Sean Riley isn’t one to take a knee, take a seat or stand stationary on the sideline. He paces from one end to the other, but it isn’t just a nervous habit. He does it with a purpose.

As the team’s punt and kickoff return specialist, Riley can see the field twice in less than a minute of game time or not at all in 14 straight minutes of on-field action, like against Connecticut on Saturday.

“I just stay warm,” Riley said. “I’m just ready to get on the field.”

He’s usually in for only one play at a time, including kick coverage. Riley doesn’t bother with the stationary bike. He just walks around until he gets his shot in the game.

Riley’s chances have increased since two games ago, when he took over as Syracuse’s (2-2, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) primary return specialist. The 5-foot-8, 151-pound freshman wide receiver, dubbed “water bug” for his speed and small size by quarterback Eric Dungey, has returned 18 kickoffs for an average of 20.9 yards and one punt for 17 yards. Riley has the second-most kickoff returns in the country and second-most return yards. His punt and kickoff return yardage combined is fifth best in the nation.

Though he’s seen time in blowouts as a backup wide receiver, Riley said he’s “focusing” on kick returns and trying to break one for his first collegiate score.

Brisly Estime entered the season as the team’s kick returner. He was named to the 2016 Paul Hornung Award preseason watch list for an honor given to the country’s most versatile player. He also earned preseason second team All-ACC honors as a return man from Athlon and Phil Steele magazines.

But the new offense meant significantly more plays for Estime — the team averages 86.3 plays per game this year compared with 62.6 plays per game last year.

Estime said he never felt gassed through the first three games, but the coaching staff opted to save his energy for offense.

“We just want to make sure we have somebody fresher for those opportunities back there,” Syracuse head coach Dino Babers said.

Enter Riley, the speedster from Narbonne (California) High School. His senior year in 2015 he ran an 11.21-second 100-meter dash, according to Athletic.net, which is faster than Estime’s personal record of 11.28 set his sophomore year.

Both Riley and Estime agree that the freshman’s biggest asset is his speed, the reason coaches put him back on returns. He is the lightest and one of the shortest players on the team, though, leaving him susceptible to big open-field hits.

“He’s small, but he got heart,” said Estime, who has one inch and 32 pounds over Riley. “Like he ain’t that big, but you put him out there, he’ll make it happen.”

Estime has been trying to pass the torch to Riley, including teaching him to catch the ball first, then run. Riley saw how Estime takes a quick look down before he catches punts to survey the coverage and has tried to add it to his game — though it has proved somewhat challenging, he said.

The coaches have taught Riley how to see the ball off the tee on kickoffs, square it up and look the ball all the way in to catch it.

“First thing is to catch the ball and then just try to find that open hole, try to find that little space and hit it as fast as I can,” Riley said.

His best return came in the form of a 41-yard burst against South Florida. His worsts were a punt against the Bulls that he muffed on the run that rolled out of bounds and a kickoff against the Huskies that he waited in the end zone for to bounce slowly to him, but then ran it out to the 13-yard line instead of taking the touchback.

Estime thinks Riley just needs to focus more. After a few of the returns on Saturday, Babers pulled Riley over on the sideline and seemed to motion with his hands for Riley to run straight more instead of cutting back and forth.

There’s no pressure to live up to Estime’s standards, Riley said, because like his father says, pressure bursts pipes. And Estime is still going to be used in select situations, like in the final punt of the game against UConn when SU was up by just one score.

But for the most part, it’s Riley’s job. And he’s antsy to get on the field and make a play whenever he can.

“I think I can be really effective,” Riley said. “I’m ready to pop one. Take one back to the end zone as soon as possible.”

Published on September 27, 2016 at 11:10 pm

Contact Jon: jrmettus@syr.edu | @jmettus