Syracuse is headed into the season with no shortage of bulletin-board material, even if the preseason ACC media vote didn’t exactly hand the Orange much to pin up.
Miami, last season’s national runner-up, was the clear choice to finish first in the conference. Stanford, with one first-place vote from what had to be a very playful media member, was otherwise picked to finish last in the 17-team league. Syracuse, meanwhile, didn’t receive a single vote of support.
That lack of respect fits the record the Orange left behind. Syracuse closed last season with eight straight losses and finished in the basement after falling at home to one-win Boston College in the finale. Even with Stee Angeli’s return in mind and some future thinking about 2026, there wasn’t much in that finish to convince voters to look at the Orange any differently.
At ACC Kickoff two weeks ago in Charlotte, that reality came up again and again. Angeli, Antoine Deslauriers and Demetres Samuel Jr. all acknowledged the “chip on the shoulder” feeling that comes with being overlooked, but they also made it clear the outside noise isn’t something they plan to carry around.
Samuel put it bluntly: "We have heard all the noise, but not we're not going back on past performance," Samuel said in Charlotte. "One thing we don't really care about is the media (opinions). We know (out schedule), we know the ACC teams we are going to play, we will see at the end of the day (season), where things stand."
Angeli said he’s got plenty else on his mind after recovering from the season-ending Achilles heel injury that put him on track to pick up where he left off last season. For him, the preseason chatter is just background static.
"It's a little fuel to the fire, but personally I don't get too caught up in all the media stuff," Angeli said repeating a mantra the leadership group within the locker room has extended to all the team.
"it's part of the job, it's part of the business, but if you can use that to help you (tune out the negative), then I think that's great."
One Syracuse defensive back did get some preseason recognition on Wednesday. Chris Peal was named by the media to the All-ACC preseason team, which is a single team rather than the three-team setup used for postseason all-conference honors, plus honorable mention.
In Other News...
Syracuse Suddenly Has A Bigger Battle To Keep This OL Commit
Omari Lawson has become one of the more interesting names in Syracuses 2028 class, and not just because he has been pledged to the Orange since October. The Jacksonville offensive lineman from Zarephath Academy has climbed to four-star status and sits 146th overall in the updated Top247, a notable rise for a prospect who was still unrated when he first chose Syracuse.
Since that commitment, Lawsons profile has exploded, with nearly 20 schools jumping in and putting fresh pressure on Syracuse to hold serve. Florida, Georgia and LSU are among the programs that have offered, and Lawson plans to take visits this fall while still saying he remains committed to the Orange, leaving Syracuse to navigate a recruiting battle that is only getting more crowded. [Read more 🡒]
Fran Brown Needs One Transfer To Matter Right Away
Fran Browns first offseason in charge brought the kind of roster churn that usually forces a program to choose between short-term patchwork and long-term rebuilding. Syracuse lost 40 players and brought in 19 transfers, and the additions touched nearly every part of the depth chart, from quarterback to the offensive line to the defensive front. For a team trying to move faster under a new coach, the portal gave Brown options and competition, especially at spots where experience had been thin.
The most interesting part is how much of the early pressure still lands on the defense, where Syracuse needs the new faces to make an immediate difference. The Orange are trying to turn over a unit that struggled to finish plays last season, and the pass rush remains the clearest place to look for a quick fix. Brown can point to the upgraded depth and the broader talent mix, but until one transfer starts changing games off the edge, the whole class remains more promise than proof. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Just Got A Vote Of Confidence Fans Will Debate
The early buzz around Syracuse mens basketball is starting to sound a little different under new coach Gerry McNamara. After a season that left plenty of room for improvement, national basketball reporter Jon Rothstein slotted the Orange seventh in his early ACC preseason power rankings, a notable bump from where the program sat a year ago. With McNamara now steering the roster after his time at Siena, there is at least a sense that Syracuse is being viewed as a team on the rise rather than one stuck in neutral.
There is still plenty of uncertainty baked into the optimism, though, because this is almost an entirely new group. Syracuse will bring back only a small core while blending in 11 new players, and the schedule will give the Orange no shortage of early tests against teams like Indiana, Oklahoma and Providence. Rothsteins ranking is a nice vote of confidence, but the real question is whether the pieces can come together quickly enough for Syracuse to justify it. [Read more 🡒]