Syracuse Football: Get To Know Your Orange Man - #35 Dyshawn Davis

We're counting down every SU football player, one a day, from Chandler Jones (#99) to Phil Thomas (#1). Keep track of every player profile right here.

Next up on your Orange-Man Orientation, #35, Dyshawn Davis.

Position: Linebacker

Year: Freshman

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 213

Hometown: Woodbury, NJ

High School: Woodbury

2010 Stats: None, obviously.

2011 Projections: And you thought starting at linebacker was just a Marquis Spruill thing? YOU THOUGHT WRONG. Expect the Orange to roll the Dys (ugh) and start Davis at the WLB spot alongside Spruill and Dan Vaughan. Davis seems to have earned the spot due to his solid play but he can also thank Brice Hawkes' lack of maturity for opening the door as well.

How'd He Get Here?: It's been a long, strange trip for Davis. He originally committed in September of 2009 after a stellar high school career in which he led Woodbury to the 2009 Colonial Conference Patriot Division title and the South Jersey Group 1 title and an 11-1 record as a senior captain. Rutgers, UConn, Oregon, Akron (obviously), West Virginia and Maryland apparently expressed interest, but it was all about the Orange.

However, he failed to qualify academically and headed off to Milford Academy where it was unclear if we'd ever see him again. After the fall semester at Milford, he reached his goal and qualified academically for SU, finally getting here for the start of the spring semester. Now he's here and looks to make an immediate impact.

Scouts/Rivals Said: Scout loved them some Dyshawn, giving him three stars. Rivals was like "whatevs" and gave him two stars.

Money Quote: On why Rutgers hadn't offered him a scholarship... "I have no idea. I don’t know why...I wouldn’t go to Rutgers anyway, I’m happy with the decision I made."

Here's Dys in the spring as he learned the position from his veteran teammates...

"I am getting a lot of help from Marquis (Spruill) and Danny (Vaughan) – the two starting linebackers," Davis said. "Before every play, they are checking on me, making sure I know the right keys, making sure I know the right assignment. We are connecting pretty well at this position. Marquis was in the same position last year with Derrell (Smith) and Doug (Hogue). They helped him out. Marquis is a young guy like me, but he is more experienced. He wants me to catch up and make plays."

Links of Wonder: Check out this article and accompanying radio report on Dyshawn's journey from high school to SU.

Doug Marrone Thinks: "He’s doing a nice job, Dyshawn Davis. He’s playing very well."  HE KNOWS YOUR NAME, DYSHAWN!!!

Interesting Nugget O'Interest: His first name is pronounced DIE-shawn, which sounds like a bit of a threat, really.

Let Us Get A Good Look Atchya: