Orange Star Linebacker Discusses New Philosophy on Syracuse Defense

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Antoine Deslauriers enters his second season playing linebacker for the Orange, and as a freshman, he became a known name in football circles.

In 2025, Desaluriers made history by becoming the first true Syracuse freshman ever to hold the team lead in total tackles in a season, tying fellow linebacker Gary Bryant III with 60.

He also posted 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two pass breakups and two forced fumbles on his way to multiple freshman All-American selections.

A native of Montreal, Deslauriers also gained preseason recognition from a national media outlet earlier this summer. 

'11 as 1' mantra for the Orange

Following practice on Friday, Deslauriers discussed the "11 as 1" mantra that the Orange have adopted this season. The phrase, he said, represents the concept that to "have a winning defense, we have to play all as one.

"We have 11 on the field but we have to play as one person. With the relationship we have as a defense and the whole team, we can achieve that goal as playing as a single unit."

The Orange's struggles on defense in 2025

Of the 134 teams that competed at the FBS level last season, Syracuse's total defense ranked 125th, giving up 427.7 yards per game, joining Rutgers (126th, 432.8 ypg) and Boston College (127th, 433.2 ypg) as the Power 4 programs with the worst defenses in the nation.

Syracuse's scoring defense ranked even lower. The Orange gave up an average of 34.92 points per game, ranking last among the Power 4 teams and 128th in the nation.

How could Syracuse football's defense improve in 2026?

In December, Syracuse football began making changes on the defensive side of the ball, starting at defensive coordinator. Elijah Robinson served as the Orange's defensive coordinator last season before being demoted to defensive line coach after the hiring of new defensive coordinator Vince Kehres. Kehres joins Syracuse after spending the past six seasons as the defensive coordinator at Toledo.

Kehres' unit at Toledo ranked fourth in scoring defense in 2025, only trailing Ohio State, national champion Indiana and Texas Tech.

What's next for Deslauriers and the Orange?

Deslauriers and his teammates will continue preseason practices throughout August. Syracuse Roundtable's coverage of the Orange football camp continues Wednesday with coverage from the Ensley Center. The Orange will have two closed practices and an off day over the course of the next four days.

Following the conclusion of training camp at the end of the month, the Orange will jump right into the regular season with four games in the month. In Week 1, Syracuse will host New Hampshire on Sept. 5 at the JMA Wireless Dome. Kickoff is set for noon ET.

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