The play called for a deep crossing route, with Marcus Sales lining out wide and cutting inside straight to the middle of the field. Sales was supposedly the last option.

Before the snap, Sales remembered what Syracuse head coach Greg Robinson had been preaching to the receivers in practice: Finish your routes, no matter what, even if you think the ball will be thrown to someone else.

So that’s what he did, making a hard move on the cornerback like he knew quarterback Cameron Dantley was looking for him all along. And when Dantley couldn’t find anyone else open, there was Sales, undiscouraged, streaking free in the endzone for an 11-yard touchdown strike, the first of Sales’ young career.

It is because of veteran-like plays like this that the highly touted Sales, as a true freshman, has become the third wideout on an Orange team that emphasizes three-receiver formations. Just three games into his first collegiate season, the coaching staff has let loose the reign, hoping a kid who graduated high school three months ago is ready for upperclassman responsibility at the next level.

So far, he has shown flashes of living up to the hype.

‘I feel like I’m not a freshman anymore,’ Sales said.

Maybe he feels that way because Robinson plucked Bruce Williams, a team captain, from the receiving corps and moved him back to the defense, knowing Sales would be the player to fill the void. A vote of confidence from his coach, a subtle way of telling the freshman, ‘You’re ready.’

What’s more, wide receivers coach Chris White said Sales would primarily play in the ‘X’ spot in three-receiver sets (lined up out wide), with Donte Davis, who leads the Orange in receptions with 11, moving into the slot.

Now the question is whether or not this true freshman, who came to Syracuse as arguably the No. 1 prospect in New York, is actually ready to take on a major contributing role this quickly.

‘(Tuesday’s) practice was the best practice he’s had since he’s been here,’ Davis said on Wednesday. ‘He’s making plays and feeling more comfortable than usual and eager to go in and take reps. He’s coming along and becoming a playmaker.’

It is fitting for Sales to receive this opportunity in a position vacated by Williams, whom he has known since childhood. The two played on opposing Pop Warner squads growing up and were high school teammates in 2004 for Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse when Sales was a freshman, Williams a senior.

Sales learned about the decision to convert Williams to free safety early last week, the same time as the rest of the team. Immediately, Sales realized he would likely be the receiver who would take most of those extra snaps, his name moving further and further up the depth chart since training camp. The coaching staff confirmed his suspicions in practice later that week.

And almost as a parting gift for their time together as receivers, Williams left the offensive unit with one important piece of advice for his replacement and friend.

‘Bruce is telling me all the time I can’t be a freshman for my whole life,’ Sales said. ‘They are trying to put pressure on me to make me perform better. He’s like an older brother to me, so he’s just talking to me like I’m one of his younger brothers.’

Sales knew he would have the chance to play right away if he came to Syracuse. White presented immediate playing time as the centerpiece of his recruiting pitch, trying desperately to convince the hometown player to stay local instead of heading to schools like Miami (Fla.), Boston College or Pittsburgh, where he received scholarship offers.

But not even Sales could have expected to play so much this quickly. He was not ready for the college game yet. True, Sales had the physical skills, but he did not yet understand how to read defenses at the line scrimmage – the nuances of the position that didn’t matter in high school. White stressed he still needs to grow stronger and faster.

That’s why he gravitated to Williams and fellow CBA product and junior receiver Lavar Lobdell, trying to learn from their experience. Though White said Sales is not the type to seek advice, he always watches and makes adjustments from what he sees others do.

But he’s not there yet. Robinson is quick to point that out.

‘He’s just learning the tempo and the demands of college football,’ Robinson said. ‘I think he’d be the first to tell you that it’s different. That’s the biggest challenge for him – to play at the tempo of what college football’s all about, consistently.’

Sales played against Penn State last week with a new sense of confidence, now knowing he will be on the field. In the first two games, Sales would line up not exactly sure of the play call, having to think about his route. Sometimes, he even needed to quickly consult with Lobdell or Davis while breaking the huddle.

That’s why Sales doesn’t feel like a freshman anymore, even though he is just a quarter of the way through his first year. Sales knows he can’t be a freshman if Syracuse is going to turn around what is already looking like a lost season.

One question remains, though: If after three games, Sales feels like a sophomore, does that mean he will feel like a senior by the end of the year?

‘I don’t know, hopefully,’ Sales said. ‘Hopefully I’ll feel even more confident by the end of the season. I’m just trying to get better and better every week.’

jediamon@syr.edu

Published on September 19, 2008 at 12:00 pm