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Photo by Ben Bisang – BenBisangMedia

After riding high on a 10-3 season, Syracuse Football entered the season with high expectations, but it all unraveled after starting QB Steve Angeli suffered a torn achilles against Clemson. The orange finished 3-9, failing to win a single game after losing their QB1. After Angeli went down, Sophomore transfer Rickie Collins, who was named the starter after spring practice, stepped in under center. Collins struggled at the helm for the orange, throwing 10 interceptions to just 6 touchdowns, with an average 30.8 QBR, one of the lowest in all of FBS, underscoring just how much of a difficult season it was for the Syracuse offense.

With a new season on the horizon after a disappointing 2025 campaign, the question still remains: will they bounce back? Syracuse enters 2026 with a solid recruiting class, ranked 39th nationally, highlighted by 5 star WR Calvin Russell, the oranges highest ranked football recruit in over 25 years. The Orange also reloaded in the portal with multiple pieces, including redshirt sophomore QB Amari Odom, who transferred from Kennesaw State. On the coaching side, the Orange welcomed new defensive coordinator Vince Kehres, who was previously at Toledo, and opted to leave after Jason Candle packed his bags for UCONN. These additions give Syracuse the platform to rebound, but questions remain about consistency and leadership on the field.

Looking ahead, Syracuse’s case looks strong to rebound. The orange will get another shot at multiple ACC foes they failed to beat last year, including BC, Pitt, North Carolina, and SMU. With a full offseason to re-group, key newcomers in the portal, and a recruiting class with serious talent, theres reason for optimism that the Orange will improve on both sides of the ball, and improve vastly from their previous 3-9 record. If Syracuse can get on a roll early and execute, a return to competitiveness and even bowl eligibility could be well in reach.