Syracuse recruiting: JUCO LB Ryan Guthrie signs with Orange

On the first day of the JUCO early signing period, the Syracuse Orange coaching staff is already busy.

As reported by Scout’s Mike McAllister, SU offered Ellsworth (Iowa) Community College linebacker Ryan Guthrie today, and Guthrie committed and signed with the Orange shortly thereafter. Guthrie was originally committed to Tulane, which makes Dan and I awfully conflicted here.

Guthrie was a standout at the JUCO level this past season, with 107 solo tackles (first overall), 25.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks (among other accolades). While the Georgia (Forsyth County) native doesn’t currently have any stars to his name, the production he’s exhibited speaks for itself.

Though Syracuse returns a healthy number of linebackers next year (nine from this year’s roster), there’s a significant drop off going into 2018 with just five remaining. Guthrie will help solidify the position going forward, and add a player who may fit the Tampa-2 a bit better than some of the current pieces on the roster. SU also has two other linebackers in the class of 2017, Nadarius Fagan and Tyrell Richards. Defensive end Zach Morton could also be considered for an outside linebacker spot depending on what camp brings next summer.

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Welcome aboard, Ryan! And keep an eye out for more news on the JUCO front in the coming weeks. It’s unlikely the Orange staff is done making additions from those ranks just yet given the holes they need to fill in the trenches and in the secondary.