backbone of the 3-3-5 — the unit has started establishing its own depth chart with Ja’Had Carter and Rob Hanna as the frontrunners. 

“We have repped a whole lot of people,” Babers said. “And now we’re going to sharpen the pencil and write some notes.”

Aug. 13

Sixth-year senior Josh Black has had a reminder on his phone for the last few weeks: Friday, Aug. 13, first day in full pads. And a day before the team’s first scrimmage, Black finally got the chance to mark the reminder as completed. 

“The real work starts now. Not saying that we haven’t been working our tails off already, but with full pads you can take it to another level,” Black said.

With the introduction of full pads, the veterans on the team have been able to take some of the younger players “under their wing,” Black said. One new addition in particular who didn’t shy away from the heightened physicality was Darian “Duce” Chestnut, a three-star recruit from New Jersey. 

“You see a lot of high school guys come in, and they’re really timid early on,” cornerback Garrett Williams said. “He came and matched the energy of everybody on the defense.”

Even though Williams is just a redshirt sophomore, he is the captain of a secondary that lost multiple veterans after last season. In the first week of camp, Williams has been working with younger defensive backs like Chestnut on their ability to watch film and practice at the D-I level. 

Syracuse is entering the second year of using the 3-3-5 defensive set, and Black said last week the team was working on correcting mistakes from the opening year of the system. It took almost three quarters of last season before the team was comfortable in the new system, but now they’re evolving it, Black said. 

“This year, we’re really advanced now,” Black said. “We started taking it up a notch with practice, adding more movements with the front. We’re just going to keep building on it.”

Syracuse will have the chance to try its new additions to the 3-3-5 set in the team’s first full-blown scrimmage tomorrow. The Orange are “hungrier than ever,” and the team’s strength in physicality will be displayed in the event on Saturday, Black said. 

“I can’t wait to see aggressiveness, effort and all that stuff,” he said. “Just good old-fashioned football.”

Aug. 12

One clear-cut starter, while the rest watch from the sidelines — that’s how the QB competition is slated to end for Syracuse after this training camp.

Despite six quarterbacks on the roster, the contest has been narrowed down to two likely candidates: Mississippi State transfer Garrett Shrader and returning starter Tommy DeVito. 

“He wants an outright winner,” Shrader said about head coach Dino Babers thoughts on the competition. 

Shrader transferred to the Orange after two seasons at Mississippi State, where he started in just four games during his time in Starkville, Mississippi. He joined the Syracuse team in the spring, but he said he’s still getting used to the new “language” and isn’t expecting to be a leader this early. 

“I’m more of a quiet guy, lead by example kind of guy,” Shrader said. “I’m going to ease my way in.”

DeVito compares Shrader’s personality and ability to Eric Dungey, the former Syracuse quarterback who played in front of DeVito for two seasons. Shrader, like Dungey, has an enormous pocket presence at 6-foot-4, and he’s listed as being within five pounds of the prior SU star.

“He’s a big, athletic guy,” DeVito said. “He’s from (North Carolina), and I’m from New Jersey so it’s two different vibes. The thing that we come together most with is football — that’s a thing that we’re both passionate about.”

Shrader recognizes DeVito’s strengths as well, highlighting that DeVito is a “really good runner.” Still, Shrader is going through run plays, as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Sterlin Gilbert is making both quarterbacks run the same plays, despite their different abilities. 

“As we go, there’s things that (DeVito) does better than I can. There’s certain things I do better than he can,” Shrader said. 

DeVito is catching Shrader up to speed with the offense, as he did with sophomores JaCobian Morgan and Dillon Markiewicz when they came to SU last year. DeVito said he’s making sure every single player in the quarterback room knows the playbook is important, as injuries, like his own season-ending one last year, are possible. 

“If anything happens like it did last year, if someone goes down the next person is up,” DeVito said. “You want to make sure that the whole team is good in itself and help everyone else in the room be better.”

So with the help of his new roommate, offensive lineman Airon Servais, and DeVito, Shrader is getting accustomed to the third new system he’s had to learn in three years at the college level. But right now, he’s just worried about the switch from maroon to orange. 

“Still trying to get used to the orange — not a lot of people can rock that,” Shrader said, laughing. “It’s hard to make me look good.”

