Unless something changes in a hurry, Syracuse fans will have to wait a little longer to see Calvin Russell III in a game uniform.
The five-star Orange freshman wide receiver is not expected to make his debut tonight at Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium, where Syracuse is trying to end a nine-game ACC losing streak against the favored Panthers. Russell is listed as “Doubtful” on the conference injury report and is still working back from the torn Achilles tendon he suffered in practice on March 30, the same day new SU basketball coach Gerry McNamara was introduced at the Dome.
There was at least a small step forward last week, when Russell took part in pregame warmups before Syracuse’s loss to California. But for now, the plan still points beyond this week, with the open date at the end of September standing as the next possible marker before the Orange circle their game against Connecticut on Saturday, October 3, at noon in East Hartford on CBS Sports Network.
Back in July at ACC Kickoff, Brown said Russell would be on the field in 2026. Since camp opened and the first two home games came and went, the timeline has remained tied to how the injury responds and how the medical tests look.
“He's working, like, extremely hard (to get back soon),” Brown said Monday at his in-season weekly media availability.
“He's consistently coming in, doing extra rehab,” Brown added. “He's working a lot to get himself back to play, we want him to play. I think he's an electrifying football player.”
Russell, who will wear No. 5, arrived with a strong football resume from Miami’s Northwestern High School, where he was the All-Dade County player of the year on a defending state championship team. He also won a pair of district championships in basketball there.
Syracuse fans already got one small preview of his competitiveness in January, during the Orange’s 88-68 loss at N.C. State.
In the final minutes of that game, Russell logged two official minutes and made a basket, hit a free throw, pulled down a rebound and committed a turnover while playing with obvious energy. Donnie Freeman led Syracuse with 24 points that night, but Russell still managed to leave a mark in one of the few bright spots for the Orange.
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For Syracuse, it is the kind of off-court uncertainty that can reshape roster plans before a player ever gets into a game. Monroe arrived with the expectation of helping next season, but the question now is whether the Orange will have him available when it matters. A written decision on his eligibility is expected soon, and until then the situation hangs over both Monroe and Syracuses plans for the season ahead. [Read more 🡒]
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There is also a personal layer to his success that travels with him every week. Heintschel wears his middle school football number on his cleats in honor of his late friend Lukas Mason, who died in 2020, and that detail adds another reason Syracuse will be seeing a quarterback playing with more than just a hot hand when the teams meet. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Heads To Pitt With No Margin For Another Sloppy Night
The loss to Cal was the kind of night Syracuse cannot afford to repeat, a muddled 21-18 setback that mixed turnovers, missed chances and too many self-inflicted mistakes. Steve Angelis three interceptions and Tripp Woodys two missed field goals told part of the story, but the 15 penalties for 132 yards made the bigger point clear: the Orange spent too much of the game beating themselves.
Pitt is next, and the timing could hardly be less forgiving for a Syracuse team already trying to steady itself amid recent struggles and injuries. Recent matchups have gone Pitts way, and with the margin for error shrinking fast, Syracuse has to clean up the sloppiness before the trip turns into another night of frustration. [Read more 🡒]