Syracuse picked to finish 14th in ACC Preseason Poll
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Syracuse football was chosen to finish 14th of 17 teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference Preseason Poll, which was released Tuesday. The Orange’s 878 points were 225 behind 13th-place Wake Forest, while only North Carolina, Boston College and Stanford are predicted to finish below SU.
Miami, last season’s national runner-up, was chosen as the preseason favorite to win the ACC with 165 of 188 first-place votes. Rounding out the top five were SMU, Louisville, Clemson and Georgia Tech.
Syracuse’s ranking follows a season where it finished last in the conference with a 3-9 record and 1-7 mark in ACC matchups. The Orange started 3-1 and lost each subsequent game once quarterback Steve Angeli went down with an Achilles injury at Clemson.
Before last season, the Orange placed 12th in the preseason poll. In 2024, they received the same prediction, though proved it wrong with a 10-3 campaign and fourth-place ACC finish.
Much of the Orange’s 2026 roster is unproven, so it’s not surprising they’re projected to finish low in the ACC again. Angeli will likely reassume his starting role under center after his return from injury, but it’s unknown how much help his supporting cast will provide. On the other side, new defensive coordinator Vince Kehres brings a new look to the young unit.
SU’s first game of 2026 — and first chance for a win since that Clemson game last September — comes on Sept. 5 versus New Hampshire. Syracuse will also face six of the top-10 teams in the preseason poll.
