Two years ago when head coach Greg Robinson took over Syracuse football, he wanted to implement the West Coast offense, an offense that was created by Bill Walsh, which lead him to three Super Bowl wins.

Bill Walsh also had Dwight Clark on his side, who made a miracle game-winning grab in the 1982 NFC championship game known today as ‘The Catch.’

Robinson might not have his Dwight Clark right now, but he hopes to get one or maybe a few next year.

‘We are after a great player in high school that we’d like to get,’ Robinson said. ‘There’s a couple others that we are recruiting as well.’

It’s already become evident in Robinson’s tenure how paramount the tight end position is. Last year, tight end Tom Ferron led the team with 30 receptions. Ferron quit the team before the start of the team’s summer camp.

The Orange could have used Ferron this year. There are five tight ends on the roster, two who are converted from other positions. The success has not carried over to this season so far. SU tight ends Arthur Kapalanga and Jawad Nesheiwat have each caught one pass for a combined 20 yards so far.

The lack of depth at the position could get worse if Robinson and his assistants cannot sign some of the players they are recruiting. Of the six players that can play tight end, three are seniors, one is a junior and two are freshmen.

One recruit has already given Syracuse a verbal commitment. Carl Cutler committed to SU on June 27. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Cutler was named first-team all state in New Hampshire last year as a junior while playing for Hanover High School.

An even bigger signing for the Orange would be Hubie Graham of West Scranton (Pa.) High School. Graham is most likely the player who Robinson was talking about when he spoke about ‘going after a great player.’ Because of NCAA regulations, Robinson is not permitted to talk about specific players.

Graham is the best player SU is recruiting, according to Scout.com. Graham plays both tight end and defensive end and earned first-team all-conference honors last year at both positions. He is a four-star talent and is listed as the 13th-best tight end in the nation.

Luring him to Syracuse will be no easy task, as the Orange seems to be already behind in the running. Graham has set dates to visit UCLA, Pittsburgh, Michigan and Iowa, the same team that buried Syracuse 35-0 less than a week ago.

With three of the five players at the position graduating, SU can offer a place for freshmen to contribute right away. That lack of depth could turn into a positive recruiting tool for Robinson and the Orange.

The players that fill the available spots after this year will most likely be freshmen. Robinson said he does not want to turn to junior college transfers to fill the lack of depth.

The season is still early, though, and if Robinson can find his Dwight Clark to come in next year, the numbers might be similar to 2006 when a tight end led the team in receptions.

Said Robinson: ‘(Recruiting a tight end) is important because it’s an important part of our offense.’

Lepak staying local

Nick Lepak, an offensive lineman for Auburn (N.Y.) High School, gave his verbal commitment last Wednesday to play at Syracuse next year, according to Scout.com. Lepak is listed at 6-foot-4, 336 pounds, which already outweighs every lineman on the current team. He’s only 17 years old, so those vitals may increase even more.

Lepak was named first-team all state last year and was the only junior to be named to the team on the offensive side of the ball. The offensive lineman chose Syracuse over Penn State, Central Florida and Rutgers.

Published on September 12, 2007 at 12:00 pm