Syracuse is starting the season with a little more respect than it had a year ago, but not enough to make anyone comfortable.
In The Athletic’s preseason 138, put together by Chris Vannini, the Orange landed at No. 78.
That puts Syracuse between Colorado and Rutgers and marks a modest rise from where the team finished 2025, when it checked in at No. 104.
The jump is there, but so are the questions. Vannini’s view lines up with plenty of other early assessments of Syracuse: the roster has been rebuilt, and the biggest unknowns sit everywhere except quarterback. A healthy Steve Angeli should help, but the new running backs and receivers, along with a rebuilt offense, leave plenty to sort out.
The rankings also sketch out the road ahead for Fran Brown’s team. Syracuse’s 2026 opponents stack up this way in the preseason list: Notre Dame at No.
5, SMU at No. 17, Louisville at No.
18, Clemson at No. 33, Virginia at No.
34, California at No. 37, Pittsburgh at No.
38, NC State at No. 48, North Carolina at No.
75, Boston College at No. 95 and UConn at No. 102.
In a sport defined by roster churn, these preseason numbers only tell part of the story. Still, they underline the size of the task in front of Syracuse. Getting back to a bowl will require the Orange to beat expectations again, and there’s a case to be made that the underdog label fits this group just fine.
In Other News...
Juan Castillo Has Syracuse's Biggest Problem Under A Real Spotlight
Juan Castillos arrival in Syracuse brought an immediate sense of urgency to a unit that badly needed it. The veteran offensive line coach arrives with four decades of coaching experience, including 28 years in the NFL, and he has already put his stamp on the room by pushing a sharper standard in both culture and work ethic. After last seasons struggles up front, there is little doubt why this job became one of the staffs most important fixes.
Castillo has not been shy about the expectations, either, viewing the group as one with NFL-level talent and setting the Joe Moore Award as the goal. For Syracuse, that kind of confidence matters because the offensive line is not just a position group in need of repair, it is the foundation for everything else the offense wants to do. The challenge now is whether all that experience and belief can turn into the kind of consistency that changes the conversation around the Orange. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Edge Rushers Are Embracing A New Identity At The Right Time
Syracuses defense spent too much of last season chasing answers, and the biggest issue was hard to miss: the pass rush just did not show up often enough. With a new season opener against New Hampshire on Sept. 5 approaching, the Orange have turned their attention to the edge, where new coach Jeremy Hawkins has been brought in to help change the tone and the results.
Hawkins has already tried to give the group a simple identity to lean on, introducing the acronym E.A.T.T. for Energy, Enthusiasm, Attitude and Technique. For a unit trying to climb out of a disappointing 2025, the message is less about slogans than setting a standard, and Syracuse will find out soon enough whether that new approach can translate once the games begin. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse's O-Line Overhaul Hinges On A Coach Fighting One Label
Juan Castillo came to Syracuse with the kind of rsum that usually signals a quick-fix hire, but Fran Brown brought him in for a more specific job: help reshape an offensive line that needs real development, not just a fresh set of eyes. The 66-year-old coach has spent a long time in the NFL and has settled into a role that puts teaching first, which fits the Oranges need to build up the group in front of the quarterback rather than simply chase the next wave of prospects.
Castillo clearly wants the conversation to stay on what he can do, not how old he is. He talked about his appreciation for Brown and his desire to keep coaching as long as possible, underscoring a work ethic he believes still drives him every day. For Syracuse, the bigger question is whether that approach can turn the line into a strength, and whether Castillo can keep pushing back against the label that too often gets attached to coaches at his stage. [Read more 🡒]