Syracuse football is back on the field with the sting of an 11-month winless stretch still hanging over it, but the Orange enter 2026 with a chance to reset. When they meet New Hampshire in the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday, it will be their first shot at ending an eight-game losing skid that closed out a 3-9 season in 2025.
That last season started with promise at 3-1 before Steve Angeli’s Achilles injury in Week 4 knocked the offense off course. Now, in Fran Brown’s third year, Angeli returns as the centerpiece of a team trying to climb back toward bowl eligibility. Syracuse also brought in former Toledo defensive coordinator Vince Kehres, a move aimed at fixing a defense that allowed the most points in the Atlantic Coast Conference last year.
Three beat writers weighed in on where the Orange are headed, and the range runs from cautious optimism to a clear postseason call.
Noah Nussbaum sees a team that could go anywhere from four to eight wins, but leans toward the lower end and predicts a 5-7 finish, 3-6 in the ACC. He picked Angeli as the MVP and Demetres Samuel Jr. as the X-factor, arguing that Syracuse’s season still revolves around its quarterback.
Nussbaum pointed to Angeli’s absence last year as the reason the Orange never recovered, while also noting Brown added transfer quarterbacks Amari Odom, Malachi Nelson and Danny Lauter to avoid another collapse. Even so, he views Angeli as the best option to steer the offense, especially with a rebuilt receiving group and several new faces at running back and along the defensive line.
He called New Hampshire and UConn the only sure wins, though even UConn nearly slipped away last year, and he flagged Notre Dame, SMU and Louisville as ranked opponents while also warning that Pitt, Virginia, Clemson and NC State could all cause problems.
Nicholas Alumkal was the most bullish of the group, projecting a 7-5 record and a 5-4 mark in conference play. He also tabbed Angeli as the MVP and chose Umari Hatcher as the X-factor.
Alumkal said Angeli’s health is the key to everything, noting that before the injury ended his season after four games in 2025, he was second in the FBS in passing yards. He expects Angeli to return to form after a summer of questions about his recovery.
The bigger concern, in Alumkal’s view, is who will catch the ball after Syracuse lost six of its seven best receivers by yardage from last season. Justus Ross-Simmons is the lone holdover from that group, but his eligibility remains unresolved.
Even with that uncertainty, Alumkal believes in Hatcher and transfer Cole Weaver enough to expect the offense to do just enough. He sees wins over New Hampshire and UConn as likely, Notre Dame as a near-certain loss, and thinks the Orange can steal two more games at the JMA Wireless Dome against Louisville, Clemson or SMU.
Harris Pemberton landed in the middle with a 6-6 prediction and a 4-5 ACC record. His MVP pick was Angeli, and he named Chris Peal as the X-factor.
Pemberton said the quarterback’s return brings needed stability, even if he does not expect the same kind of national passing numbers Angeli posted through four games in 2025. He likes the additions in the running back room, but still wants to see who emerges at receiver if Ross-Simmons is unavailable.
On defense, he singled out Kehres’ arrival as one of the offseason changes Syracuse fans should be most excited about, with Peal standing out as a potential difference-maker. The redshirt junior has already drawn draft buzz and preseason praise, and Pemberton said Peal, along with Samuel, could reshape a pass defense that ranked bottom-5 in the ACC in yards allowed last year.
Like the others, he sees a clear win over New Hampshire, a likely loss to Notre Dame, and a pile of difficult toss-up games against NC State, Pitt, Virginia, Clemson, SMU and Louisville. Pemberton said the Orange’s inexperience makes it hard to trust them in those spots, but still expects them to do enough to reach a bowl game for the first time in two years.
In Other News...
Syracuse Transfers Are Already Shaping Two Key Spots Before Opener
With Syracuses 2026 opener against New Hampshire approaching, the Orange are already getting important contributions from a pair of transfers who have been working to settle in on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Steve Angeli, wide receiver Cole Weaver and linebacker Chris DAppolonia all spoke at a media session, and Weaver and DAppolonia in particular offered a look at how they have been adjusting to the program and building chemistry with new teammates.
The timing matters because Syracuse is sorting out key roles before the first game, especially at wide receiver and linebacker, where newcomers can quickly alter the feel of a unit. Senior wideout Justus Ross-Simmons has had his eligibility status fluctuate amid NCAA litigation, though he is currently expected to play, adding another layer to a position group that is still taking shape as the season opener nears. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Still Has Eyes On A 5-Star After His Latest Move
Kevin Wheatley Jr. is making another move in a prep career that has already drawn plenty of attention, and Syracuse remains part of the picture. The 2028 five-star recruit, who was once committed to the Orange, is transferring to Iowa United Prep for the 2026-27 high school season after previously attending Brewster Academy. Wheatley did not play last season because of injury, but his profile has stayed high enough that multiple programs are still involved.
Iowa United Prep will give Wheatley another chance to re-enter the national conversation in one of the sports more demanding settings. The program plays in the Nike EYBL Scholastic conference, a league filled with top prep schools, so the move should put him in front of heavy competition and plenty of scouting eyes. For Syracuse, it keeps the door open on a player it already knows well, even as his path continues to shift. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Fans Have A Cheap Chance To See If This Team Is Different
Saturdays opener gives Syracuse a straightforward first look at where this version of the Orange stands, and it comes with an unusually easy entry point for fans. New Hampshire visits the JMA Wireless Dome at noon, and the ticket menu ranges from inexpensive upper sections to pricier seats closer to the field and in club areas, making it one of those early-season games where the cost to get in barely feels like a barrier.
For a program coming off a 3-9 finish, the interest is less about the opponent than the first hints of whether the group looks more settled and competitive right away. The returning presence of Steve Angeli at quarterback adds another layer to the conversation after his senior season was interrupted by injury, and Saturday should offer at least a first read on how quickly Syracuse can turn that familiarity into something that feels different. [Read more 🡒]