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At the start of every season, questions engulf college football programs across the country. For Syracuse, there are plenty. The Orange unexpectedly won 10 games in Fran Brown’s first year in charge and entered the national spotlight.

How will they follow that up? Was last season a mirage or a sign of things to come in central New York? Those are loaded topics of discussion, for which nobody currently knows the answer. Based on Syracuse’s mammoth schedule, it likely won’t reach the 10-win mark. On paper, the Orange might decline. That might not be the end of the world.

Here are four questions surrounding Syracuse heading into the 2025 season:

Does Angeli start every game?

Saturday will be Steve Angeli’s first-ever regular-season start. During three years at Notre Dame, Angeli’s only start came in the 2023 Sun Bowl. Now, he has the chance to prove himself as Syracuse’s starter.

Though it’s very plausible Angeli isn’t SU’s starting quarterback the entire season. Four of the Orange’s opponents made the College Football Playoff last year, and all of those games will be played at neutral sites or on the road. There will be bumps in the road, and depending on how Angeli performs, Brown and his coaching staff may turn to Rickie Collins.

A quarterback controversy never crossed anyone’s mind based on Kyle McCord’s record-setting 2024 campaign. Things could be different this time around. If Angeli struggles, Collins will be chomping at the bit. The Orange brought in Collins for a reason and still have confidence in his abilities. He was named the starter before Angeli arrived in April, which led to a quarterback competition in training camp. Angeli beat him out, but the battle was close.

Because of that, it’s not bold to say Syracuse won’t hesitate to replace Angeli with Collins at some point. It all comes down to how long a leash Angeli is granted.

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Can Special Teams be cleaned up?

Syracuse’s special teams were a mess under James Vollono. Plain and simple. Whether it was kicking field goals, protecting punts or recovering onside kicks, special teams mistakes surfaced each game.

On Oct. 4, 2024, against UNLV, special teams miscues nearly cost the Orange a win. Jack Stonehouse had a punt blocked and returned for a touchdown, while he was swarmed by UNLV players before even getting his kick off on another.

The constant problems led SU to move on from Vollono. The Orange hired Ricky Brumfield, who held the same position at Georgia Tech last season but was fired midseason. Whether Brumfield can solve SU’s special teams problems remains unknown, but the change was needed.

“I looked at some individual techniques from some of the guys, and I wanted to fix the individual techniques from them,” Brumfield said on Aug 11. “The scheme is going to be different. What happened last year was last year. What I looked at was, ‘Okay, what did they do good? What do I need to change to help them be better at what they’re doing?’”

Stonehouse, a preseason All-ACC first-team selection, is a solid building block. The Orange don’t have to worry about whether he can punt far. Their main concern is whether he’ll be protected.

Meanwhile, Syracuse’s field goal kicker is undecided. On Aug. 18, Brown said Iowa transfer Tripp Woody was in the driver’s seat for the starting job, ahead of Jadyn Oh, who went 2-for-5 on field goals last season. Woody didn’t attempt a kick as a freshman but could be thrust into the spotlight.

The expectations are low, but if the Orange don’t shoot themselves in the foot as much as they did last season, they’ll improve on special teams.

Will the pass rush be productive?

Denis Jaquez Jr. and David Omopariola will likely be Syracuse’s starting edge rushers. They have 4.5 combined career sacks. That lack of production is concerning. An elite pass rush can make up for a poor secondary, but it’s tougher for a good secondary to compensate for a bad defensive line.

Syracuse has solid pieces in the secondary, with Duce Chestnut and Devin Grant at safety, along with Georgia transfer Chris Peal and freshman Demetres Samuel Jr. at cornerback. However, if opposing quarterbacks have an infinite amount of time to throw, it’ll be tough for SU’s coverage to hold up.

Last season, Syracuse’s best pass rusher was Fadil Diggs with 7.5 sacks. Outside of him, linebacker Marlowe Wax chipped in with 4.5, and the rest of its defensive line combined for 8.5. With Diggs gone, there’s a huge hole to fill. Dion Wilson is a solid run-stopper but has only produced 2.5 career sacks. He won’t be relied on much to pressure the quarterback.

The Orange are banking on Jaquez and Omopariola to take significant steps in 2025. If they don’t, Syracuse could have a tough time getting consistent stops this year.

What does the O-Line look like?

Syracuse didn’t release a depth chart ahead of its season-opener. While most of its starters are set, the offensive line remains a massive question mark. The Orange lost tackle Savion Washington (graduation), while Enrique Cruz Jr., J’Onre Reed and David Wohlabaugh Jr. all transferred elsewhere.

To offset those losses, SU beefed up its offensive line through the transfer portal. During one week in April, it added Kam Pringle, Zach Rice and TJ Ferguson. Prior to that, it gained the services of Austin Collins, who started 12 games for Louisville last season.

Collins is probably the only player penciled in as a starter on the offensive line as of now, based on his experience. Rice, Ferguson and Pringle are likely battling for playing time, with each taking limited reps at their previous Power Four Schools. All three are much bigger than SU’s previous offensive linemen.

Brown often said he wants Syracuse to become a Southeastern Conference-like program. To do that, size up front is needed. Now that Syracuse has that, it’s about whether its players will perform.

Along with the transfers, true freshman tackle Byron Washington is a physical specimen at 6-foot-7, 400 pounds, while sophomore Joshua Miller could be thrust into a bigger role at guard.

For now, nobody knows who the five starting offensive linemen will be. Everyone will find out on Saturday in Atlanta, Georgia.

Published on August 27, 2025 at 9:29 pm
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