Syracuse HC Dino Babers talks Travis, Verse, transfer portal, NIL - TheOsceola: Florida State Seminoles Football & Basketball Recruiting

Published Oct 9, 2023

Syracuse HC Dino Babers talks Travis, Verse, transfer portal, NIL

Patrick Burnham • TheOsceola

Football/Recruiting Analyst

Syracuse head coach Dino Babers held his weekly pregame press conference on Monday ahead his team's matchup vs. Florida State. Babers talked about a number of things including the direction of the FSU program under Mike Norvell, the play of quarterback Jordan Travis, the impact of Jared Verse on opposing offenses, the impact of the transfer portal and NIL on his program and what it has done for the Seminoles' program over the last several seasons.

Dino Babers opening statement on Monday:

"Looking forward to going down to Tallahassee, 79,560 seats, No. 4 in the country, Mike Norvell's Seminoles and we know we are going to have (our) hands full. It's a fantastic football team on tape. It's most likely the best football team we've seen so far this year, although the one we just played (North Carolina) was pretty good," said Babers.

Babers on QB Jordan Travis and what he does best:

"He will be the best quarterback that we've played and it's really hard for me to say that but he has all the attributes of the young man from North Carolina (Drake Maye). His desire to win is amazing. You can see it in his play. And then you think back to a guy that started at Louisville and then transferred somewhere else and didn't start off with success and now he is at the top of his game, he knows what its like to be at the bottom and now he is back at the top. And I think that difference of knowing that feeling is what keeps him driven to the style and level of play he plays at. He plays at an extremely high level, fantastic arm, has legs. He is the complete, complete deal and he is one of those 'wow' guys. I am not going to enjoy watching him play but when you get done, he is one of those guys you turn on the TV to watch because he plays at an extremely high level."

Babers on DE Jared Verse on his impact on what you can do vs. FSU offensively:

"I am happy for him; I like that guy. He is a good young man. He is going to be great in the pros. All those guys are good. I believe the other defensive end (Patrick Payton) was ACC Rookie Player of the Year. So, you have the ACC Rookie of Year on one side and Verse on the other side. And we all know about Verse. Their defensive line is really, really good. They've been coached by the same guy (Odell Haggins) for a very, very long time, their one and three-techniques are sound, the MIKE linebacker is fast. If you look at the defense, and I might be wrong, I want to say nine of the 11 are junior and seniors and graduate seniors. It's a very, very experienced defense and with a lot of NFL players on it. Some NFL players that passed up the NFL to come back and win a national championship. So, they're on course, they're focused and doing a great job as a team."

Babers on what he can take away from the Syracuse loss to FSU last year and apply it to this game:

"Last year's game showed me exactly what Name, Image and Likeness can do because the year before that we went down there and they kicked for a field goal on the very last play to beat us and two years before that we went down there, and we were kicking a field goal for a tie, and we got it blocked. So it showed me how well, when you do it right, how quickly you can change a football team."

Babers on what he does to prepare his team for crowd noise and the road environment on Syracuse's two away games vs. UNC and FSU:

"North Carolina wasn't that noisy. We always have the speakers and the stuff we can turn on and we have music at practice and our guys have to practice with distractions because you do get distractions when you go to loud stadiums and Florida State will be loud."

Babers on trying to upset FSU after loses to UNC and Clemson:

"There's a lot of things l like about what is going on with this season right now. I don't like that we are 0-2 in the ACC. I understand the challenge that we're about to play the best team in the ACC and we are going to need to do some things and play our best to have an opportunity to win but you're playing a team that is ranked in the top 5. We have beaten a team in the top 5 before, but it is very, very difficult to do and it's extremely difficult to do when you are at their place. I don't know the last time somebody has gone down there and won, and they've got it going and it's going to be hard."

Babers on the depth of his team at the midway point of the 2023 football season:

"Man, it's the same old thing. Depth is gone, our depth is in the transfer portal. You know how many guys we lost, you know what schools they play at. Schools like us, they aren't going to have a lot of depth. Because it gets bought away."

Notable players that transferred out of Syracuse: CB Duce Chestnut (LSU), CB Ja'Had Carter (Ohio State), DL Steve Linton (Texas Tech), DL Jatius Geer (South Carolina).