Last season was a classic case of everything going wrong for the Syracuse Orange football team. Fran Brown had a fantastic debut season as the Orange’s head coach in 2024, ending it with a 10-3 record, a bowl win and a Top 25 ranking. But it all fell apart in 2025.
Syracuse went 3-9 in Brown’s second season, aided by starting quarterback Steve Angeli tearing his Achilles during the team’s fourth game, a win over Clemson that brought their record to 3-1. The team then lost eight-consecutive games to close out the year.
2026 should bring about a more stable situation. Angeli should be back in 2026, but no one knows if he will be ready for the start of the regular season or how he will respond following his injury. Thankfully, the team brought in transfers Amari Odom and Danny Lauter to compete while Angeli heals.
Calvin Russell III dealing with torn Achilles, but his future at Syracuse is very bright
All three quarterbacks would have loved to have freshman wide receiver Calvin Russell III at their disposal this upcoming season, but the team was heartbroken after Russell suffered a torn Achilles during spring practice last week. Russell wasted no time getting back to the field, though, even if it was on a scooter.
He was back at practice on Tuesday to support his teammates. He even went all-out wearing pads, and caught some passes in a light drill.
Some fans loved his “determination“, while others criticized him and the Syracuse coaching staff for not letting him rest and recover. Clearly, Russell just wanted to be out there as part of the team.
Russell is a highly intriguing prospect in college football. A five-star wide receiver out of Miami Northwestern, Russell is also a member of Syracuse’s basketball team, and got some brief action in a game in January. For now, he will be on the sidelines for both sports until he’s fully healed.