Which top 2026 NFL Draft prospects will Syracuse face?
Syracuse is slated to face potential 2026 No. 1 overall pick Cade Klubnik this season when it plays Clemson on Sept. 20. Jacob Halsema | Staff Photographer
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A gauntlet awaits. Syracuse’s 2025 schedule features three teams ranked in the Preseason AP Poll’s Top 10 and eight that received at least one vote.
As the Orange catapulted to a No. 20 finish and their third 10-win season since 2000, they faced four ranked teams in 2024. The only top-10 team Syracuse played was then-No. 8 Miami, which SU defeated despite trailing 21-0 to eventual No. 1 overall NFL Draft Pick Cam Ward.
Syracuse lost over 20 players — four of whom were draft selections — to NFL teams in the offseason. Which future Sunday stars will the new-look Orange face off against in their 2025 campaign?
Here are some of the top 2026 NFL Draft prospects on Syracuse’s schedule:
Jermod McCoy: DB, Tennessee
If not for injury, SU’s season opener against Tennessee would’ve featured a matchup with the top cornerback in the class. McCoy tore his ACL in a January training session but is already back on the practice field, though he’s not expected to play on Saturday.
McCoy snagged four interceptions en route to a Second Team All-SEC selection last season and is listed by Pro Football Focus as the top SEC player in the draft class besides Texas quarterback Arch Manning, who is rumored to be returning to college in 2026. Syracuse head coach Fran Brown also described McCoy as one of the top cornerbacks in the country ahead of the matchup.
Cade Klubnik: QB, Clemson
Just like Ward in 2024, the Orange could again be matched up with the presumptive No. 1 overall pick and top quarterback in the country. Klubnik tallied an impressive 36 touchdowns to six interceptions in his junior campaign a year ago. For an encore, Klubnik returns with one of the most talented rosters in the country.
Syracuse has already faced Klubnik twice, losing both times to him. First for a few snaps in 2022, and then as the starter in 2023. This time around, Klubnik is regarded as one of the best in the sport.
T.J. Parker: EDGE, Clemson
While Klubnik is leading Clemson’s offense, Parker will helm its defense as a top edge rusher in the 2026 class. He ranked third in the Atlantic Coast Conference with 11 total sacks as a sophomore last season, and he could be the top defender off the board come late April.
Parker is seen as a game-wrecker carrying a similar pedigree to Abdul Carter. SU’s revamped offensive line will have its hands full in Death Valley as it aims to slow Parker more than it did ACC Defensive Player of the Year Donovan Ezeiruaku last year.
Peter Woods: DT, Clemson
Clemson’s defense also has Woods on the interior to disrupt opposing offenses. Woods is a First Team AP Preseason All-American and could also be a top-five pick in the draft. The junior flipped between the edge and interior in his first two seasons, but with his 315-pound frame, he will likely stick inside as a professional.
He’s shined brightest on the biggest stages in his college career, beginning the 2024 season with six total tackles against then-No. 1 Georgia and notching five against then-No. 5 Texas in the College Football Playoff First Round.
Antonio Williams: WR, Clemson
For Klubnik to put up a Heisman-candidate-level season, he’ll need some weapons around him. Fortunately, wide receiver Antonio Williams also returns for his senior season.
Williams can play both on the outside and in the slot, creating matchup nightmares for Clemson’s opponents. He was one of only four pass catchers in the ACC to tally 70 or more receptions in 2024, only trailing Syracuse’s Trebor Peña and Jackson Meeks. Williams is projected to be the second wide receiver off the board come April, according to ESPN’s Matt Miller.
Avieon Terrell: DB, Clemson
If Clemson’s defense didn’t have enough strength already, it has a star ballhawk to hold down the secondary. Terrell, the younger brother of former Tigers star and current Atlanta Falcons defensive back A.J., is looking to carve out his own status as an early-round pick.
After playing sparingly as a freshman in 2023, Terrell emerged as a top defender in the conference last season. His nine tackles against SMU in the ACC Championship helped Clemson escape with a three-point win.
Chandler Rivers: DB, Duke
Rivers has improved each season at Duke and is projected to go No. 26 in April’s draft by ESPN’s Field Yates, ranked third among defensive backs behind Terrell and McCoy.
The senior’s 5-foot-10 stature could be perceived as undersized, but he’s used it to perfection to excel both in the slot and on the outside. While already on scouts’ radars, Rivers caught fire last season with an interception in three straight games versus FSU, then-No. 22 SMU and then-No. 5 Miami.
Francis Mauigoa: OT, Miami
SU’s pass-rushing unit isn’t a strength of the team and facing a top tackle won’t do it any favors. Mauigoa is seen as one of the top offensive linemen in the 2026 class.
He could kick inside to guard once he enters the NFL, but Mauigoa has started all 26 games at right tackle through his first two seasons at Miami. Mauigoa, however, posted his worst performance in 2024 against the Orange, tallying a 52.4 offensive grade, per PFF.
Rueben Bain Jr.: EDGE, Miami
Following a gaudy 7.5-sack freshman campaign in 2023 that ended in ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, Bain regressed with only 3.5 sacks last season. An explosive junior year will likely have him off the draft board early.
Bain was injured for portions of the season and recorded one solo tackle against Syracuse in the Hurricanes’ regular-season finale. His 6-foot-3 frame makes him slippery on the edge, but he’s shown a tendency to power rush successfully, too.
Carson Beck: QB, Miami
Beck’s return from a UCL tear in the SEC Championship last season raises questions about his future. However, a move to Miami and the ACC gives Beck a chance to improve his draft stock.
Some projected the soon-to-be 24-year-old to be a top pick in last year’s draft before an underwhelming performance. The Hurricanes likely won’t be getting a second coming of Ward, but Beck will be tough to contain.
Jeremiyah Love: RB, Notre Dame
The No. 5 running back in the 2023 recruiting class has done nothing but exceed expectations in his first two college years. Love is unanimously regarded as the top running back in the 2026 draft class and will likely be the only one selected in the first round.
The St. Louis, Missouri, native was pivotal in the Fighting Irish’s 2024 season as he topped 5.5 yards per carry or more in 9-of-12 regular season games. An absurd 98-yard touchdown run in the CFP First Round showcased his big-play ability, though Love combined for 68 rushing yards across ND’s final three postseason games.
Aamil Wagner: OT, Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish have produced multiple top offensive linemen recently, such as NFL standouts Ronnie Stanley, Mike McGlinchey and Joe Alt. Wagner, at 6-foot-6, could be next in line.
He started all 16 games for ND in 2024 and was the fifth-most valuable tackle in the country last year, per PFF. Wagner’s not widely-regarded as a first-rounder currently, but could shoot up draft boards with another stout campaign blocking for Love and new starting quarterback CJ Carr.
