2026 GAMEDAY PROGRAM
CLEAN SLATE
Football Guide 2026
TIME UNTIL KICKOFF
It's Game Time!
Letter From the Editor
It's almost time for Syracuse football's long-awaited 2026 season to begin. The Orange's 2025 campaign held promise, but Steve Angeli's Week 4 Achilles injury instantly derailed it. Rotating between three backup quarterbacks, SU lost its next eight games and finished last in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 3-9 record.
This season is about wiping the slate clean.
A healthy Angeli is back under center and primed to take a leap forward with a new offense around him.
On defense, the Orange are undergoing a makeover after finishing among the nation's worst units in 2025. Former SU defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson left for Texas A&M, and the Orange hired Vince Kehres — an established DC at Toledo — to revitalize the platoon. One of Kehres' primary playmakers is cornerback Chris Peal, who enters his second season with SU as a top defensive prospect in the 2027 NFL Draft.
The Daily Orange's 2026 Football Guide has everything you need to know before Syracuse takes the field this season.
5 STORIES YOU NEED BEFORE KICKOFF
Starting Lineup
Battle Tested
Steve Angeli tore his Achilles last fall. He was braced for what came next.
Eleven months after tearing his Achilles, Steve Angeli is “100% healthy” as Syracuse's starting signal-caller in 2026. His adversity in high school and at Notre Dame conditioned him to return with even more confidence as Fran Brown's No. 1 option.
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Class in Session
DC Vince Kehres brings defensive dominance, NFL pipeline to Syracuse
Vince Kehres spent the last six seasons as Toledo's defensive coordinator. He built the Rockets' unit into one of the nation's best and joins Syracuse hoping to do the same after coaching numerous NFL players in college.
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Pro Appeal
Why Chris Peal is Syracuse's most hyped 2027 NFL Draft prospect
Syracuse defensive back Chris Peal shot up 2027 NFL Draft boards this offseason and earned multiple forms of preseason recognition. College football writers and draft analysts weigh in on Peal's rise.
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Change the Narrative
Pemberton: In 2026, Syracuse must show it won't fade into irrelevance again
Syracuse's regression from 2024 to 2025 felt like an all-too-familiar tale. After winning 10 games in 2024 and three in 2025, our columnist argues the Orange must show they won't fade into irrelevance again in 2026.
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Beat Writer Predictions
Beat writers predict whether Syracuse can rebound to make bowl game in 2026
With Steve Angeli back under center and a new offense around him, as well as a revamped defense led by former Toledo defensive coordinator Vince Kehres, Syracuse looks to reach its fourth bowl game in the last five years.
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Credits
Sports Editor: Jordan Kimball
Editor-in-Chief: Delia Sara Rangel
Managing Editor: Noah Nussbaum
Digital Managing Editor: Quinn Postman
Social Media Editor: Claire Zhang
IT Managers: Sam Benoit, Eliza Raphael
Assistant Sports Editors: Spencer Brod, Jason Glick, Harris Pemberton
Assistant Digital Editors: Peter Radosh, Jack Wood
Assistant Copy Editors: Gabe Ewen, Jordan Fendrich
Presentation Director: Adelaide Guan
Digital Design Director: Abigail Aggarwala
Illustration Editor: Emma Soto
Photo Editor: Tara Deluca