Syracuse Football: Slayton is 'Freakishly Strong,' Perkins Moves From RB to Hybrid

Couple Syracuse Orange football updates floating out in the ether worth commenting on.

Yesterday we found out just how much the SU coaches value Zaire Franklin as a representative of the Orange defense. But they shouldn't forget about freshman Chris Slayton while they're at it. Word on the street is that the defensive lineman is making an immediate impact with his strength in the weight room.

"Dude," Rob Trudo said, lifting his eyebrows, lowering his jaw and pausing for emphasis during an interview earlier this summer, "Chris Slayton is freakishly strong.

"When I was his age, I was strong, too. I would lift with Andy Phillips and Deon Goggins. I thought I was unique, the man, coming in 19 years old and doing 150-pound dumb bell presses. Slayton is strong."

"I don't get it," Trudo said of Slayton. "Honestly, I don't get how strong he is. I've been here five years. It's only right if you lift consistently five years with Coach Hicks, you're going to get this strong. Slayton's been here for what, one year? It's crazy."

Sidenote: I want to hear Rob Trudo tell more stories.

Back on Trudo's side of the ball, Stephen Bailey also has an update on freshman Tyrone Perkins. Recruited as a running back, Perkins will instead line up as a "hybrid" for the Orange, joining Erv Philips, Ben Lewis and Ashton Broyld in that mix.

Also, FYI, we have a "hybrids coach" now.

"I think that he's a pretty special athlete and a guy that can do multiple things," tight ends/hybrids/tackles coach Jake Moreland said on Wednesday. "That's the one thing with this recruiting class in general; I think we've got a number of guys who can do multiple things."

That leaves freshmen Dontae Strickland and Jordan Fredericks to work alongside Devante McFarlane and George Morris II as running backs moving forward.

Bailey also notes that while Tim Lester says all of the freshmen offensive lineman are in great shape physically, all of them will likely redshirt...barring injuries.