So if we’re hearing you correctly, Syracuse & Tommy DeVito could ‘break out’ this year?

It’s just about August, so college football previews are now running in earnest. And with the Syracuse Orange slated to be a top-25 team when the first poll drops in a few weeks, that means more attention on the program in preseason than we’ve seen in nearly two decades.

Three separate articles have appeared in the last 24 hours with a “breakout” tag on either Syracuse or new starting quarterback Tommy DeVito, which feels weird to hear but also, awesome. The hype around DeVito, in particular, comes as a surprise since it doesn’t just bank on known results but the fact that experts are projecting him to be great right out the gate compared to other passers in the country.

ESPN’s David Pollack, in particular, got in on the act on TV Monday, and officially added a lot more fuel to the proverbial hype train. We’re a reasonable bunch here, and very few of us have talked ourselves into an 11-1 season. All of that said, the more we hear rumbles of just how good Syracuse and DeVito particularly can be this season, the more we’re likely to start believing expectations beyond rational limits.

At least for now, that’s probably fine.

Those stories, plus the rest of your Syracuse-related links below:

Can college football’s 2018 breakout teams repeat their success? (The Athletic)

2018 breakout (No. 15): Among Power 5 teams, only Indiana (1994) had gone longer without a single appearance in the AP Top 25 than Syracuse, which had not been ranked since 2001. After two years of treading water at 4-8, Dino Babers pushed the Orange to 10-3, with two of the three losses coming to Playoff teams.

Analyst predicts breakout season for Tommy DeVito (247Sports)

“How about Tommy DeVito? When I say that name, I think most people in the country are going to not know who he is.,” said David Pollack on Monday’s edition of College Football Live. “This is a highly-recruited (prospect) by a bunch of different schools. Syracuse is on him first, but he gave his commitment and he stuck with it.”

Projecting College Football’s 2019 All-Breakout Team (Bleacher Report)

Syracuse is hoping to follow up its 10-win breakout year in positive fashion, but a new quarterback will be leading the way. Tommy DeVito will replace multiyear—though oft-injured—starter Eric Dungey, who provided a mobile threat. DeVito is a more typical pocket passer, so the offense will be noticeably different in 2019. It’s still nothing a Dino Babers squad hasn’t shown at his previous stops.

Syracuse basketball’s greatest freshmen ranked, 1 through 25 (Syracuse.com)

No. 1 Carmelo Anthony: The most incredible season by any Syracuse freshman ever was capped off by the only NCAA tournament championship in SU basketball history. In 2002-03, Carmelo Anthony led the Orange to the NCAA title. Along the way, Anthony established himself as the greatest freshman the school has ever seen.

Nuggets president Tim Connelly on trade: Jerami Grant “a guy we’ve always coveted” Denver Post)

“We liked who he is as a person,” Nuggets President of Basketball ops Tim Connelly said from Las Vegas Summer League. “Culturally, he’ll be a seamless fit. His positional versatility, his athleticism, his experience on a playoff level team. He’s a guy that we’ve always kind of coveted.”

Former Syracuse star Tyler Lydon returns to host youth camp, opens up about NBA career (CNYCentral)

The Real MVP of The Basketball Tournament in Syracuse (CNYCentral)

Huge New Movie Filming In Upstate NY Needs 2,000 Extras (Daily Voice)

2019 ACC Football Roundtable, Part 1: Coastal Division Chaos, Surprise Teams and a Reloaded Clemson Squad (ACCSports.com)

The ACC Network launches soon, but so far most in the Triangle won’t have access to it (News & Observer)