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Syracuse Orange spring football practice is underway, but one potential playmaker on offense has not been present. Wide receiver Ed Hendrix is not in the Syracuse student directory right now, as first reported by Syracuse.com’s Nate Mink. An SU athletics spokesperson confirmed to 247Sports’ Stephen Bailey that Hendrix is not taking spring semester classes. Bailey also noted that Hendrix isn’t in the transfer portal as of now.
WR Ed Hendrix no longer a student at Syracuse: https://t.co/6QclT2zMFO
— SyracuseOn247 (@SyracuseOn247) April 5, 2021
Hendrix was a notable prospect from Washington D.C., ranked as the No. 3 prospect from the D.C. area. Lower body problems sidelined Hendrix during his first two seasons at Syracuse, but many see his 6-foot-3, 220 frame as a great candidate for an outside receiver position. Hendrix appeared in five games last season for the Orange, including a start at Clemson in place of Taj Harris on the outside. All three of his catches last year came in that Clemson game for 24 yards.
Hendrix unfortunately is also known for an unusual injury last season when he collided with Andre Cisco prior to the Georgia Tech game. That collision caused a freak ACL injury that ended Cisco’s season and subsequently his Orange career. The safety later declared for the NFL Draft.
The absence of Hendrix means that Syracuse loses a player that some thought was bound for a bigger role in the Orange offense, especially with the departure of Nykeim Johnson. Some thought that Hendrix would be a good outside receiver opposite to Anthony Queeley, which would free up Taj Harris to move to the slot. Without Hendrix, Harris might be forced back to outside receiver or Dino Babers may have to turn to another unproven commodity in his receiver corps to be the tall outside target that had success in the coach’s first years at Syracuse.
Update (April 6)
Bailey also noted that redshirt senior defensive back Devon Clarke is not enrolled either. Though he also isn’t in the transfer portal at this time.
While Clarke hadn’t played much of late, there’s some upside to having a sixth-year player return and not take up a scholarship spot.
We’ll see if either player returns this summer, or if this indeed is the end of their time with ‘Cuse.