Between the 2025 and 2026 seasons, 20 Syracuse football players moved on through the transfer portal and landed elsewhere. A month into the year, the early returns are mixed - some are buried on the depth chart, a few have carved out small roles, and several haven’t gotten on the field at all.
James Heard Jr. is still waiting for his first action at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs are rolling in the SEC, but Heard has yet to play four weeks into the season and is expected to fill an emergency backup role when needed.
The same kind of quiet start has followed several other former Orange players. The redshirt freshman has not taken a snap for the Tigers, even though the program is chasing big goals in the American conference.
Jaden Hart, who played in 10 games for Syracuse between 2024 and 2025, has appeared in just one game so far for UConn. That came in the opener against Lafayette, where he logged 4 carries for 13 yards and added a 2-yard reception in the win.
Hornsby, a redshirt sophomore and three-star transfer, has seen limited work at Purdue. Through three games in 2026, he has 2 catches for 22 yards.
At Ole Miss, Johntay Cook II is starting to pick up steam in his senior season with playoff expectations around the program. He had a 14-yard reception in the win over Ole Miss, then followed that with 4 catches for 35 yards in a loss to Florida. In three games, he has 7 receptions for 61 yards and touchdowns.
Daniels, a sophomore wide receiver, has not appeared in a game for Tulane yet and looks set up as a developmental piece for the Green Wave.
On the defensive side, Gillians has made only one appearance for Temple through four games. That came in the season opener, when the redshirt freshman registered a pass deflection for the Owls’ defensive line group.
Special teams has been quiet too. Oh, now a senior with Oregon State, has not attempted a kick through four games after not trying one since he was a sophomore.
Gill, a four-star transfer who joined Cook II at Ole Miss, has had a much smaller role than his teammate. He recorded 1 reception for 9 yards in the opener against Charlotte.
Thomas has also been stuck on the sideline. The sophomore defensive lineman has yet to play a snap for Memphis in 2026.
In Other News...
UConn Has A Real Shot To End One Frustrating Syracuse Streak
UConn and Syracuse are meeting in a nonconference game with both programs looking for a reset after uneven starts. The Huskies come in at 2-2 after recent losses, while Syracuse is 1-2 and trying to stop a two-game skid, which gives this matchup a little more edge than the usual early-season crossover. Both coaching staffs spent the week talking through quarterback play and the availability of key pieces, a sign that neither sideline is quite settled yet.
For Syracuse, there is also the possibility of getting another young weapon involved if freshman Calvin Russell III is ready to make his debut. That kind of fresh energy can matter in a game like this, where the Orange are trying to steady themselves and avoid letting a frustrating stretch linger. UConn, meanwhile, has a chance to walk in and make life even tougher for a Syracuse team still searching for traction. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Depth Chart Hints At Fran Browns Next Big Calls
Syracuse is already at a familiar early-season crossroads under Fran Brown, with a new defensive staff and a fresh system still being sorted out as the Orange move through the third game of the year. After opening with a win over New Hampshire and then dropping games to California and Pittsburgh, the focus has shifted to how Brown and his staff want to line up the roster heading into the UConn matchup.
The projected depth chart for that game offers the clearest snapshot yet of where some of those choices stand on both offense and defense, showing starters and backups across the board. For a team still trying to settle into its identity, the chart is less a finished answer than a preview of the next set of decisions Brown has to make as Syracuse tries to steady itself. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Awaits A Court Decision That Could Reshape Its Receiving Depth
Syracuses receiver room has another layer of uncertainty hanging over it after Justus Ross-Simmons appeared in Onondaga County Supreme Court on Tuesday seeking a preliminary injunction that would allow him to keep playing football while his lawsuit against the NCAA moves forward. The hearing was overseen by Judge Jean Marie Westlake, and the NCAA did not have representatives present as the case played out in court.
Westlakes tone suggested skepticism about the eligibility rules at the center of the dispute, but the immediate question for Syracuse is still whether Ross-Simmons can stay on the field in the coming weeks. A ruling on the injunction is expected within a few weeks, and whichever way it goes, the matter could keep moving into appeals court after that. [Read more 🡒]