Syracuse will have to move forward without one of its starting defensive backs when it faces No. 19 Southern Methodist on Saturday.
According to the ACC’s availability report, the Orange have ruled out Jai Eugene Jr. Eugene has been working at both nickel and safety, and he started Syracuse’s last three games.
With him out, B.J. Long is expected to slide back into the starting lineup alongside Chris Peal.
Eugene’s season has been rough. Pro Football Focus lists him as Syracuse’s second-worst defender among 39 players on the roster, with an overall defensive grade of 48.9. His run defense grade sits at 36.3, and his tackling grade is 27.4.
Syracuse also has some uncertainty on offense heading into the matchup. Quarterback Steve Angeli and center Kahlil Stewart are both listed as questionable.
Angeli was back under center last week in Syracuse’s overtime win at North Carolina after missing three games. Stewart made his first start at center in that game, which came as part of a reshuffled offensive line that moved Joe Cruz to left guard and sent UCLA transfer Oluwafunto Akinshilo to the bench.
That change left Syracuse with both of its Week 1 starting guards benched.
Behind Stewart, the Orange have listed Matthew Hawn as doubtful. The CBA grad began the season behind Cruz and Stewart at center, but he has picked up more work at guard in recent weeks.
SMU also has a notable injury situation of its own. Kicker Nick Reed is questionable. Reed has been sharing snaps with Brendan Baird this season, and he has hit all 14 of his extra points while going 2-for-3 on field goals.
In Other News...
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 🡒]
Former Syracuse Transfers Are Taking Very Different Paths This Season
A year after leaving Syracuse, a handful of Orange transfers have landed in very different spots this fall, with some already carving out roles and others still waiting to make an impact. The group spans everything from players seeing the field in meaningful game action to others who are buried on depth charts, recovering from injuries or simply still awaiting their first chance with their new programs.
Ross has been one of the more visible names in the update, while Luke Carney and Derek McDonald are among the other former Orange players whose seasons have followed separate tracks since departing Central New York. For Syracuse fans, the tracker is a reminder of how much transfer movement can reshape a roster in a hurry, and how quickly the same exits can produce wildly different results depending on fit, health and opportunity. [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 🡒]