Three Opposing Players to Watch in Clemson vs. Syracuse

The Clemson Tigers will host the Syracuse Orange at Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Clemson will have its hands full, with Syracuse coming in with standouts on both sides of the ball. 

Here are three players from the opposing side to keep an eye on from the ACC foe. 

Steve Angeli, Quarterback

Angeli spent the last two seasons with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish before getting the call from Syracuse head coach Fran Brown to play for the Orange. Seeing the success a season ago from former quarterback Kyle McCord, Angeli is seeing the similar numbers from a passing standpoint. 

The junior leads the country with 1,072 passing yards, coming off a performance against Colgate where he tosses five touchdowns with 382 yards. Angeli also has thrown for eight touchdowns already in the three-game span, which is tied for 14th in the country. 

The Orange have averaged 39.7 points per game, which was similar to the production in Brown’s first year, where the team totaled an average of 34.1 that put the team in the top 5 of the ACC. 

The team has Angeli in a rhythm, and Clemson defensive coordinator Tom Allen will have his hands full. 

Darrell Gill Jr., Wide Receiver

Angeli’s favorite target has been Gill, who is fifth in the ACC with 269 yards off of 12 receptions. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound standout was featured most recently in the team’s win against Colgate, where he had his best performance in his collegiate career. 

Gill caught six receptions for 152 yards and two touchdowns against the Raiders, earning himself the accolade of ACC Player of the Week at his position. One of his touchdown grabs included a highlight-reel catch over a Colgate defender. The junior has had more production with each game that’s occurred this season. 

Clemson saw Gill back in 2023, but only recorded one reception at Memorial Stadium in his freshman year. Now, the secondary will look to limit the team’s top receiver from making noise on Saturday afternoon. 

Duce Chestnut, Defensive Back

Chestnut is the team’s experienced veteran in the secondary, playing in his fourth season with the Orange and his fifth overall. The Camden, New Jersey, native began his collegiate career with LSU. 

The fifth-year senior leads the team in tackles with 18, flying around for the Orange defense over the last three games. He had a pass breakup against Tennessee and UConn in the team’s first two games of the season. 

Chestnut has recorded five interceptions in his career, making him a potential candidate for bringing momentum to Syracuse if a turnover comes his way. It will be up to quarterback Cade Klubnik to make sure he knows where the veteran is at all times on the field. 

Especially with Klubnik trying to get into a rhythm and recording a rocky start, if Chestnut and the Syracuse defense can begin the game strong, Clemson will need to find ways to score points against a high-octane Orange offense.