Syracuse football 2026 season preview: Orange's specialists have big shoes to fill

Regardless of how the rest of the team fares, special teams has always been a point of pride for Syracuse football. Look no further than the fact that punter Riley Dixon and placekicker Andre Szmyt are both among the Orange’s NFL contingent. The question is whether or not Syracuse has another Dixon or Szmyt on the 2026 roster. Let’s look at the specialists Fran Brown's team will be rolling out for the upcoming season.

Place kicker

The Orange should be sound in the kicking game this season with Tripp Woody back in the fold. Woody transferred from Iowa last season and handled the place-kicking duties. He was perfect on extra points, not that there were a lot, and was 12 for 14 on field goals, being automatic inside 40 yards. Of course, the early-season win over UConn was Syracuse’s only one-score game of the season, so Woody rarely had pressure-packed kicks. Nevertheless, the Orange should be able to trust him this season. Meanwhile, true freshman Shay Barker has joined the program. If he sees the field this season, it’ll likely be on kickoffs.

Punter

There will be a new punter in Syracuse this year, as Jack Stonehouse exhausted his eligibility after last season. Stonehouse was a weapon whom the Orange used a lot last season, although with the absence of close games, he wasn’t able to move the needle much. True freshman Jimmy Gregg was recruited to replace Stonehouse.

Some publications ranked him as the top punter in this year’s high school class, so the expectation is that the Morgantown native will handle the punting duties from day one. Gregg will also take over as the team’s primary holder. Sophomore walk-on Mateja Pavlovich will provide some competition for Gregg, with Barker also being an option as well. But with any luck, Gregg will join a long line of great Syracuse punters.

Long snapper

Coach Fran will look no further than his son when the Orange need a long snapper this season. Fran Brown Jr. made appearances last year, snapping on field goals and PATs. But with Ethan Stangle transferring to Alabama, Brown will need to handle long snaps on punts as well. Luckily, as a former linebacker at St. Francis before transferring to Syracuse, Brown should be a capable tackler on punt coverage. The only other long snapper on the roster is freshman Tim Schwerha.

Kick returners

When it comes to the return game, there are plenty of candidates, and Fran Brown will certainly keep his options open. On kickoffs, running backs Tylik Hill and Davion Kerr appear to be the leading candidates. They had 12 and six kickoff returns, respectively, in 2025. Tyshawn Russell also had two kickoff returns early in the season before getting hurt and should be considered a prime candidate as well. True freshman Chase Geter has been mentioned as an option as well.

On punt returns, Demetres Samuel Jr. and Davien Kerr (the cornerback of the Kerr twins) return as the incumbents. While Kerr got more opportunities, Samuel was more productive, averaging close to 10 yards per return. With Samuel being a sophomore, his role with the team should continue to grow, perhaps making him the primary punt returner, as well as an option at wide receiver. If that ends up being the case, especially with Kerr as an experienced option, there may not be room for younger players to get in the mix as punt returners.

The skinny

Syracuse looks poised for another sound season on special teams. Woody is a solid placekicker and should be automatic if the Orange offense can give him field goal opportunities from a reasonable distance. Meanwhile, there are high hopes for Gregg, despite having big shoes to fill as the team’s punter.

In the return game, it’s hard to project any game-changing players. But there are experienced players lined up for those roles, with Samuel being an exciting option on punt returns. As long as the younger Brown holds up in his expanded role as a long snapper, the Orange should be able to avoid any significant gaffes on special teams. At the same time, Syracuse’s specialists all have a chance to move the needle and make a difference if the Orange ends up playing more close games in 2026.

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