Syracuse football 2026 season preview: Orange's offensive line offers big upside

Outside of quarterback, the offensive line might be the biggest key to the Syracuse football season in 2026. Subpar quarterback play was the scapegoat last year, but the offensive line didn’t help matters. With lingering questions at the skill positions, the Orange need a strong offensive line to help get things turned around. Let’s look at what we can expect from this position group during the 2026 campaign.

The starters

The good news for the Orange is that they have stability at left tackle with Trevion Mack. He was a standout last year, allowing just one sack in the 10 games he started. If Mack can build on that, he could be among the best left tackles in the ACC. More importantly, Steve Angeli’s blindside will remain well protected.

Playing next to Mack will likely be senior Joe Cruz. The fifth-year senior has 16 career starts under his belt, including 12 last year. He had to play a little center out of necessity last year, but is best at guard. Cruz allowed no sacks and had just two penalties in 2025. If he can replicate that this year, Syracuse will feel good about the left side of the line.

Of course, the right side of the line isn’t quite as established. Sophomore Kam Pringle is projected to start at right tackle after seeing extended action late last season. At 6’8’’ and 335 pounds, he looks the part and was a big-time prospect coming out of high school. The upside is high for the former South Carolina transfer; it’s just a matter of whether he’s ready to start fulfilling his potential.

The Orange has another massive player with huge potential slated to start at right guard this year in Byron Washington. The sophomore is listed at 6’7’’ and 400 pounds, which is why Fran Brown was eager to get him on the field last season. Washington started three games and played nearly 400 snaps, allowing just two sacks. With some experience under his belt, if Washington can take a step forward in his development, he and Pringle could do some damage on the right side.

Finally, the center position is perhaps the biggest question heading into the season. Redshirt sophomore Kahlil Stewart has a chance to earn the starting spot after seeing plenty of action during the spring. Matthew Hawn, a CBA product and a sophomore, will also challenge for the starting center spot. If neither emerges, Cruz is also an option, although that would cause a reshuffling of the rest of the offensive line.

The backups

Depth is always crucial to have on the offensive line, and how much reliable depth Syracuse will have in 2026 remains to be seen. One player to watch is former Alabama transfer Naquil Betrand. He made two starts last season but never found his footing. Considering the offers he had coming out of high school, Betrand has high upside, and it’d be nice if he could make enough progress to at least be a suitable backup at both tackle positions.

Fifth-year Zach Rice has a similar profile. He was a five-star recruit in high school but played only sparingly across three seasons at North Carolina before transferring to Syracuse. Rice appeared in just two games for the Orange last season. He figures to be a backup at either guard spot this year, but if he finally starts to play to his potential, he could push for a starting spot, potentially making it easier to move Cruz to center.

One more backup to watch closely is UCLA transfer Oluwafunto Akinshilo. The native of Nigeria played sparingly at both Iowa State and UCLA before joining the Orange for his final year of eligibility. While his playing experience is limited, Akinshilo has spent four years in a power-conference program, which should be enough to make him useful on special teams and a potential backup at either guard or center.

The rest

Syracuse’s depth along the offensive line continues with juniors Vito Shevchenko and Travis Brown-Miller. Neither has seen much of the field, but both are at a stage in their careers where it’s possible they start pushing for a spot on the two-deep. The roster also includes a slew of sophomores from the 2025 recruiting class. That group includes Skylar Harvey, Jayden Mann, D'Joni Scatliffe, and Cicero native Kardiear Shepherd. Time will tell if any of them are ready to push for playing time after just one year in the system.

The Orange signed several offensive linemen in the 2026 class. Joseph White, Brayden Charney, Javeion Cooper, and Shemaj Henry are likely to spend a year developing and getting used to the college game, but you never know if one emerges. Finally, we can’t forget about walk-ons Jackson Iak, Ted Olsen, and Adam Boeheim, even if none see much of the field this season.

The skinny

An optimist would believe that Syracuse has a chance to have a good offensive line in 2026. Mack and Cruz should be solid on the left side, while Washington and Pringle offer massive size and huge upside on the right side. Granted, the center position is unsettled, but with half a dozen players who played meaningful snaps last season and another half-dozen youngsters ready to take a step forward, Syracuse has plenty of options to find the best five-man lineup and develop some depth.

Of course, all of that is by no means a guarantee that things come together. There could still be growing pains on the right side of the line, putting extra pressure on Mack and Cruz to carry the unit. In the event of injuries, the Orange could be scrambling to find five suitable linemen. The bottom line is that the Syracuse offensive line has potential in 2026, although it does remain one of the team’s biggest question marks heading into the season.

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