Get to Know Your Orange Man: #48, LB John O’Connor

Name: John O’Connor

Position: Linebacker

Year: Redshirt Freshman

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 218 lbs

Hometown: Hingham, Mass

High School: Hingham

2021 stats: Redshirt season. Did not play.

2022 projections: O’Connor is likely spend another season on the scout team. His best path to playing time would be on a special teams unit. He did play on both sides of the ball in high school so in addition to linebacker he could get practice reps as a fullback.

How’d he get here?: He accepted a preferred walk-on opportunity with the Syracuse Orange last August.

What’d recruiting sites say?: No rankings

Money quote: John was on a visit to Syracuse when a stop at The Loud House provided incentive to join the team

“I was just looking at schools for academic purposes,” O’Connor says. “I really didn’t think I would be playing a sport in college until I visited the Dome. I saw how great the Syracuse football program is, and I think it just took off from there. It was kind of like a why not situation. I wanted to see if I could really make the team or not, and I think I’m moving in the right direction so far.”

Instagram: @john.oconnor48

Interesting nugget o’interest: Hingham is the home to a few NHL players like Tony Almonte, Brian Boyle and Matty Beniers, the first ever draft pick of the Seattle Kraken.

Let’s get a look at ya: Hudl time