Syracuse’s fall sports are already underway, and the early read on the Orange is simple: there’s a lot to track across the board.
Football has the biggest spotlight, and for good reason. Syracuse is trying to move on from a brutal 2025 season that spiraled after quarterback Steve Angeli tore his Achilles in Week 4. The Orange dropped eight straight after that and finished Fran Brown’s second year at 3-9.
Now Angeli is back, and Syracuse is banking on that alone to help reset the season. Brown is also hoping to tap into what remains of the momentum from SU’s 10-3 season two years ago.
Offensively, the Orange could look very different around Angeli, depending on Justus Ross-Simmons’ status. Syracuse may be without its top seven leaders in receiving yards and top three leaders in rushing yards from last season, which puts plenty on Angeli’s shoulders after he was second in the country in passing yards through four weeks last year.
There’s turnover on the other side of the ball too, but the new voice there is Vince Kehres, Toledo’s former defensive coordinator. Syracuse’s defense was one of the worst in the country a year ago, so Kehres has a major rebuild in front of him. He does have some pieces to work with, including defensive backs Chris Peal and Demetres Samuel Jr., along with linebackers Antoine Deslauriers and Toledo transfer Chris D’Appolonia.
The schedule offers a few tests, even if it doesn’t look quite as daunting as 2025. Syracuse’s nine-game ACC slate includes No.
24 Louisville, No. 19 SMU, Clemson and Virginia, and the regular season ends against No.
4 Notre Dame.
Men’s soccer has come out of the gate with much more energy. Syracuse already has three wins in four nonconference games, which is more than it managed in 2025. Last season started slowly, improved late, and then fell apart at the finish.
A lot of the uncertainty around Ian McIntyre’s 17th season has already been answered. Syracuse has gotten production from Jordan Grey, Pedro Gulli and Landon Darko, giving the Orange more attacking punch than they had a year ago. Kyle Jansen also looks settled in goal after taking over for Tomas Hut, and the defense has looked as steady, or steadier, than before.
The next real measuring stick comes Friday against No. 18 Clemson, which is Syracuse’s toughest challenge so far.
Women’s soccer is in a different kind of transition. Syracuse lost all-time saves leader Shea Vanderbosch and its top three scorers from 2025, but still brought back 15 players and has pieced together a 3-1-2 start. The changes have worked at least to this point, helped by transfer additions like striker Ali Howard, the daughter of former United States Men’s National Team goalie Tim Howard, and midfielder Vickie Jones, who leads the team with three goals.
Those newcomers helped Syracuse shift from a 3-5-2 to a 4-5-1. The biggest transfer addition, though, has been goalkeeper Maya Naimoli, who came over from Youngstown State and has already won ACC Goalkeeper of the Week. She’s posted four shutouts, including a 3-0 win over Princeton.
The challenge now is league play, where Syracuse has struggled badly. In its first seven seasons under head coach Nicky Thrasher Adams, SU is 4-55-7 in ACC matches and went 1,112 days without a win.
Field hockey enters the fall with a new challenge after losing Bo van Kempen. She scored a team-high 23 goals and added seven assists last season, pushing Syracuse to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight before it fell to No. 2 Princeton.
Even with that departure, the Orange were ranked No. 9 in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Preseason Poll. Sophomore Aubrey Turner is back after starting all 20 games last year, and Syracuse is also leaning on nine freshmen to help get back to the NCAA Tournament. One of them, Jovie Weaver, has already made an early impact by scoring in both of SU’s opening games in the Orange’s 2-0 start.
Volleyball opened with a rough weekend, getting swept by Cincinnati and Illinois in straight sets. Still, the roster has a different feel, and that’s where the attention should be.
Charis Burge and Kiernan Stamey started both matches and were central to the rotation. Burge finished with 49 assists over the weekend, while Stamey led the attack with two 13-kill performances.
Marie Laurio is the lone returner from last season, and she’s already shown she can carry a heavy load on both sides of the net. Laurio had 13 kills Saturday and added a double-double Sunday. Burge, Stamey and Laurio will have plenty on their plate as nonconference play continues.
Cross country arrives with high expectations on the men’s side. Syracuse men’s cross country finished second at the ACC Championships and fourth at the NCAA Championships, and now it enters 2026 as the ACC’s No. 1 team. The Orange are chasing their first ACC title since 2019 and their first national championship since 2015.
Senior Benne Anderson is the top name to know. He had a strong junior season, earning All-ACC honors and making the USTFCCCA All-Northeast Region Team.
The women’s team is younger, and that’s part of the story. Syracuse has no seniors on the roster, and its most experienced class is a group of eight juniors. Jayden Harberts is one to watch after opening last season with a first-place finish at the Harry Lang Invitational.
In Other News...
Syracuses First Defensive Depth Chart Just Raised A Big Week 1 Concern
Syracuses first defensive depth chart for the 2026 season offered a useful early look at how the Orange want to line up for their opener against New Hampshire, but it also left a few questions hanging over the defense. The kickoff is set for noon ET, and the release mostly served as a snapshot of where the coaching staff is sorting through options as camp gives way to game week.
The biggest eyebrow-raiser was Gary Bryant IIIs absence from the official chart, especially with the linebacker dealing with a knee injury after tying for the team lead in tackles last season. He is still expected to play, but his status will be one of the more closely watched items in the build-up to Week 1, and it adds a layer of uncertainty to a unit that is still being evaluated in real time. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuses First Depth Chart Just Raised Real Opener Questions
Syracuses first depth chart for the season opener against New Hampshire offered an early look at how the Orange may have to piece things together, and the biggest question is in the backfield. JuJuan Johnson is likely to be held out even though he has been cleared to play, while Ahmad Miller is expected to be available despite dealing with an injury, leaving Tylik Hill or Matthew Ouetten in position to get the start at running back.
The uncertainty does not stop there, either, with Tyshawn Russell and Justus Ross-Simmons among the players not listed because of injury or playing status. On defense, Syracuse is projected to open in a 4-2-5 look, with several new starters noted as the Orange continue sorting out roles before the opener. [Read more 🡒]
Fran Brown Hinted At Two Syracuse Questions Still Hanging Over Week 1
Fran Brown spent the final stretch before Syracuses season opener doing what a coach usually does this time of year: trying to quiet the noise around roles, health and depth while making sure the roster is ready for New Hampshire. He pointed to the programs progress on the roster and praised the staff work behind it, while also singling out sophomore defensive back Demetres Samuel Jr. as a player whose development has stood out in camp.
There are still a couple of spots worth watching once the Orange kick off, though. Brown said transfer running back JuJuan Johnson is likely to sit out the opener as a precaution, and the backup quarterback battle between Amari Odom and Malachi Nelson remains unsettled heading into Week 1. For Syracuse, the early-season focus now shifts from camp talk to how those depth-chart questions look when the games start for real. [Read more 🡒]