Syracuse’s wide receiver room has been one of the biggest question marks on the roster heading into 2026, but Josh Gattis doesn’t sound nearly as worried as the outside conversation might suggest.
That’s partly because the Orange are dealing with some real turnover. After the 2025 season, Darrell Gill Jr. and Jontay Cook both entered the transfer portal, with Gill landing at Ole Miss.
And then there’s Calvin Russell III, one of the top recruits in program history, who is working back from a torn Achilles. Russell has said he won’t miss the whole season, though that remains a possibility.
Even with that uncertainty, Gattis sees a room with more options than people might expect. He moved into the wide receivers job after serving as Syracuse’s offensive specialist in 2025, and his background includes coaching receivers at Maryland, Miami, Michigan and Alabama.
“I just think the depth. When you look at the room, we got eight or nine guys that can go out and play for us.
I'm used to having about four or five. So just the depth, talent in the room, the way they care and love about each other.
"
That depth starts with some new faces. Syracuse added Cole Weaver, who was a standout at Miami (Ohio) and finished 2025 with 47 catches for 680 yards and two touchdowns. The Orange also brought in Umari Hatcher and transfer Zamondre Merriweather, who spent the past three seasons at Boise State after putting together a strong junior college run at Glendale Community College, where he totaled 59 receptions for 961 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Syracuse also gets back Hatcher and Tyshawn Russell after both missed time with injuries in 2025. The group further includes transfers Elijah Moore and Matthew Outten, plus local product Darien Williams, Phoenix Henriquez and Terrell Wilfong.
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