Aug. 10

At 9:15 on almost every fall morning for the last six years, Syracuse head coach Dino Babers makes the same walk from his office to the Ensley Athletic Center. He checks on his black Chevy Tahoe, this morning noticing that a car without a permit sat adjacent to his reserved spot.

After telling another coach about the unmarked car, Babers walked through the parking lot, greeting the media members before entering the practice field. Everything is routine, but Babers said this year — just like this morning — feels different.

“Everybody really, really wants to be out here,” Babers said. “The ones that are here, are here with a purpose.”

Following a disappointing 1-10 finish last year, Babers and the Orange football team have a chip on their shoulder. Preseason rankings project Syracuse to finish last in the ACC according to the ACC media preseason poll, but Babers thinks the previous season’s mishaps can be reversed in the coming weeks.

“Anytime that you fail and get an opportunity to come back and be successful, you have to put in your purpose to try and be the best,” Babers said.

SU enters this training camp with its largest roster ever, with over 100 players currently on the roster — mostly because of some players, known as “super seniors,” making their fifth or sixth trip to camp.

The loaded roster has been helpful for younger players to get more guidance on the field, but it also means the team has to spend extra time with walk-ons and younger players that are unfamiliar with the Orange’s play calls.

Syracuse now has enough players for a full third team, something they’ve never had during Babers’ time at Syracuse.

In order to deal with the increase in the roster, while Babers spoke with the media after practice, walk-ons and younger players stayed on the field for extra reps. They spent time running through the playbook, with a full offense and defense, working down the field as if it were a real game scenario.

“If we have a special practice after the practice, it’s with those guys so they can get their coaching and they can be focused on as well as everybody else on the field,” Babers said.

The full roster also means that Babers has a full quarterback room, with every player in the group fighting for the starting position. At the forefront of the battle is returning starter Tommy DeVito and transfer Garrett Shrader, but all six players “know what they’re doing,” Babers said.

Right now, he’s just worried about how to divvy up reps between the bunch throughout the remainder of camp.

“I need a mathematician,” Babers said.

Aug. 6

Last season, Syracuse implemented the 3-3-5 defense for the first time, placing an emphasis on pass coverage and less on stopping the run. But the new look wasn’t successful for the Orange — they finished 112th out of 127 teams in the NCAA’s defensive rankings.

Because of last season, SU’s first practice for the 2021 season was heavily focused on the setup to ensure that the team is ready when they face Ohio in a few weeks. Redshirt sophomore Garrett Williams, who led the ACC in passes defended, said the team is already taking “big leaps” from where they were last year as the team is already familiar with the system.

“We’re coming out here on the first day, everyone is familiar with the calls, comfortable with it,” Williams said. “Whereas last summer everyone was just trying to figure everything out.”

At the secondary, Williams is now at the forefront of a young core that lost veteran players Andre Cisco, Ifeatu Melifonwu and Trill Williams to the NFL this year. After the first practice, Williams said he and the younger players focused on knowing their “alignment and assignment” as the backbone of the second-year system.

But unlike the secondary, the first level of SU’s defense is a handful of veterans with players like Josh Black and McKinley Williams returning for their sixth season.

“I felt like I left a little on the table with our defense for the first time last year,” Black said about his performance last season. “It brings back a lot of chemistry also. We have a hidden language out there. We know what the others are thinking.”

Syracuse is now three seasons removed from its 10-3 record in 2018, a season that Black was a part of. He said the main reason for the team’s success in 2018 was because players went the extra mile, something he wants to help the team return to this year.

“If you look at our 10-3 season, our culture is where you want a winning program to be,” Black said. “The last few seasons the leadership kind of dropped, and it’s my responsibility to pick that up and make sure the culture is where it needs to be.”

While SU’s defense is still in the beginning steps of updating its 3-3-5 playbook, on the other end, the Orange are in the midst of a quarterback battle between Tommy DeVito and Garrett Shrader. Black said that even though the competition is on the other side of the ball, the battle is challenging every player to be better at practice.

“It brings a lot of energy to the table,” Black said. “The offense is very hungry, and the defense is trying to make a play on the quarterbacks as well.”

Black added that Shrader and DeVito’s battle is not the only contest happening on the field. Every practice, each player will have to fight for their starting position so that SU doesn’t repeat its mishaps from last year.

“We can’t just keep thinking about last year,” Black said. “We got to get better and we have to improve.”

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