Syracuse football eyes quarterback room boost as several transfers are visiting SU

Syracuse football coaches are intent on picking up transfer quarterbacks out of the portal. The one-time-only transfer portal window opened on January 2 and will run through January 16.

The Orange has been hosting multiple transfer quarterbacks on visits, according to my sources and other media reports. Head coach Fran Brown has said that he anticipates his 2026 quarterback room will consist of redshirt junior Steve Angeli, two transfers and incoming three-star freshman Zaid Lott from Charlotte, N.C.

On January 5, Kennesaw State transfer quarterback Amari Odom, a redshirt sophomore from Inglewood, Calif., visited the 'Cuse, a source confirmed to me. This past season, the 6-foot-4, 205-pound Odom completed 64.9 percent of his passes for 2,594 yards with 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also had 347 rushing yards and seven scores on the ground.

In transfer rankings from 247Sports, Odom is rated three stars, No. 402 overall and No. 32 at quarterback.

Other transfer QBs have visited Syracuse football.

Over the weekend, the Orange got a visit from transfer quarterback Marcus Stokes, a redshirt sophomore at West Florida, he confirmed via his X page. In transfer rankings via 247Sports, Stokes is three stars, No. 323 overall and No. 28 at quarterback.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Stokes, who hails from St. Augustine, Fla., completed 60.6 percent of his passes for 3,297 yards with 30 touchdowns and 13 interceptions for West Florida in 2025. On the ground, Stokes rushed for 367 yards and 10 more scores.

On January 5, per reports, Furman transfer quarterback Trey Hedden was also set to visit Syracuse football. In 2025, the 6-foot-3, 228-pound Hedden, a sophomore who is from Tampa, Fla., completed 68.5 percent of his pass attempts for 2,967 yards with 17 touchdowns against 13 interceptions.

Syracuse.com is reporting that this Wednesday to Friday, the Orange staff is expected to host Western Carolina transfer quarterback Taron Dickens, a redshirt sophomore from Miami, on a visit.

The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Dickens was fabulous in 2025, completing 74.2 percent of his passes for 3,508 yards with 38 touchdowns and just two interceptions. He also rushed for 321 yards and one score. Dickens is three stars, No. 843 overall and No. 72 at quarterback, according to transfer rankings from 247Sports.

Additionally, On3's Pete Nakos has reported via X that Syracuse football is among the schools showing some level of interest in Mercer transfer quarterback Braden Atkinson, a freshman from Rolesville, N.C.

This past season, the 6-foot-1, 215-pound Atkinson completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 3,596 yards with 34 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Per transfer ratings from the industry-generated On3 Industry Ranking, he is three stars, No. 394 nationally and No. 31 at quarterback.