Not enough attention has been given to some worrisome issues going into next Syracuse football season. After the first 10-win season for the Orange since 2018, fans are riding high with optimism going into next year as head coach Fran Brown embarks on his second season at the helm.
However, on paper, this team doesn’t look nearly as strong as last year’s.
The biggest concern is the loss of quarterback Kyle McCord to the NFL Draft. The Eagles selected the Ohio State transfer in the sixth round. That led Coach Brown to naming LSU transfer Rickie Collins the starting signal-caller heading into summer camp, despite a lack of experience.
Also, Notre Dame transfer Steve Angeli joined the Orange in an attempt to get some more playing time after backing up Riley Leonard in South Bend last season. So that’s just the quarterback situation.
Wide receiver is another issue. Trebor Pena went to Penn State after NIL disputes. Jackson Meeks and Oronde Gadsden are en route to NFL capacities. That leaves Darrell Gill Jr., Umari Hatcher, and Justus Ross-Simmons as the forefront receivers now.
Frankly, the offense doesn’t inspire much confidence going into next year, outside of running back Yasin Willis who showed strong glimpses last season.
Defensively, things could get rocky as well.
Key contributors like Marlowe Wax, Justin Barron, Fadill Diggs, Clarence Lewis, and Alijah Clark are all gone. That creates a major experience gap on that side of the ball–something that Coach Brown will have to deal with and address quickly.
With the lack of general game experience on both sides of the ball, besides some fun rising stars such as two-way threat Demetres Samuel Jr., it’s hard to feel overly optimistic about this team. That’s without mentioning SU’s tough schedule next season.
