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Name: Tyrell Richards
Position: Linebacker
Year: (Redshirt) Junior
Height: 6’4’
Weight: 236 lbs
Hometown: Brampton, Ont., Canada
High School: Clarkson Secondary School
2019 stats: A slight down year on defense compared to his 2018 season, with five fewer solo tackles and two fewer sacks. His true impact at SU so far has been on special teams, winning the 2019 Joe Szombathy Award for Syracuse’s most outstanding special teams player.
2020 projections: Key linebackers in Andrew Armstrong and Lakiem Williams have left due to graduation and there’s a new defensive scheme in town with Tony White’s 3-3-5. Richards is one of the lone linebackers with some decent playing experience, and he expects to be a key element on the weak side. Pencil him in as one of the starters for the 2020 season.
How’d he get here?: Only two offers for Richards - one from SU and one from Buffalo.
What’d recruiting sites say?: Two stars from 247sports and Rivals.
Money quote: The fact that Richards is 6-4 probably helps with Dino’s changing philosophy on his linebackers - especially after recently talking with Franco Harris.
“I was talking to him about three weeks ago and I was like,’ Franco Harris is so big,’” Babers said. “I think of when I met Larry Csonka, Floyd Little, Jimmy Brown last year. Mr. Brown is what, (84)? They are such large people. They’re old and they’re large people. And I really think that linebackers need to be bigger size if they want to be hitting some of these running backs and knocking them down.”
Twitter feed: @RichardsTyrell
Tweets of wonder: One of the leaders of the Canadian revolution at SU knows what he needs to do.
Canada going crazy at cuse https://t.co/AdAvMsRbYN
— Tyrell (@RichardsTyrell) May 10, 2019
What movie would Dino recommend for him?: Cheating a little here, since Dino has a Netflix account and has watched more than just movies there. “Agents of S.H.I.E.LD.” is on Netflix and one of the recurring characters on that show is Deathlok, portrayed by J. August Richards.
Interesting nugget o’interest: Richards was the number four overall Canadian prospect in his class according to ESPN. Once again fellow Canadians, we’ll take all of your footballing talent.
Let’s get a look at ya: A look at his signing day video.