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Syracuse took a severe step backwards in 2025. Following a riveting first season under head coach Fran Brown, the Orange catapulted to their first 10-win season since 2018. A Holiday Bowl victory over Washington State marked the end of an era, forcing Brown to reload in the offseason.

While Brown made marquee moves on the recruiting trail, his inability to capture much talent in the transfer portal hurt SU. And once Notre Dame transfer Steve Angeli suffered an Achilles tear, the Orange spiraled to their worst season since 2020. What will it take for Brown to restore Syracuse in 2026?

Here are the five biggest questions Syracuse faces entering its pivotal third offseason under Fran Brown:

Who will be Steve Angeli’s backup?

In fall training camp, it seemed Syracuse had a good problem on its hands: the Orange had two starting quarterbacks. Fast-forward a few weeks to when Angeli went down, and SU quickly learned Rickie Collins wasn’t a viable starting quarterback at the Power Four level. With Angeli set to return in 2026 as the starter, Syracuse must secure a viable backup.

The Orange face a rare conundrum that seems improbable to solve in this new era of college football. With expected transfers of Collins and Jakhari Williams, Luke Carney and Joe Filardi certainly haven’t proved enough to return as true backup options if Brown wants to take the next step toward Atlantic Coast Conference title contention. SU will need to find a quarterback with starting experience who’s comfortable as Angeli’s backup.

While Angeli is expected to return in time for the season opener based on the timeline of his injury, there’s always the chance of a setback. This would thrust the backup in to start the season, or if Angeli were to suffer another injury during the year, they’d be called upon. Brown can’t afford to take a chance on another unproven quarterback. We already saw how that turned out.

How will Syracuse address the defensive coaching staff?

While much of the blame around Syracuse’s collapse fell on its horrid quarterback play post-Angeli, SU’s defense turned in a second straight season of below-average play. The Orange allowed 29.2 points per game in 2024 — the fourth-worst mark in the ACC. This year, Syracuse ranks dead last in the conference at 35.0. Numbers don’t lie. Someone needs to take the fall.

Sure, SU’s defense has shown some nice flashes. The win over Clemson was likely the unit’s best game under Elijah Robinson, as it held the Tigers to a 3-for-13 third-down rate. With Syracuse’s offense in shambles the rest of the year, the defense has been tested to its limit. But there’s no excuse for allowing over 400 yards per game.

Brown already said Robinson will return for a third season with the Orange but has never guaranteed the rest of the defensive staff will stay intact. There’s clearly a lack of experienced talent in certain position groups, notably the defensive line, and losing key pieces like Fadil Diggs, Marlowe Wax, Alijah Clark and Justin Barron to the NFL wasn’t going to be easy to replace. However, even if Angeli returns to form with a high-flying offense, the defense must improve.

Can the Orange finally build a pass rush?

It’s ironic how poorly Syracuse’s pass rush has played in the Brown era thus far, considering Robinson’s rise through the coaching ranks as a defensive line specialist. SU is set to finish in the bottom third of the ACC in sacks for the second-straight season, and five of its 19 sacks through 11 games are by inside linebackers or defensive backs.

Kevin Jobity Jr. leads the Orange with five sacks, two more than anyone else. It’s worth noting that three of his five sacks came in one game — Syracuse’s loss to Pittsburgh. Jobity will play his final college game versus Boston College, and SU will also lose pass rushers Elijah Fuentes-Cundiff, David Reese and Denis Jaquez Jr. to graduation.

Syracuse must go all-in this offseason to revamp the unit that ranked 107th in the nation, per Pro Football Focus, and was one of only 41 Division I schools with fewer than 20 sacks through 11 games. Class of 2026 recruits Alexander Haskell and Jarius Rodgers should add some punch, but SU needs to reel in some big fish from the transfer portal to get after the quarterback.

Which players will stay or go?

For a squad that hasn’t won a game since late September, Brown has done well securing some of his young talent for next season. Angeli, running back Yasin Willis and offensive lineman Byron Washington said they’ll return to Syracuse in 2026, as did star cornerback Demetres Samuel Jr. But there are still a few question marks on some players who could be headed for the exits.

Remember, once the transfer portal opens, the top programs in the country enjoy poaching talent from schools like Syracuse. Just look at last season, when Maraad Watson and Trebor Peña left in the spring transfer portal for Texas and Penn State, respectively. The grass clearly isn’t always greener. Peña will finish with half his production from last season, and Watson hasn’t made the expected second-year leap. Luckily for the Orange, they don’t have to worry about a winter and spring transfer portal, as the NCAA smartly consolidated it into a two-week window in January.

Could Johntay Cook II leave following a down year for the offense? What about Antoine Deslauriers or Chris Peal, who both showed out defensively? Syracuse can’t afford many of these losses, as it will already have plenty to replenish.

Did Fran Brown earn a contract extension?

It was just a few weeks ago when the fear struck through all Syracuse football fans. While one of the NCAA’s wildest coaching carousels ever took place, Brown looked like a prime candidate to be thrown a truckload of money and move on from Syracuse. Well, Brown now has only three wins and just lost by 63 points on national television. It’d be difficult for a big-time school like Penn State or Florida to win over its fanbase with his recent resume.

After Brown’s triumphant opening season, the talk quickly transitioned into giving him an extension to secure his future with the Orange. When asked in September by The Daily Orange whether there was a benchmark Brown would need to hit to earn an extension, SU Director of Athletics John Wildhack said he would look for continued progression and improvement in all facets of the program over a specific win-loss number. It’s safe to assume this wasn’t what Wildhack envisioned in 2025.

Even with a down year, Brown still could have earned an extension based on the resume of Syracuse’s first four games with Angeli healthy. Additionally, new coaching contracts at schools like LSU, Florida, Penn State and Auburn, among others, should increase the value of the position nationally. Brown might get his extension regardless of the Orange’s record.

Published on November 26, 2025 at 12:01 pm
Contact Aiden at: amstepan@syr.edu | @AidenStepansky