At 5'11", his size might not be intimidating, but Kevon Darton plays like a giant on the field.

“Naturally, I just have better leverage, you know," Darton said. "I don’t have to worry about my pad level or anything. I’d say I’m strong and quicker off the ball.”

At 266 pounds, he might be the most undersized defensive lineman in the ACC. But Darton models his game after one of the best to ever do it: L.A. Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

“His main thing is getting off the ball," Darton said of Donald. "That’s what I try to work on every game, is getting off the ball. Tackle with my hands and not letting people hold on to me.”

But Darton’s journey is more than just his size. He arrived on the SU hill as a walk on in 2019, with one dream in mind.

“When you come in as a walk on, you dream of getting that scholarship," Darton said. "Getting on the field, being there for like 50 plays and starting. That’s your dream to do.”

It's a dream that came true right as fall camp opened when Darton earned his scholarship.

“He’s a very, very heady player," Syracuse head coach Dino Babers said. "He does a lot of study behind the scenes, which allows him to make up for some of the physical things you guys see. He turns into a good football player. I can still remember when he earned that scholarship. It was in that seat, four seats behind you, second from the right. This place went wild. It was not given, it was definitely earned in this situation.”

Just months after, Darton was thrust into a starting role after injuries hit the defensive line hard. But Darton never flinched. Through seven games, Darton is fourth on the team with 28 tackles, 2 1/2 of those for losses.

“That was always the goal, to get into that staring position," Darton said. "Once you have that goal and you already envision it, you don’t have to worry about anything when you get onto the field. Just playing hard, getting off the ball and making plays.”

Darton is always learning, picking the minds of guys like Mikel Jones and Garrett Williams, always making room for improvement.

“Just seeing them, how hard they work," Darton said. "Extra time they put into the film room. Extra time they put in on the practice field. It’s all about the little things they do and the leadership they have.”

That process starts with learning from the Clemson film and making sure the same mistakes are not repeated.

“Really have to learn. We have to keep on fighting," Darton said. "Make an extra play here, even me. I have to make an extra tackle, make a tackle that I missed in the game. It’s all about making that extra play.”