Syracuse’s latest practice offered a clearer look at one of the Orange’s biggest additions, a lingering eligibility situation, and a quarterback backup job that still isn’t settled.
At the center of the day was Jartavius Flounoy, the Georgia State transfer who has already made an impression on Syracuse’s defensive staff. EDGE coach Jeremy Hawkins, who recruited Flounoy out of high school to Georgia State, didn’t waste any time describing what the sophomore defensive lineman brings.
“He’s like a refrigerator, he’s like a brick wall,” Hawkins said. “He has big hands, he’s strong… I knew I had someone [at Georgia State] who was special.”
Flounoy, listed at 6-foot-1 and 320 pounds, led Georgia State in sacks last season and finished second on the team in tackles for loss. Syracuse needed help up front after losing Kevin Jobity Jr. to graduation and Dion Wilson Jr., who signed with the Baltimore Ravens, and Flounoy gives the Orange a physical presence in the middle of the line.
“It’s pretty hard to [lead the team in sacks] unless you’re elite as a freshman,” Hawkins said. “He has a lot of intangibles that are really good, he’s a strong minded kid.”
Another familiar name around the program is Ross-Simmons, the former Syracuse wideout who scored five touchdowns last season as a senior. His situation remains unusual because of the recent NCAA eligibility developments, which could still allow him to play this year since he only played for four years.
He has already been ruled “ineligible,” but he can still take part in some team activities. On Monday, he was on the sideline in street clothes after practicing with the team earlier this month, and Brown briefly brought him over to the media without getting into details about what comes next. Ross-Simmons is also finishing his degree at Syracuse.
“Whether he gets to play ball or not, I think he’s an amazing guy,” Brown said.
The other unresolved storyline is quarterback. Brown said the backup job behind week one starter Steve Angeli has not been decided yet, even though the competition has been a major offseason focus.
That makes sense given what happened last year, when Brown had to turn to a backup quarterback for the final nine games after Angeli went down against Clemson. This time, Syracuse went looking for experience, but Danny Lautner, Malachi Nelson and Amari Odom still haven’t separated themselves enough for Brown to make a call.
Odom may have the inside track after earning All-Conference USA First Team honors last year at Kennesaw State, but for now, the job remains open.
In Other News...
Syracuse Is Bringing A Program Legend Back At The Perfect Time
Syracuses training camp will get a familiar boost later this week when Fran Brown said Dwight Freeney will be around for a practice session as the Orange continue getting ready for their season opener against New Hampshire. It is the kind of reminder that still carries weight in this program, because Freeneys name means a lot in Syracuse, where he starred before building a decorated NFL career.
The timing makes sense, too, with Brown trying to sharpen the roster in the final stretch before game week. Freeney has remained connected to the program over the years, from having his jersey retired to showing up for a coaching clinic, so his return to the field fits into a long-running relationship with Syracuse. The bigger question is what kind of impact his presence will have on a team that is trying to make its last camp reps count. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Could Get Pulled Deeper Into A New Ross-Simmons Fight
The transfer and draft landscape around college football may be shifting again, and Syracuse has a direct stake in it because of Justus Ross-Simmons. The wide receiver was initially ruled eligible to return, a development that mattered for a team trying to manage its roster and keep experienced depth in place, but that status changed after an NCAA stay. Now the broader conference conversation is starting to move in the same direction as the Big Ten, which has already passed legislation preventing professional football players from coming back to college.
The ACC is reportedly weighing similar rules, and if that happens it could drag Syracuse further into the middle of the Ross-Simmons situation rather than settling it. The conference is looking at language that would make players who declared for the NFL Draft or signed pro contracts ineligible to return, a framework that would only sharpen the uncertainty around cases like this one. For Syracuse, the issue is no longer just about one players path, but about how quickly the rules around that path may harden around the sport. [Read more 🡒]
Fran Brown Settled Syracuse's QB Race But One Orange Question Remains
Fran Brown has taken one big item off Syracuses offseason checklist by naming Steve Angeli the starter for the 2026 season opener. Browns confidence in Angeli has been clear, and the coach pointed to the quarterbacks leadership and detailed approach as signs the Orange have a steady hand leading the offense after Angeli worked his way back from an Achilles tendon injury.
Justus Ross-Simmons, meanwhile, remains part of the larger conversation around Syracuses roster as Brown addressed the wide receivers eligibility situation and voiced support for him while he continues working toward his degree. With the quarterback decision settled, the attention now shifts to how the rest of the offense comes together, and whether the Orange can get one more key piece sorted before camp arrives. [Read more 🡒]