Carlos Del Rio-Wilson Gaining Confidence, Comfort and Chemistry in Year Two

Syracuse, N.Y.-- Training camp is slowly winding down for the Syracuse Football program with the season opener against Colgate on September 2nd rapidly approaching. Head coach Dino Babers did not shy away from admitting to the ACC Network Road Trip crew that the defense has had the upper hand throughout camp.

On Wednesday, the offense changed that narrative, putting together a complete practice full of precision passes, crisp routes, and flawless communication. A catalyst responsible for the offensive firepower was backup quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson.

It was evident how comfortable Del Rio-Wilson was during the 11v11 period as the second-string offense moved the ball down the field with ease. When asked post-practice about where his confidence level was at, the redshirt sophomore could not help but smile.

“Man, I’m very comfortable," Del Rio-Wilson said. "I would say it’s because of knowing the offense, knowing those other 10 guys around you got your back. Knowing that you’re going to complete your assignments and they will complete theirs. That plays a role in being a quarterback just sitting back and being comfortable." 

Now in his second year in the program, Del Rio-Wilson has stressed the importance of getting reps with all of the skilled players. This allows the 6’2” 222 lbs quarterback to not waste anytime in building chemistry with his receivers, and that tactic has already seemed to pay dividends on the field.

“I would say I have a connection with all of the receivers," Del Rio-Wilson said. "I’m one of those guys who train with the first, second, third, and fourth teams just because I know how it feels to be in that position. They all need work but some of them need work just because they’re young. I wanna make sure I’m the one that helps them get ready right now so when they are the guy, it’s fast tempo knowing that I’ve already had a high amount of completions with them." 

Veteran receivers like junior Damien Alford explained how critical it is to build a rapport with quarterbacks during these few weeks. Connections take time to develop and aren’t created made over night, but Alford recognizes the growth in Del Rio-Wilson so far in year two.

“[Carlos has] matured, and he’s gotten better," Alford said. "He’s throwing the ball now and on point. I’m happy to see the steps he’s taking to continue to get better. It’s about the consistency throwing before and after practice getting acclimated to them. As you can see in practice we are connecting now, so it feels good from the receiver standpoint.”

It hasn’t been a seamless transition for Del Rio-Wilson into the college game. The Atlanta, Georgia native was a four-star recruit coming out of Cartersville High School. In the 2021 class he was the 16th-best QB in the country and 14th overall recruit in Georgia according to 247Sports Composite Ranking.

As a freshman at the University of Florida, Del Rio-Wilson found himself himself buried on the Gators’ depth chart behind now Indianapolis Colts rookie Anthony Richardson. When Syracuse landed Del Rio-Wilson in May 2022 from the transfer portal, he became the highest-rated quarterback for the program in 20 years.

Last season, Del Rio-Wilson earned the backup role to Garrett Shrader and saw limited action appearing in seven games. After Shrader went down against No. 18 Notre Dame, Del Rio-Wilson played the entire second half, throwing a career-high 190 yards. In his lone start the following week against No. 22 Pitt, he had eight completions and ran 14 times in the 19-9 loss.

Del Rio-Wilson gained meaningful experience during spring ball with Shrader on the self recovering from surgery. That translated into the off-season as Carlos’ father reached out to a former SU quarterback Charley Loeb to take his son’s game to the next level.

Del Rio-Wilson admits that he didn’t realize that Loeb was an alum until the end of the first week of training, but appreciates how vital he’s been in his development. His biggest takeaway is being able to correct himself immediately where he went wrong in his mechanics. Loeb sped up Del Rio-Wilson’s footwork on passes towards the sidelines that have made it easier to hit the receiver in stride before the receiver breaks off his route.

Another reason for Del Rio-Wilson’s comfortability is the established relationship with new offensive coordinator Jason Beck. After spending last season together in the quarterback room, Del Rio-Wilson feels like everything has sped up for him in the offense.

“Coach Beck is a great coach because he works with all of the guys and knows that things take time with football," Del Rio-Wilson said. "Him knowing that and understanding that works for you, but once you do get it, he will pick up the tempo. Our relationship is much deeper than football because he can give me tough love and I won’t take it to heart because I know he’s trying to get me better.”

Quarterback battles receive the major headlines and are the talk of every program around the country. Even though Shrader has been penciled in as “the guy” for Syracuse this season, Del Rio-Wilson’s mindset has been to focus on the controllables. Sharader and University of South Carolina transfer Braden Davis have only increased his motivation to get better.

“Braden Davis definitely makes me compete more," Del Rio-Wilson said. "He’s a good talent with a good arm, and when he came into the quarterback room, I knew that I was going to have to step it up a little bit. Garrett’s been very supportive… it’s not like a hate competition where he will force himself to stay in there. He will tell me ‘take this [rep] for me,’ and I’ll take it and put him right back in."

As practice wrapped up, Coach Babers chatted 1-on-1 with Del Rio-Wilson as players left the field. Baber complimented the strides his second-string QB has made, but cautions him to not become complacent.

“He was just telling me I need to step it up a little bit more, but he’s seen the progress," Del Rio-Wilson said. "I definitely gotta stay consistent with it because you can always get better to be your best. There’s always something that you could be better with, so he was just putting that in my head making sure I’m staying on it."

Players had a scheduled off-day Thursday before returning to practice on Friday morning. Just three practices remain for the media to watch before the 2023-24 season begins. 

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