Syracuse is heading into Fran Brown’s third season with a familiar pressure point: the Orange have to get more out of the leaders already in the building. One of the players Brown is counting on to help push that forward is sophomore linebacker Antoine Deslauriers, who turned in 54 tackles, a sack and two forced fumbles last season.
Deslauriers said the offseason change at defensive coordinator has already made an impression. Elijah Robinson is out, and Toledo’s Vince Kehres is in, and the linebacker believes the fit was immediate.
"I think his scheme is where he differentiates himself. He wants to keep things so that the linebackers are comfortable, and everyone around is comfortable.
Bringing this mentality puts everyone on the field more in control and we can play faster. That’s really helped me along the way."
That adjustment matters because Deslauriers isn’t just part of the returning core - he’s being asked to help steer it. Even as a sophomore, Brown has leaned on him as a bridge between the established group and the new faces around the program.
"We had to do our part of the job. As a leadership group, we had to set a standard and show everyone how it was going to be like this year.
Show the transfer who came here from other institutions how we do things in order to win. I think there was an important conversation we had as a leadership group with coach Fran to be on the same page about that.
It’s important for him for the connections, players toward players, and players toward other coaches, so when he brings in a new coach, we can have that connection, so everyone can trust him. "
The bigger picture, at least from Deslauriers’ view, is a team that feels further along than it did a year ago. Syracuse was picked 14th in the 18-team ACC, but he sees a group that has been working without much noise or complaint.
"Being here last year and being here this year, we’re 10 steps ahead. I see everyone working and there’s no complaining.
It’s really just work, work, work. And after that we’ll see what comes out of it.
But I think we’re mentally ready. We’re physically there.
And we’ll be at our highest level when our season starts."
In Other News...
Gerry McNamara Just Sent Syracuse Fans An Early Rebuild Signal
Gerry McNamara is already shaping Syracuses next roster with an eye on both the present and what comes after it, and the early signs point to a program trying to stay competitive without losing sight of the long game. The Orange have landed Jack Donohue, a 6-foot-8 three-star prospect from Massachusetts in the Class of 2027, a move that fits the idea of building out the front end of the pipeline while the staff continues working the current schedule and the broader shape of the team.
There is also more immediate roster business still hanging over the season, with Syracuse adding Cornell to the non-conference slate and finalizing other games around it. At the same time, the possibility of player departures after this year remains part of the conversation, which is why McNamaras approach feels like more than just a recruiting note. It reads as a signal that Syracuse is planning for both the lineup it has now and the one it may need to assemble soon after. [Read more 🡒]
Fran Brown Is Already Leaning Into Syracuses Underdog Season
Fran Brown did not flinch at the way Syracuse was slotted in the ACC preseason chatter, and in some ways that is exactly the point. After a 3-9 finish last year, the Orange are being asked to prove they can climb out of the conference basement, but Brown sounded eager to use the low expectations as fuel as the season approaches.
Syracuse opens on Sept. 5 against New Hampshire, giving Brown and his team an early chance to show whether the outside skepticism is justified or badly misplaced. On the hoops side, Gerry McNamara already added Class of 2027 recruit Jack Donohue as the basketball program gets ready to tip off on Nov. 2, another reminder that there is plenty of Syracuse optimism to track across campus even as the football team tries to change its narrative first. [Read more 🡒]