Fran Brown talks Bryan Blair, Angeli availability at spring practice
SU head coach Fran Brown discussed incoming Director of Athletics Bryan Blair and quarterback Steve Angeli’s recovery at practice Friday. Joe Zhao | Senior Staff Photographer
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Syracuse head coach Fran Brown addressed the media for the first time this year at the Orange’s spring practice Friday evening.
The head coach discussed SU announcing Bryan Blair as its athletic director, quarterback Steve Angeli’s recovery from a torn Achilles and the wider QB competition. Brown touched on the Orange’s pickups and losses in the transfer portal, and also looked forward to Syracuse’s spring game, which is Saturday, April 12.
Here are some takeaways from what Brown said:
Working with Blair
Brown said he’s already built a strong connection with new Syracuse Director of Athletics Bryan Blair. Brown believes his views for SU athletics align with Blair’s vision.
“He wants to compete. He wants to have fun,” Brown said. “He’s excited about the opportunity of coming here and really just taking Syracuse to the next level.”
The two share some history, having competed against each other on the college football gridiron in the Southern Conference. Brown, a wide receiver, played for Western Carolina, while nose tackle Blair represented Wofford. The two squared off three times in college.
Brown said that familiarity, along with Blair’s background across multiple sports, makes him a strong fit.
“At Syracuse, he’s the guy that we needed, because we need to have all of us together, right?” Brown said. “Every team, all of us just cheering for each other, going for each other, and just, we all going in the same direction.”
Brown emphasized that Blair’s approach isn’t focused on a single program, but rather the entire department moving together.
“He has the same mindset that I have, the same mindset that (women’s basketball head) coach (Felisha Legette-)Jack has, that (head men’s lacrosse coach Gary Gait) has, and all the other coaches have,” Brown said. “So it’s good that we have an athletic director that’s for everybody and understands and knows that it’s about the ‘S,’ and it’s about SU Athletics.”
With Blair’s fundraising experience, Brown didn’t shy away from the importance of resources either.
“I’m about that money,” Brown said. “I’m going to go talk to everybody we could possibly talk to.”
Steve Angeli’s recovery
After Angeli went down with his torn Achilles at Clemson on Sept. 20, SU lost its final eight games of the season.
Angeli participated in footwork drills, threw passes and ran a bit in the part of the Orange’s practice that was open to the media.
“Progressing well,” he said of Angeli. “We hope he’ll be 100% when they say it’s time to go. He’ll be ready this summer. He could go now.”
Brown said they’re being cautious with Angeli in his comeback — joking no media, coaches or players are allowed near him — but he’d be back for the summer practices and the season in the fall.
“He’ll be ready when it’s time to get back out there,” Brown said. “He could go now if you let him go and do it but I don’t want to chance anything. I want to do what’s best for the ‘S’ so we’re going to wait and make sure. He will be fine though.”
SU’s QB competition
Even with Angeli returning to full health, Syracuse added three quarterbacks in the transfer portal. Amari Odom (Kennesaw State), Danny Lauter (Georgetown) and Malachi Nelson (UTEP) all started for their teams last season.
Brown lauded his three new signal-callers. He called Odom a “freak athlete,” complemented Lauter’s experience and said Nelson is meshing well with new QBs coach Sean Ryan.
Despite the additions, Brown said it’s Angeli’s job to lose. Brown admitted he “made a mistake” letting last year’s quarterback competition last too long between Angeli and Rickie Collins.
“I should have made Steve the guy so the team would have followed him from the beginning,” Brown said. “That was some of the things we didn’t do.”
However, Brown later added he “can’t get caught” like he was last year, relying on quarterbacks who weren’t ready when Angeli got injured.
“I figured, OK, let’s go get more experience, right?,” Brown said. “Because you never know who or what could end up happening. So I want to make sure that we’re ready for that.”
Brown also spoke on the new position coach Ryan, praising his time in the NFL, where he won two Super Bowls on the New York Giants’ staff and coached Deshaun Watson, Matt Stafford and P.J. Walker.
Other scribbles in the notebook
After Syracuse’s 2025 season ended with a whimper, two important offensive pieces in wide receiver Darrell Gill Jr. and running back Yasin Willis entered the transfer portal. Friday was the first time Brown publicly weighed in on their departures.
“It was just one of the different directions,” Brown said of their exits.
Brown then praised Syracuse’s running back pickups in LSU transfer Ju’Juan Johnson, Jackson State transfer Ahmad Miller and 2026 recruit Shavane Anderson.
“Our team is loaded right now. It’s scary,” Brown said.
Two-way star Demetres Samuel sported a sling on his arm at Monday’s Pro Day. Brown said he had a “little nick” and he wanted to “get it cleaned” so it doesn’t linger during the season.
Offensive lineman Joe Cruz also had a large cast on his arm.
“We wanted to get him cleaned up too, and wanted to make sure everybody was good for us to go,” Brown said. “We don’t deal with what we had last year, stingers and things of that nature.”
