Look out for these NFL Draft prospects facing Syracuse this season
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One-hundred seventy-one yards and three touchdowns for Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. Four tackles and 1.5 sacks for Miami edge rusher Akheem Mesidor. Only one sack and four tackles for loss against Keylan Rutledge and Georgia Tech’s offensive line.
What do those three players have in common? They all ran rampant against a sorry Syracuse team in 2025 and were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft first round.
The Orange were no match for their opponents down the stretch last season. SU lost its final eight games by an average of 27.5 points. Its 3-9 record was a near-inverse of its 10-3 mark in 2024, Fran Brown’s first season at the helm.
There was a clear talent discrepancy on the field between 2024 and 2025. Following Brown’s successful opening campaign, four Syracuse players were selected in the NFL Draft. After last year’s regression, no Orange players were picked, while eight players SU faced in 2025 went in the first round.
Syracuse’s fate in 2026 is uncertain with its season under two weeks away. Here are some potential NFL-bound players who could cause SU problems this year:
Clev Lubin: Edge, Louisville
Clev Lubin started his collegiate career at Iowa Western Community College before becoming an NFL prospect at Louisville. In 2025, he was tied for fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference with 8.5 sacks and tied for seventh with 13.5 tackles for loss, earning Third Team All-ACC honors.
According to Pro Football Focus, the 6-foot-3 Suffern, New York, native has a PFF grade of 92.8 since 2024, and his 24% pass-rush win rate led the Power Four last season.
Lubin could’ve entered the draft last year, but he decided to return for a fifth season. PFF projects him as the 47th-best NFL Draft prospect, and he’ll likely be the first one the Orange encounter when they host Louisville on Oct. 17.
Isaac Brown: RB, Louisville
Another reigning Third Team All-ACC member, Isaac Brown led the FBS with 8.8 yards per carry in 2025. The pacy, 5-foot-9 rusher ran for 884 yards and scored seven touchdowns for the Cardinals as a sophomore last year. Pro Football Network has him going 93rd overall in this upcoming NFL Draft.
Syracuse had the ACC’s second-worst rush defense last season, so facing Louisville will be SU’s first litmus test to see if it can slow a dynamic running back.
PJ Williams, OT, SMU
Entering his fifth year of college football, PJ Williams has made a name for himself at SMU. He’s the NCAA’s highest-rated right tackle, per PFF. When facing 2026 first-round picks in 2025, Williams contained Mesidor and Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. to just two pressures. Despite losing to the Mustangs last season, SU had a bit more success against Williams and Co., compiling one sack and nine tackles for loss.
Ashton Hampton, CB, Clemson
In two years at Clemson, Ashton Hampton has allowed a passer rating of just 62.4 when targeted, per Pro Football Network. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Hampton ranks 46th in PFF’s draft rankings and missed just three tackles on 40 attempts in 2025. When the Orange beat the Tigers on Sept. 20 — their most recent win — Hampton logged five tackles, four coming solo.
Sammy Brown, LB, Clemson
Pro Football Network describes Sammy Brown as a reliable and physical tackler, and he’s shown that with 186 tackles, 10.0 sacks and 25.0 tackles for loss in two years at Clemson. The site projects him as the nation’s top linebacker and the 20th overall pick in the 2027 first round, citing his athleticism, tackling form and instincts.
Against SU in 2025, Sammy stood out with eight tackles (four solo), 0.5 tackles for loss and one pass defended. He finished last season tied for second in the ACC with 106 total tackles. When Clemson comes to the JMA Wireless Dome on Nov. 7, Sammy will be one of many NFL-ready players lining up against the Orange.
Will Heldt, Edge, Clemson
Even as Clemson stumbled to a 7-6 record in 2025, Will Heldt still impressed. After transferring from Purdue to the Tigers, Heldt’s 7.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss — the fifth-most in the conference — earned him Third Team All-ACC recognition. The Pro Football Network highlights Heldt’s explosive first step, large wingspan and finesse in his hands, mocking him to go 34th in the 2027 draft.
Bryant Wesco Jr., WR, Clemson
Bryant Wesco Jr. was productive in 2025, averaging 2.71 yards per route and 0.97 expected points added per target, according to Pro Football Network. With Cade Klubnik at quarterback, Wesco tallied 537 yards, the third most of any Tiger receiver. He also hauled in six touchdowns last season, the most among Clemson pass catchers.
The Pro Football Network praised Wesco’s route-running, speed, agility after the catch and ability to exploit soft spots against zone coverage. The publication projects him as the 73rd pick in its mock draft.
T.J. Moore, WR, Clemson
Klubnik’s most frequent target last season was T.J. Moore, who posted 837 yards and four touchdowns. He had some eye-popping displays, including surpassing 100 yards three times against North Carolina, SMU and South Carolina. His season-high catch total, though, came against SU with eight catches and 92 yards.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound junior can dominate with his size and physicality against press coverage and also features impressive ball-tracking skills and good breakaway speed, Pro Football Network argues.
Leonard Moore, CB, Notre Dame
Syracuse’s regular-season finale against national championship-contending and preseason No. 4 Notre Dame will unsurprisingly feature several highly-touted NFL prospects. Chief among them might be Leonard Moore, who PFF ranks as the draft class’ fifth-best player.
As a sophomore in 2025, he led the Fighting Irish with five interceptions, tied for third-most in the country, and was named a unanimous All-American for the second straight year.
PFF wrote that the 6-foot-2, 197-pounder might be the second-most gifted player in the class behind Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. His 91.8 PFF grade was the best among cornerbacks nationally last season. He’s a headache for offenses and could cause SU further misery and humiliation in 2026.
Brauntae Johnson, S, Notre Dame
From widely considered the best cornerback to the best safety in college football — at least by one measure. Brauntae Johnson led Pro Football Network’s 2025 College Safety Impact Rankings with a 95.8 grade. His missed tackle rate was just 6.5%, while he had 48 tackles and four interceptions. Pro Football Network projects him as the 13th overall pick next spring.
Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, LB, Notre Dame
Even though Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa wasn’t a full-time starter in 2025, there’s a consensus he’ll be a major contributor this season and become a first-round pick. In a limited role on Notre Dame’s stacked defense last season, he led college football in PFF run-defense grade (94.0). He also tallied 23 pressures and four sacks as a pass rusher.
The expected increase in reps and flashes shown last season placed the 6-foot-3 linebacker on The Athletic’s Preseason All-American list and 22nd on PFF’s big board.
CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame
If you’re a Heisman frontrunner, NFL interest will likely be high. Despite only starting for one season, CJ Carr is already considered one of college football’s best quarterbacks. He threw for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns and just six interceptions in 2025.
The Saline, Michigan, native is only a redshirt sophomore but is draft-eligible after this season. With the Fighting Irish reliant on the run last year with Love, Carr ranked 79th in FBS pass attempts, but his arm will be tested more this campaign.
Still, when he was called upon in 2025, Carr delivered. If he can replicate or improve last season’s form, the grandson of former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr will be playing on Sundays next season.
Anthonie Knapp, OG, Notre Dame
Knapp’s matchups with Miami’s Bain and Texas A&M’s 2026 second-round pick Cashius Howell to begin last season were early indicators he was a talented offensive lineman. He improved his protection of Carr as the year continued, allowing just six pressures after Week 5.
The 6-foot-5, 305-pound Knapp was named a 2026 Preseason First Team All-American by ESPN and The Athletic and looks to keep progressing. PFF has him ranked as the 67th-best player in the 2027 draft class.
