Calvin Russell III looks poised to make his Syracuse debut after the Orange get through their bye week, with head coach Fran Brown saying Tuesday night that the freshman wide receiver is expected to be ready for the Oct. 3 game at Connecticut.
Russell has already been moved from questionable to doubtful for Thursday’s matchup with Pittsburgh on the ACC availability report, but Brown made it sound as if the real target is the game after that.
“I know for sure he’ll be cleared in regard to playing the first game of October,” Brown said on his radio show, “The Fran Brown Show,” that airs on TK99. “Can’t wait to get him out there. In the same sense, you want to make sure he can protect himself.”
Syracuse plays Pitt on Thursday and then has a bye week.
Russell was listed as a game-time decision last week against California before being ruled out before kickoff. Brown said during Monday’s press conference that Russell still has to build up the strength in his calves as part of the return-to-play testing process.
To get medically cleared for contact, Russell needs to get to an 8% strength deficit in both legs. Brown said Tuesday that Russell tested at 12%.
Syracuse is also expected to be without second-year running back Tylik Hill against Pitt. Hill is listed as questionable, but Brown said he won’t play after missing practice this week following his first-quarter exit in last week’s loss.
“When you don’t practice these last two days, it’s kind of hard to just [play],” Brown said.
Hill flashed early against California with a 55-yard run on Syracuse’s opening drive, and he remains the Orange’s leading rusher with 147 yards on 8.2 yards per carry.
The Orange have also ruled out freshmen Tedarius Hughes and Maurice Medley. Brown had previously said Hughes and Russell, who were high school teammates, could make their Syracuse debuts together.
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