A handful of former Syracuse players are still looking for their first real opportunity at new stops, while others have already been forced into bigger roles by injuries, depth-chart movement, or plain old necessity.
At UConn, sophomore receiver Ross is still waiting for his debut. The Huskies are 4-3, so there’s at least a chance his name gets called before the year is over.
Luke Carney, meanwhile, hasn’t seen the field for Houston since the second game of the season, when he did manage to score a rushing touchdown. He’s now stuck behind Connor Weigman, who has helped push the Cougars to 6-2 and a top 25 ranking.
Derek McDonald has been one of the more productive ex-Syracuse defenders to follow. The senior linebacker turned in a strong performance against No.
3 Notre Dame with 12 tackles and a forced fumble, then followed that up with 16 total tackles in Syracuse’s latest meeting with North Carolina. At the midpoint of the season, he already has 24 solo tackles for the Tar Heels.
Some transfers have had quieter seasons. Sophomore defensive back Ibn McDaniels has appeared in six games but has only one combined tackle.
Joshua Miller is still waiting for his Austin Peay debut. Yasin Willis remains sidelined with a leg injury, still wearing a boot after getting hurt in the Jayhawks game against Arizona State.
He had successful surgery during the bye week and has not been fully ruled out for the season, though a return is still doubtful.
There have also been a few role players making limited contributions. Singleton got on the field for the first time in the Bulldogs’ 56-23 loss to Alabama and came away with a combined tackle in that appearance. At Alabama, Stangle is still handling long-snapping duties for the 10th ranked Crimson Tide on punts, and he recorded a tackle in punt coverage against South Carolina.
Not every move has been smooth. Rickie Collins entered the year as QB1 for the Owls, but the results have been rough through seven games.
The team is 1-6 and 0-3 in conference play. Collins has completed 68.6% of his passes with a 4-5 touchdown-interception ratio and 1,426 total air yards.
He’s also run for 295 yards and five touchdowns on 72 carries.
Jakhari Williams got a shot at starting quarterback after the Bears opened 1-3, but Southwest Mississippi went winless over the next three games and Williams did not play in the final two. Through seven games in a difficult 1-8 season, he has completed 57.5% of his passes for 1,240 yards with five touchdowns and nine interceptions.
This midseason look also includes one player whose Syracuse departure has yet to turn into game action: Ross at UConn, Joshua Miller at Austin Peay, and several others still trying to carve out larger roles as the year moves on.
In Other News...
Syracuse Heads Into Ranked SMU Test With Growing Injury Concern
Syracuse is heading into a tough road test against No. 19 SMU with its injury report starting to loom larger than usual. The Orange already know they will be without starting defensive back Jai Eugene Jr., a hit to a secondary that will be under pressure against a ranked opponent. Beyond that, the status of quarterback Steve Angeli and center Kahlil Stewart adds another layer of uncertainty to a game that already carries plenty of weight.
Matthew Hawn is doubtful as the backup center, which leaves Syracuse with even more to sort through up front before kickoff. SMU has its own question mark, with kicker Nick Reed listed as questionable, but the bigger concern for the Orange is how much their own availability issues could shape the way this matchup unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Steve Angelis Return Leaves Syracuse With One Big Quarterback Question
Steve Angelis return gave Syracuse a lift at a time when the offense badly needed some stability. The quarterback had missed two weeks while dealing with retrocalcaneal bursitis near his surgically repaired Achilles tendon, a frustrating detour after he had received PRP and cortisone injections and spent time in a protective boot. When he got back on the field for Syracuses overtime win, Angeli said he felt like his old self, and Fran Brown made it clear the Orange had been leaning on him as their best option even while he was sidelined.
What lingers now is what happens next, because Angelis status had already become one of the seasons bigger storylines after an earlier benching put his role under the microscope. Brown has been outspoken about Angelis maturity and team-first approach, and the quarterbacks response since then has helped settle things in the short term. Still, Syracuse is left to sort out how much of its passing game can be built around a player who has already had to fight through both a health issue and a depth-chart test. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Needs A Second Receiving Threat As Bowl Pressure Builds
As Syracuse keeps sorting out its passing game, the search for a dependable second receiving threat has become part of the bigger late-season picture. Fran Brown has been easing Calvin Russell III back into the offense as he works his way back from an Achilles injury, and the move has started to give the Orange a clearer shape at receiver. Umari Hatcher remains the top option and the teams most consistent producer in catches and receiving yards, but the offense has needed someone else to steady the group.
The depth chart around them has been a moving target all season, with injuries and departures forcing transfers and returning players into bigger roles than expected. Russells growing involvement gives Syracuse a more balanced look, but it also underscores how much pressure still sits on the rest of the wideout room to produce as bowl hopes and late-season urgency build. The Orange have at least found one answer, and now the question is whether that answer can become a real two-man punch. [Read more 🡒]