Syracuse football is heading into camp with a fresh dose of disrespect from the ACC media.
The Orange were slotted 14th in the conference’s preseason football poll, a ranking that came from 185 media members credentialed for this year’s ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte, North Carolina. Only North Carolina, Boston College and Stanford were placed behind Syracuse.
That vote lands after a rough 2025 season that left Syracuse tied for last in the ACC with Boston College at 3-9 overall and 1-7 in league play. The year started with promise at 3-1, then unraveled after starting quarterback Steve Angeli suffered a torn Achillies injury against Clemson. From there, the offense never recovered, averaging just 11.1 points per game while the Orange cycled through backup quarterbacks.
The defense had its own collapse, finishing 124th nationally by giving up 427.7 yards per game.
Fran Brown responded with a major reset. Syracuse added 19 transfers to the roster, including three quarterbacks, and Brown also made several staff moves. Among them: Toledo defensive coordinator Vince Kehres, veteran NFL coach Juan Castillo to work with the offensive line, and Sean Ryan as quarterbacks coach.
At the top of the league, Miami was the runaway pick to win the ACC in 2026, collecting 165 first-place votes. Clemson earned seven first-place votes, SMU got six, Louisville four, Florida State three and Georgia Tech two. Stanford also received one first-place vote.
Syracuse begins training camp next week and opens the 2026 season at the JMA Dome against New Hampshire on Sept. 5.
The full ACC preseason poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, is: Miami (165), SMU (6), Louisville (4), Clemson (7), Georgia Tech (2), Virginia, NC State, Virginia Tech, Pitt, Duke, Florida State (3), California, Wake Forest, Syracuse, North Carolina, Boston College and Stanford (1).
In Other News...
Why Nazir Ward Could Matter More Than Syracuse Fans Realize
Nazir Ward arrives at Syracuse with the kind of rsum that usually earns a closer look, even if it does not come with much national buzz. The redshirt junior spent last season at Western Kentucky, where he was on the field for every game and showed a little bit of everything in the secondary, from tackles and backfield disruption to a takeaway and several pass breakups. He came to Syracuse after entering the portal in December and committing on January 11, giving the Orange another experienced defensive piece as they keep reshaping the back end of the roster.
What makes Ward especially interesting is the way Syracuse plans to use him. He is reportedly moving from defensive back to safety, and that shift could put him in direct competition for a starting job in a secondary that figures to be one of the more closely watched parts of the defense. Ward also joins a familiar pipeline from Miami Northwestern, alongside Tedarius Hughes, Darius Johnson and Calvin Russell, which gives Syracuse another layer of continuity as it tries to sort out who fits where before the season starts. [Read more 🡒]
Carmelo Anthony Sounds Alarm On What Syracuse Still Lacks
Carmelo Anthony is still thinking like someone who knows what Syracuse basketball used to be and what it would take to get there again. In talking about the programs path back to national relevance, he pointed to the need for stronger financial support and a renewed commitment to the old Syracuse culture, the kind that once made the Orange feel like a constant threat in March.
Anthony also stressed that the program cannot afford to drift away from its former players, who have long been part of its identity and its selling point to recruits and fans alike. He made clear there is a broader conversation happening behind closed doors about what Syracuse needs to compete at a high level again, but for now the exact answer remains part of the mystery. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Schedule Reveal Says A Lot About Gerry McNamaras First Test
The first season under Gerry McNamara is going to be judged in part by how Syracuse handles the non-conference slate, and the early schedule reveal already says plenty about the challenge ahead. After a 15-17 finish last year, the Orange have gone into roster-building mode with transfers coming in and holdovers like Kiyan Anthony and Sadiq White still in place, but the tone of the calendar is unmistakable: Indiana in Indianapolis, Oklahoma in Norman, Providence in Boston and Canisius at the Dome give McNamara a mix of road tests and familiar pressure points before the real grind begins.
Binghamton also sits on the list, which matters for more than local bragging rights. Syracuse handled that matchup comfortably on Opening Night last season, and Anthony was the only returning player from that game, making the rematch a small but telling marker for how much the roster has changed. With the non-conference schedule now mapped out, the only real question is how the Orange want to be measured before league play arrives. [Read more 🡒]