The future looks bright for Syracuse football, even if the program has had a rough go of it in the current campaign. As the Orange prepares to travel to No. 9 Notre Dame this Saturday afternoon, word has come out that a couple of key players from the 2025 season are expected back in 2026, to go along with a top-25 recruiting class at the high school level.
Per Syracuse.com, redshirt junior quarterback Steve Angeli, sophomore running back Yasin Willis and freshman offensive lineman Byron Washington all plan to return to the Orange in 2026. That's on top of freshman defensive back/wide receiver Demetres Samuel Jr. also heading back to Syracuse football next season, according to a Syracuse.com report from earlier this month.
Heck freaking yeah. This is big news. Highly encouraging news.
Angeli was leading the country in passing yards in September, but he suffered a season-ending injury when the Orange beat Clemson on the road. He's expected to have two campaigns of college eligibility left. Angeli's return is paramount to the 'Cuse soaring once again in 2026, evidenced by how the team's quarterback room has struggled since he went down.
Key Syracuse football starters are running it back with the Orange in 2026.
Washington has proven one of the Orange's top offensive linemen, as a freshman, even as the squad's offensive line has struggled for much of the 2025 term. To that end, once Angeli got injured, and with the offensive line having its issues, the team's rushing attack has fallen off, too, amid the program's current six-game setback streak.
Willis, in 2025, has carried the ball 129 times for 558 yards and four scores on the ground. He said in part to Syracuse.com: "Next year, when everybody come back and then when we get new guys that come in, we just gonna have to turn it up off the rip."
🏆@CuseFootball ‘s @demetres_jr has been named a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year! #MaxwellFootball🏆@shaunalexander pic.twitter.com/YNZbpTGkRU
— Maxwell Football (@MaxwellFootball) November 5, 2025
Samuel, meanwhile, is poised to be named a freshman All-American at the conclusion of the 2025 season. He's a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award, which is doled out annually to the top freshman in college football.
To date this season, Samuel has 30 solo tackles, 44 total tackles, two tackles for a loss, one interception and eight passes defended, according to cuse.com.
The Orange's 2026 class at the high school level includes 30 verbal pledges, with the early signing period for this cycle arriving in early December. Syracuse football's 2026 class, No. 25 overall via the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, includes one five-star prospect and six players who are rated four stars by at least one recruiting service.
By the way, the NCAA has moved to a one-time-only transfer portal in college football that will run for 15 days, from January 2 to January 16.