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DALLAS — Johntay Cook whipped his head around to the spot he’d been tackled following a seven-yard gain on a screen pass. On the Gerald J. Ford Stadium grass lay his receiving partner Justus Ross-Simmons.

SU’s star wide receiver clutched his left ankle, writhing in pain on the ground as Syracuse trailed by three possessions late in the first half. Cook’s screen pass picked up a first down, but it came with a cost. While blocking for Cook, Ross-Simmons was rolled up on SMU linebacker Brandon Booker.

The receiver stayed on the ground before gingerly walking back to the sideline, struggling to put weight on his left side.

Ross-Simmons didn’t return in Syracuse’s (3-3, 1-2 Atlantic Coast) 31-18 loss to SMU (3-2, 1-0 ACC). He was carted to the locker room, and on the sidelines during the second half, he supported himself with crutches and sported a walking boot. The signs point to Ross-Simmons being out for an extended period of time — though the extent of the injury is still unknown — dealing a major blow to an already-struggling Syracuse offense.

Ross-Simmons was in the midst of a breakout season, recording 18 catches for 294 yards and an ACC-leading five touchdowns. That came to a screeching halt Saturday.

“I didn’t get a chance (to check him out),” Syracuse head coach Fran Brown said of Ross-Simmons postgame. “I saw he was on crutches or something, so his ankle is probably messed up, but I’m not sure where he’s at.”

Syracuse had a plethora of weapons at receiver, but Ross-Simmons might be the pick of the bunch. He has an innate ability to come down with near-impossible 50-50 balls as shown by highlight-reel touchdowns in wins over Clemson and UConn.

Give Ross-Simmons a catchable ball, and he’ll likely haul it in.

“When the big plays come, it’s just best I stay composed because I know I can make those plays,” Ross Simmons said following his two-touchdown performance that sparked SU’s 27-21 comeback win over UConn on Sept. 6.

After transferring from Colorado State, Ross-Simmons had a limited impact in 2024 due to a lingering hamstring injury he suffered on the first day of training camp.

There were flashes, like his four-catch, 88-yard and two-touchdown performance against Virginia Tech on Nov. 2, 2024. Before quarterback Steve Angeli tore his Achilles, he became a primary target for the signal caller, receiving 7.75 targets per game. With backup Rickie Collins, albeit a small sample size, Ross-Simmons was targeted 5 times per game.

“It hurts his offense for sure,” Collins said. “(Ross-Simmons) is a big part of our offense, but that’s the profession that we chose. Things like that happen.

“I wouldn’t be talking to you guys if what happened to (Angeli) didn’t happen,” Collins added. “We’re all gonna face some type of adversity, individually and as a team. It’s about how we can be there for each other, how we get closer and how we bounce back.”

Without Ross-Simmons, Cook and Darrell Gill Jr. remain viable targets for Collins. However, SU’s third receiver spot is now up for grabs. Tyshawn Russell could’ve filled the void, but Brown ruled him out for the season earlier this week after undergoing surgery.

Now it’s up to Darien Williams, Jaylan Hornsby or Emanuel Ross to step up. All three are highly-touted recruits, yet lack experience, with 17 catches and 249 yards between them. Hornsby got the most snaps (41) against SMU, followed by Ross (24) and Williams (12).

Being the backup for a month gave Collins time to work with the trio, and he believes in their playmaking ability.

“They have a lot of potential and big upside,” Collins said of SU’s young receivers. “They’re smart, they’re knowledgeable in the game. They know the offense, and they have swagger, and they play with a lot of confidence.”

Collins added that they’re “good for springing one for 50,” alluding to their big-play ability. He also mentioned that the Orange’s upcoming bye is a good time for them to figure out what they’ll do going forward.

Whether Collins can get them the ball is the question. Jeff Nixon hasn’t shied away from keeping SU’s air raid offense despite Collins’ lack of experience, with the redshirt sophomore dropping back to pass 54 times Saturday. Nixon’s hand was forced after Syracuse failed to convert a goal-to-go situation in the first quarter and fell behind by double digits in the second.

In his second career start, Collins couldn’t rally the troops. He tossed three interceptions and completed under 50% of his passes, the first SU quarterback to do so since Carlos Del-Rio Wilson went 7-for-17 against Boston College in 2023.

Collins has had flashes. He fired a 52-yard seed to Ross-Simmons in the second quarter while also connecting with Cook for a sizable gain a couple drives later. But, Collins hasn’t built on plays like that. It’s still early, but Brown is trying to build a winning culture at Syracuse, and his quarterback is underperforming.

Maybe injecting a little youth into the lineup will work. Brown chose to start Williams and Hornsby against SMU. The head coach said postgame his decision was due to “some things that may not happen outside of football.”

When asked to elaborate on those comments, Brown denied the choice had nothing to do with anything that happened off the field and “there was nothing bad that was done.” He simply gave his young guys a chance.

“The way they practiced, they earned the start, so it was like ‘Okay, let’s give them what they earned,’” Brown said.

Losing Ross-Simmons was a big blow. He was playing at an All-ACC level before going down Saturday. Even with him, Syracuse’s passing attack left much to be desired. It’ll be even tougher without him.

The Orange have 13 days until Pittsburgh comes to the JMA Wireless Dome. They’ll need to figure out how to build consistency passing the ball, or else they’ll flounder away at the bottom of the ACC standings.

“We’ll get it right,” Collins said.

Published on October 5, 2025 at 8:48 am
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