Syracuse has lost star DB Garrett Williams for the season with a torn ACL

The 2022 season started great for the Syracuse Orange. In fact, it started incredible, with a 6-0 run and a No. 14 ranking heading into a game against the No. 5 Clemson Tigers.

Unfortunately for head coach Dino Babers and his team, what started well has quickly deteriorated into a two-game losing skid. The Orange lost to Clemson and then followed that up with a loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

And now, injury unto insult. Star defensive back Garrett Williams will be out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL.

This, according to Babers, who spoke to the media on Monday.

According to ESPN, Williams initially hurt himself in Syracuse's mid-October win over North Carolina State. The sophomore defensive back sat against Clemson with the hope of returning to play the Irish. Williams was re-injured in the first half against Notre Dame, and it was bad enough that he had to leave the field and return on crutches. 

That doesn't mean he wanted to, though, per Babers.

"Garrett wanted to stay in, Garrett wanted to play, he's a competitor," Babers said, per ESPN. "But sometimes we've got to protect people from themselves, and I wanted to make sure I protected my guy."

Protecting Williams means he'll miss the rest of this season for Syracuse with that torn ACL. 

The Harrisburg, North Carolina product redshirted in 2019 and broke onto the scene in 2020, leading the ACC in passes defended as a redshirt freshman. Williams started 10 games in 2021 and once again led the ACC in pass breakups. 

This season for Syracuse, he's notched 26 tackles, a forced fumble, two interceptions, and three passes defended. The Orange will sorely miss him as they look to get back on track for the rest of this season.