Fran Brown talks Ross-Simmons, Saturday scrimmage at weekly presser
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UPDATE: This story was updated at 8:57 p.m. on Aug. 17, 2026.
Syracuse football kicks off the 2026 season in 19 days, and it’s almost time for head coach Fran Brown to make some roster decisions. The Orange began their third week of fall camp Monday, as they gear up for the season opener against New Hampshire on Sept. 5.
Brown held his weekly media availability following practice Monday and discussed the addition of Justus Ross-Simmons, who is reportedly returning to the Orange for a fifth collegiate season. Ross-Simmons was officially cleared to rejoin the team Monday night and will be at Tuesday’s practice, Syracuse.com reported.
Brown chose not to discuss many details regarding the situation nor Syracuse’s Saturday intrasquad scrimmage Monday morning. He did offer some insight on a few standout players and a recent injury.
Here are some takeaways from Monday’s press conference:
Ross-Simmons’ return
The biggest storyline for Syracuse over the past week was Ross-Simmons’ potential return. The 6-foot-3 wideout was out of eligibility after the 2025 season and looked toward the NFL, but a Colorado court ruling a few weeks ago granted some class of 2022 recruits an extra year of eligibility. The injunction is not final, but if it holds, Ross-Simmons would be eligible for 2026.
Brown confirmed he’d been in contact with the wideout and that Ross-Simmons had been around the facility over the past few days. Brown said Monday that Ross-Simmons is still in good shape.
The Rochester, New York, native, who totaled 514 yards and seven touchdowns over 18 games in two seasons with SU, would be a major get for an Orange receiving room that hardly returned anybody. Brown didn’t say much about the process of getting Ross-Simmons back, implying it wasn’t a done deal before a team spokesperson confirmed his return Monday night.
“It seems like we have an opportunity, but we just have to make sure everything matches up the right way,” Brown said.
On Aug. 4, Brown said he was “really comfortable” with his current roster and didn’t plan to add players made available through the injunction. But on Monday, Brown said communication with his staff changed his mind.
Most of the hurdles preventing Ross-Simmons from coming back to SU would’ve been procedural, as Brown stressed Ross-Simmons is a “student-athlete first.” Enrolling the wideout back into the university might’ve been part of the uncertainty, although Brown didn’t offer many concrete answers about the situation.
Scrimmage takeaways
Syracuse had an intrasquad scrimmage Saturday. Brown didn’t go into much detail about the contest but said he liked his team and coaching staff’s effort.
“We had fun overall,” Brown said. “I thought the entire team did well.”
Brown added that quarterback Steve Angeli did what the coaches expected from him in the first scrimmage but said “(Angeli) wants to do better. Everyone wants to do better.”
The scrimmage helped SU’s staff lay out its depth chart. When asked whether the scrimmage offered Brown clarity about position battles, he said the only things guaranteed are the coaching staff.
“We got a team full of guys competing,” Brown said. “It would be cheating to just say ‘Oh this guy’s gonna start.’ That wouldn’t be fair to these guys, as hard as they work.”
He and his staff will have just over three weeks to sort the starters out.
Injuries and additional notes
Brown confirmed sophomore wide receiver Terrell Wilfong suffered a broken collarbone and will miss 6-8 weeks.
The 6-foot-6 wideout appeared three times last season but never recorded a catch. He might’ve had a decent chance for reps early this season, as wide receiver is one of several positions where Syracuse lacks familiarity. With his decision confirmed, Ross-Simmons is the only returner of SU’s seven leading receivers from last season. Wilfong will have to wait for his chance to break out.
Brown also highlighted two players as “champion-level leaders,” saying linebacker Zyian Moultrie-Goddard and running back Ju’Juan Johnson have stood out.
Brown said Moultrie-Goddard approached him about transferring this offseason, but through conversations with Moultrie-Goddard and his family, Brown convinced him to stay. Now, “he’s one of the guys on the team that everyone looks up (to),” Brown said. Brown also tabbed Johnson, who transferred from LSU this winter, as a natural with a “special leadership ability.”
“I’m happy to have them on our football team,” Brown said.
