It's inevitable that a football team line-up will have its shuffles before the season begins and the 2014 Syracuse Orange are no different. We've already seen freshman WR Corey Cooper and walk-on punter Evan Jakubowski leave the program. Monday, we lost one more walk-on.
Alex Schoen, a sophomore defensive back from Short Hills, N.J., has left the team, according to assistant athletic director for communications Sue Edson.
Schoen is still enrolled at Syracuse, according to the university directory. Jakubowski is not, and his Facebook profile indicates he is studying at Miami (Ohio), one of the schools he considered throughout the recruiting process.
Scott Shafer inferred that finances may have played a role in Schoen's decision, which, given how much it costs to attend SU, is understandable. Fare the well, Alex.
Meanwhile, Shafer also mentioned that Jakubowski left the team in part because he wasn't physically fit enough. Ouch. Shafer also implied he might be able to rejoin the team if he gets in shape.
As we lose another walk-on, however, we also fill that space by adding a new one. Local linebacker Nate Kadah, who has a connection to Scott Shafer.
Kadah played high school football with coach Scott Shafer's son, Wolf, at Fayetteville-Manlius before enrolling at Le Moyne College.
"Loved football," Shafer said. "Had to endure some tough times at home, lost his dad, a great man, and went to Le Moyne. Probably could have gone anywhere he wanted academically, decided to go to Le Moyne to be close, help his mom get through a tough year and he reached out and said, 'I sure would love to play football again.' I said, 'Why don't you come on over?'
Finally, some good news on the Alin Edouard front. The freshman quarterback, who has been MIA from campus all Fall dealing with family issues, is rejoining the team.
"Hell yeah, he's coming," Shafer said. "We've got to get him in before school starts.
"Whenever the timing is right for him and his family, he'll be here. We'll stay behind him all the way."
There was no specific timetable but Alin seems to be getting ready in the meantime...
BACK FROM A GREAT WORKOUT .. COMING BACK EVEN HARDER ✊
— ✈️Alin Edouard #10✈️ (@SelfMade_Alin) August 18, 2014
One would assume Edouard will redshirt as he's going to be way behind A.J. Long, Mitch Kimble and Austin Wilson in the back-up race as it is.