Spring practice is nearing its conclusion for Syracuse football.

The Orange took some strides in many areas, especially when it comes to finding some new leaders.

One of them could be defensive back Justin Barron, who looks to fill the void of Garrett Williams.

Barron knows how to make a splash play on the field. But the next step for him is continuing to evolve as a player others can look up to.

What You Need To Know

  • Last season's defensive leaders for SU, Mikel Jones and Garrett Williams, are ready to make the jump into the NFL

  • With their departure, a void has been created, but Justin Barron looks to fill it

  • He says a close connection to his parents has been key for his football development

“I think that's one of the biggest steps for me, honestly, to bring to my game," Barron said. "The next level is stepping in that leadership role, right? Mikel, Garrett, again, like you said. But we've got a lot of guys who are going to step up. Marlowe Caleb, Kevon and even more so, the young guys are taking that leadership role and helping each other out.”

And maybe, just maybe the switch to Garrett Williams’ former number 8 will help the mindset.

“Garrett was my roommate last year, so obviously I was telling him all year, once he leaves, I'm taking it," Barron said. "He was telling me he's not going to prove it, but I think it's cool that I get to wear carry on his legacy and the guys before him too.”

Barron is one of many who look to emerge as the leader of the secondary. And Justin also gets some inspiration from his father, Jason, and mother, Sara. His mom played soccer at Hartwick in college and his dad played football at UConn in the early 1990s.

“That's really helpful after games," Barron said. "Obviously, talking to someone who played the game who's not one of my coaches is helpful for me. So he can really see what I see and feel what I feel after games. But my mom too is very helpful about that. She's a very good listener. She doesn't know as much about football, but she does a good job and helped me out to.”

It’s two extra sets of eyes for Justin, and two people that can relate to similar experiences a student-athlete goes through every single day.

“It's helpful because, you know, they're not the ones grading you at the end of the day," Barron said. "Your parents or your loved ones or friends or family. It's nice having them in the background be able to support you.”