On college football’s biggest August stage, a Montreal-born newcomer ran out with the starters. Antoine Deslauriers, a true freshman linebacker for Syracuse, earned a spot on the Orange’s first-team defense for the season opener against No. 24 Tennessee in Atlanta—an early vote of confidence in his readiness and upside.
From Montreal to Opening Night,
Deslauriers’ path to that moment has been steep and fast.
He finished his prep career at Rabun Gap–Nacoochee (GA), where he captained a 2024 state-title team and stuffed the stat sheet with 135 tackles, 21 TFLs, and four sacks. Recruiting services tabbed him a consensus three-star and ESPN’s No. 18 linebacker nationally—credentials that drew offers from a swath of Power Five programs before he chose Syracuse.
At 6-1, 235 pounds, Deslauriers arrived on campus with “upperclassman size”—and with a reputation for rare power-to-weight explosiveness. On his Hudl profile, he’s listed with a 4.61 forty, 39″ vertical, 360 bench, and 440 squat, the kind of testing bundle that made his recruiting photos go viral and his name a staple of offseason chatter.
If Syracuse fans were surprised to see a freshman elevated to the first team at linebacker, they weren’t alone—local outlets highlighted Deslauriers as the headline change when the Orange unveiled their Week-1 depth chart, noting he won the job over veteran Derek McDonald. The two-deep, released hours before kickoff, listed Deslauriers as a starting LB alongside transfer Gary Bryant III.
Head coach Fran Brown later underscored why the staff trusted the rookie so quickly: “He worked hard and [we] liked where he was at.” It’s a simple philosophy in Year 2 of Brown’s tenure—production and preparation earn snaps, regardless of class year.
Against Tennessee’s tempo and size in the Aflac Kickoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium—as bright and loud an opener as exists in the sport—Deslauriers logged his first collegiate production, including his first solo tackle. It was a baptism by fire against an SEC front, the kind of tape early contributors grow from quickly.
Scouting Lens: What Pops on Film
Downhill trigger & contact balance.
His prep tape and testing point to a striker who arrives square and rarely loses his feet on contact.
Range for modern spacing.
The 39″ vertical and verified track-style explosiveness show up when he scrapes outside the box and closes windows in the alley. Pro-frame, pro-habits. From the weight room to game-week discipline, the rookie carries himself like a veteran—one reason he jumped the line into the starting XI.
Why This Matters for Syracuse—and for Quebec
Syracuse has leaned into recruiting Canada and the Northeast, and Deslauriers’ rapid ascent validates that approach. For young defenders in Quebec, his arc—from Montreal to a Week-1 ACC start—is a tangible blueprint: maximize development opportunities, chase high-level reps in the U.S. prep system, and arrive college-ready.
The opener offered hard lessons and proof of concept: the staff will play the best eleven, and Deslauriers belongs in that conversation already. With UConn and Colgate up next, expect the freshman to stack snaps and responsibilities as his diagnostic speed catches up to Power-Five game pace.
Fast Facts: Antoine Deslauriers
School/No. Syracuse, #5 LB (Freshman)
Size 6’1″, 235 lbs
Hometown Montreal, Quebec
High School Rabun Gap–Nacoochee (GA) — State Champion (2024); 135 Tkls, 21 TFL, 4 Sacks
Recruiting Consensus 3★; ESPN LB #18; offers from Auburn, Florida State, Notre Dame and others
Debut Opening-night start vs Tennessee; first solo tackle recorded