Syracuse football coach Dino Babers will bring back at least half of his veteran defensive line next season with Kingsley Jonathan's announcement on social media Tuesday night that he'll be back in 2021.

Jonathan, like linemate Josh Black, who announced his intentions to return last week, is taking advantage of an NCAA ruling allowing athletes an additional year of eligibility during the pandemic. He had three QB sacks, tops among SU defensive linemen, and also had 5.5 tackles for a loss.

“I am hungry and ready to lead my team back to victory,” Jonathan said in a Twitter post. “I thank God for this opportunity and can’t wait to take advantage of this year to come out a better player and man.”

The native of Nigeria is not only one of SU's top players, he's also one of the team's most vocal leaders, and is known for excelling on and off the field. Jonathan has been a representative on multiple ACC committees, and he's been on the Syracuse honor roll in every semester of his academic career.

Syracuse finished 1-10 this season, losing its last eight games after its only victory over Georgia Tech, which came in the first game played inside the newly-renovated Carrier Dome. Babers is set to sign the first 20 members of his sixth recruiting class as SU's coach on Wednesday.