Syracuse football head coach Fran Brown has said on numerous occasions that his quarterback room possesses a lot of depth and talent. He's said that the other quarterbacks have pushed Steve Angeli to get better, and that's a good thing.
However, Brown made it clear at his weekly press conference on Monday that the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Angeli, a fifth-year player who only played in four games last season due to an Achilles tendon injury, will be the Orange's starting quarterback when the 'Cuse takes the field for the first time in the 2026 season on Saturday, Sept. 5, against non-conference foe New Hampshire at the JMA Wireless Dome.
Last September, Angeli was leading the country in total passing yards when he suffered the season-ending injury in the team's win at Clemson. That victory pushed SU to 3-1 overall, but then the Orange lost eight straight contests to finish at 3-9.
Without question, the team's issues at quarterback after Angeli went down were a big reason why Syracuse football went on a downward spiral after the triumph over the Tigers. To be fair, though, the team had plenty of other issues, including on defense. In any event, Angeli is QB1 as we inch closer to the 2026 campaign commencing.
Brown said that Angeli has a "relentless approach" and holds his teammates accountable. He cares about the team. "He's detailed," Brown said of Angeli. "Tough kid."
Fran Brown dishes on various Syracuse football wide receivers and defensive backs.
Brown was asked at his Monday presser about wide receiver Justus Ross-Simmons, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Rochester, N.Y., native who was a senior for SU last year and is trying to play for the Orange again in 2026.
Ross-Simmons and other 2022 athletes were dealt a legal setback last Friday when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in Denver granted the NCAA's request to stay (i.e., pause) a preliminary class-wide injunction that was issued in late July by U.S. District Court of Colorado Judge Charlotte Sweeney, which afforded these players a fifth season of eligibility, if they want one and with certain parameters.
Legal experts told Inside the Loud House in recent days that 2022 athletes should strongly consider filing their own lawsuits in a state court or attaching their names to an existing injunction at the state level to improve their chances of being eligible for the 2026-27 sports season.
Brown says that Ross-Simmons and his representation will figure out what they want to do next. "I don't get involved in that," the head coach says. Either way, Brown was adamant that he fully supports Ross-Simmons as he works toward getting his degree at SU. "He's a good kid ... we love each other," Brown said of Ross-Simmons.
The Orange, amid its preseason training camp, recently held a second scrimmage. Brown says his players are competitive and have fun out there on the field. "We got some fight in us," Brown said.
The SU head coach was asked about some wide receivers and defensive backs who have caught his eye of late. At wide receiver, he mentioned guys such sixth-year player Umari Hatcher, senior Cole Weaver, sophomore Darien Williams, sophomore Darius Johnson, freshman Phoenix Henriquez and freshman BJ Garrett.
In the secondary, three players that Brown noted were freshman Chase Geter, freshman Cam Hairston-Taylor and sophomore Javon Lawrence.
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