With an extra year of eligibility available for all seniors without scholarship penalty, we’ve been hearing plenty of news around who is and isn’t returning for the Syracuse Orange football team. On Monday evening, we got one more piece of news there — and it’s among the most impactful yet.
Syracuse Athletic Director John Wildhack told Brent Axe that redshirt senior McKinley Williams will be coming back for the 2021 season.
Syracuse AD John Wildhack tells @BrentAxeMedia DL McKinley Williams will return to Syracuse for the 2021 season.
There's some news.
— Nate Mink (@MinkNate) February 1, 2021
Williams, also known as “Bear,” was moved to nose tackle in new defensive coordinator Tony White’s 3-3-5 scheme, taking on the less glamorous responsibility of holding down the center of the line. Playing in all 11 games, Bear racked up 35 tackles, 8 for a loss with one sack. He appeared in all 12 games his freshman through junior seasons, but only appeared in three games in 2019 due to a preseason foot injury, allowing him to take a redshirt year and return in 2020.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].