One legacy departed and now one arrives
The Syracuse Orange took one step towards replacing Maraad Watson over the weekend. Syracuse secured a commitment from Boston College transfer George Rooks.
Rooks is the son of former Syracuse defensive lineman George Rooks, who played for the Orange from 1988-91 and compiled 15.5 sacks in his career. The younger Rooks started his career at Michigan before spending the last two seasons with Boston College.
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With the Eagles, Rooks started 25 games and made 55 tackles. He had 2 sacks and 2 forced fumbles with BC and he’ll bring some added experience to the Orange defensive line rotation. While Rooks’ overall PFF grade of 52 doesn’t stand out, his tackling numbers last season were strong.
In all but the Eagles’ bowl game, Rooks’ tackling graded at a 69 or higher by PFF. Pairing him with Dion Wilson would give Syracuse an experienced duo on the interior who have shown the ability to bring down opposing backs.
With the Orange looking to improve their run defense from last year, Rooks’ addition can help offset Watson’s departure to Texas. After a couple of missed opportunities to land the legacy recruit, Fran Brown has sealed the deal.