National Signing Day: DT Chris Elmore signs with Syracuse

The Syracuse Orange football program’s class of 2017 is finally signing on the dotted line. National Signing Day will welcome plenty of new players to the SU family, and we’re providing profiles for each and every commitment at TNIAAM. The latest signee, Chris Elmore, was a recent addition to the class, but a needed one at defensive tackle.

Twitterfeed: @ChrisElmore36

Hometown: Chicago, Ill.

High School: Phillips Academy

Position: Defensive Tackle

Stats: 5'11", 278 pounds

Commitment Date: January 21, 2017

Ratings: Three stars from everyone, which is nice.

Other Offers: Elmore was a late flip from Western Michigan, changing his commitment following P.J. Fleck’s departure to Minnesota. He also had offers from Wyoming, Central Michigan, Ball State, Buffalo and Florida Atlantic, along with others.

Dino’s projected nickname: “El More You Know”

Highlights:

Player Breakdown: Elmore’s a big body that fits the typical nose tackles Syracuse has had in the past. At 5-foot-11, he’s on the shorter end, but that helps keep a low center of gravity and push blockers. While he certainly could play right away, the idea right now would probably be to redshirt so he can add some more muscle and also learn under what should be a strong group of defensive tackles on the roster.

At defensive tackle (more specifically nose tackle), Elmore’s success will come down to how quickly he can burst at or past blockers to plug up a middle running lane. Without a ton of blitz calls for interior linemen, he won’t be rushing the passer much. But he could still do plenty of damage getting into passing lanes and most importantly for this unit, stopping the run.