Two extremely important Syracuse football players are likely out against Colgate on Friday night in Central New York, head coach Fran Brown has announced.
Those players are starting running back Yasin Willis, a sophomore, and starting safety Devin Grant, a senior. Brown says he hopes to have them both back and available when the 'Cuse travels to No. 12 Clemson on September 20.
Syracuse Football Head Coach Fran Brown announces that starting running back Yasin Willis and starting safety Devin Grant will both be OUT for tomorrow night's game against Colgate.
— Cuse Sports Talk (@CuseSportsTalk_) September 11, 2025
He said he hopes they both return in time for Clemson next week.
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Brown has also said that redshirt freshman wide receiver Emanuel Ross "probably" won't play when the Raiders come to the JMA Wireless Dome on Friday evening.
Syracuse HC Fran Brown says Devin Grant and Emanuel Ross "probably won't play again this weekend."
— Cuse Sports Talk (@CuseSportsTalk_) September 10, 2025
Coach gives an update on the health of the team on his weekly visit on #OrangeNation. pic.twitter.com/dWrJ6DM8Vs
While Orange Nation certainly wants to see these guys on the field as soon as possible, their absences shouldn't prevent Syracuse football from taking care of business versus Patriot League member Colgate. The 'Cuse (1-1) is a huge betting favorite, unsurprisingly, versus the Raiders (0-2).
Syracuse football is minus key players on Friday at home.
The 6-foot-1, 235-pound Willis, from Newark, N.J., is arguably the Orange's most important player on offense, save for starting quarterback Steve Angeli, a redshirt junior. Through two games, Willis has a combined 34 carries for 139 yards and four scores on the ground, per SU Athletics. With him out, look for redshirt senior Will Nixon to start at running back against Colgate.
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Grant, a senior from Elmont, N.Y., who transferred to the Orange from Buffalo before the 2024 season, didn't play last Saturday when Syracuse football beat UConn in overtime. Against Tennessee in the 2025 campaign opener, he tallied three solo tackles and four total tackles.
Listed behind Grant on the Orange's two-deep depth chart versus the Raiders is redshirt junior Cornell Perry. The other two starting safeties for the 'Cuse on Friday night are expected to be redshirt seniors Duce Chestnut and Berry Buxton III.
The 6-foot-2, 202-pound Ross, a redshirt freshman from Jackson, N.J., has yet to see the field for Syracuse football in the early part of the 2025 term. The Orange's starting wide receivers listed on the depth chart for the Colgate game are senior Justus Ross-Simmons, junior Darrell Gill Jr. and junior Johntay Cook II.