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Countdown to Camp 2016

Syracuse football preseason storylines, No. 9: How players adjust to revamped conditioning

Jessica Sheldon | Photo Editor

If Syracuse is going to run Dino Babers' spread offense right, the team will have to be in proper shape.

By Chris LibonatiSenior Staff Writer

With Syracuse football training camp less than a month away, The Daily Orange beat writers, Chris Libonati, Jon Mettus and Matt Schneidman, will analyze one of the top 10 preseason storylines, top 10 position battles or reveal one of 10 player files each day. Check out dailyorange.com and follow along here to countdown to camp.

Since last December, it’s been clear the hallmark of Dino Babers’ offense is speed. But to run the offense Babers wants, the players within the system have to be in spread-offense shape.

“Everything is fast,” sophomore running back Jordan Fredericks said during SU’s spring practice season. “Everyone needs to be in tip-top shape.”

Fredericks, last year’s leading rusher, said he threw up multiple times during the first spring practice. Not long after, he had been supplanted by Dontae Strickland as the top running back. Babers said Fredericks would be battling freshman Moe Neal to play in the backfield with Strickland.

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Offensive lineman Omari Palmer said Fredericks wasn’t alone in how hard the workouts hit him. On top of the strenuous workouts, Babers had the vending machines removed. When he stepped in at SU, Babers brought a strength and conditioning staff with him.

Spring football is just that: spring football. But it’s worth watching how the team’s conditioning level is going into the season, since it’ll likely affect how Babers can run the offense that has been hyped for seven months.

During the spring football game, Babers said fans would never see his team so slow again. Sophomore quarterback Eric Dungey also said Syracuse was too slow.

“I thought the tempo of the offense was OK,” Babers said after the game.

Fitness will play a major role in hitting the max speed Babers and Dungey see possible.

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