Why Syracuse’s 8th-Year Senior Could Be the Unexpected Key to Fran Brown’s Defensive Revolution

“Reese spent his first five years at Florida, where he managed to go four seasons without using any eligibility because of a freshman redshirt (2018), medical redshirts (2019 and 2021) and the free COVID-19 year (2020). Then, in the fifth season, he notched two tackles. He finally made his mark with 11 sacks in two seasons at Cal, then made what might be an unprecedented 2,800-mile transfer within the same conference.”

And the Orange will rely in part on an eighth-year senior to help get the job done.But now, he has one final chance for a team with massive goals, and SU will need Reese to come through in a big way to really achieve some of those greatest of heights.His name: David Reese.Syracuse is looking at a promising football fall in Fran Brown’s second season.MORE: Mike Tyson sleeps with his tigerHe’s a transfer linebacker from Cal whose first college football season was the Fall of 2018.That’s right, eight years.Syracuse football is gearing up for what could be a breakout season under Fran Brown’s watchful eye—his sophomore year at the helm looks promising indeed . But here’s the twist: the Orange are counting on an eighth-year senior linebacker to shoulder a huge chunk of the load. You read that right—eight years of college ball experience packed into one player named David Reese . This guy’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary. Starting back in 2018, Reese’s path wound through Florida, where redshirts and medical setbacks stalled his eligibility clock, before he finally lit it up at Cal with some eye-popping sack numbers. And if you think a 2,800-mile transfer inside the same conference is rare, well, that’s just part of his saga. Now, with one last shot to leave his mark, Reese is primed to be the secret weapon on a Syracuse team itching to reach new heights. Curious how he got to this uncommon place? LEARN MOREThe Athletic named Reese to its All-Geezer team, explaining how he got here like this:Yep, Reese has certainly been around. And somehow, it took forever for him to really break through at all.