Could a big leap be in play for him in his 2nd season?
It’s time to start preparing for the upcoming Syracuse Orange football season. We’re going through the roster to take a look at each Syracuse player as we get ready for a critical season for the Orange.
Up next is….
Name: Jakob Bradford
Position: Offensive line
Year: Redshirt Junior
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 302 lbs
Hometown: Brooklyn Park, MN
High School/Previous College: Iowa Central CC
2022 stats: Bradford played in eight games for the Orange this past season, including one start at guard towards the end of the season against Wake Forest. He only allowed one sack in 86 total snaps, and was definitely a cog in the bigger machine that was Syracuse’s improved offensive production in 2022 compared to 2021.
2023 projections: With Matthew Bergeron in the NFL and with multiple years under his belt, Bradford could make his way into the Orange’s starting lineup. He’s put on a lot more weight and proved that Syracuse needs to count on guys like Bradford when the injuries start to pile up as they did last season.
How’d he get here?: Committed to the Orange in February 2021 after receiving offers from Virginia Tech, Middle Tennessee State, UMass and a few other programs.
What’d recruiting sites say?: Three-stars from 247Sports
Money quote: Against all odds, you have to love a player like Bradford who has put immense trust in his coaches:
“The relationships I built with the coaches that were recruiting me was probably the biggest factor. Coach Bartow, coach Babers, they really made me feel like I was a high priority for them. They told me I could be an instant impact once I got to campus….I really trust Babers to bring in the right coach for the program,” Bradford said.
Twitter feed: @jakobbradford74
Twitter posts of wonder: Major props to the football PR team for this design:
One of the top-10 ranked JUCO offensive tackles in the class of ’21 is officially Orange.
Welcome to the family, @jakobbradford69 pic.twitter.com/WkRsgkqmNF
— Syracuse Football (@CuseFootball) February 3, 2021
Interesting nugget o’interest: I mentioned the trust Bradford has in Babers. He took that to the fifteenth power by committing to Syracuse when the Orange still did not have an offensive coach on staff. What?!?
Let’s get a look at ya: Returning to the still-impressive high school tape: