Zaire Franklin, Paris Bennett foundation for young Syracuse defense

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Syracuse football coach Dino Babers feigned incredulity at the mere idea that his defense warranted any attention.

“You came up here to write about linebackers?” he said, slipping into a chair in the middle of an office he occupies based largely on his role as an offensive innovator.

Babers was joking, of course. He was quick to offer a reminder that during his college days, he played on defense, and he still loves it, even if that side of the ball takes a backseat to his tempo offense in virtually every conversation about the Orange.

It’s fair, too, to suggest that nothing Syracuse’s defense contributed last season warrants much attention now. The Orange, in their first year…