Syracuse Football: Get To Know Your Orange Man - #9 Ri'Shard Anderson

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Ri'Shard Anderson was all set to be a big contributor to last year's team, before a preseason shoulder injury put him on the shelf for the season.  He looks to be a huge factor in this year's secondary, so let's get to know him.

Position:  Cornerback

Year:  Junior (Sophomore eligibility)

Height:  6'1"

Weight:  189

Hometown:  Miramar, FL

High School:  American Heritage

2010 Stats:  None, due to the aforementioned injury.

2011 Projections:  Ri'Shard is going to see a lot of time this season.  He started for a lot of the spring, but was beat out for the top two spots by Kevyn Scott and Keon Lyn down the stretch.  However, Lyn is currently nursing an injury, so Anderson has the opportunity to show the staff what he can do.  He is pretty tall and long for a corner, and has very solid speed; he has all of the tools we seem to be looking for in our corners these days.  

Anderson had a great spring in my opinion, and as I said during one of my practice recaps, I think he has the makings of a lockdown corner in the future.  He capped things off with a very impressive 6 tackle performance in the spring game. Hopefully he continues to ride this positive momentum through the summer and into the season.

How'd He Get Here?:  Anderson was originally a Wake Forest commit, but switched his allegiance about a week before signing day back in 2009.  He also held offers from Rutgers, Northern Illinois and Vanderbilt.

What'd Scout/Rivals Say?:  Scout gave him 2 stars and listed him as the #135 safety in the country.  Rivals was higher on Anderson, giving him 3 stars and #70 at his position in the nation, though unlike Scout, they listed him at corner.

Money Quote:  I can't find anything.  Someone tell Ri'Shard to speak up a bit.

Links of Wonder:  Nolan Weidner takes a look at Syracuse's cornerback situation this season, following the graduation of NFL hopefuls Mike Holmes and Da'Mon Merkerson.

Doug Marrone Thinks:  After Ri'Shard's injury last year...

"I feel bad," Marrone said. "Ri’Shard has worked so hard and really has been playing well. He was going to be playing on special teams. I don’t know if he would have started at corner or not, but he was right in the mix. That was the level he was playing at."

Scott Shafer Thinks:

"We think that, with Anderson and Lyn, we have as much athleticism as we had in Merkerson and Mike Holmes," Shafer said. "But we don’t have the game day experience, so that’s where I have to earn my money."

Interesting Nugget O'Interest:  I have a sneaking suspicion that Ri'Shard may read TNIAAM, if only for Sean's abundance of posts concerning various cooking shows.  Anderson is majoring in Hospitality and Food Service Management.

Let Us Get a Good Look Atchya:

Rishard Anderson, ATH, Plantation American Heritage (via vsmfloridafb)