Syracuse WR coach Josh Gattis loves the room's depth, and a veteran is set to return.

Syracuse football may be a bit unproven in its wide receivers room for the upcoming 2026 campaign, but one thing is clear: This room has a boatload of depth, something that WR coach and passing game coordinator Josh Gattis detailed earlier this week during a media availability session amid preseason camp.

And the Orange's wide receivers room may be getting even deeper. Rochester, N.Y., native Justus Ross-Simmons, who was a senior for the 'Cuse in the 2025 season, is eyeing a return to the program for a fifth year in college, a source confirms to Inside the Loud House.

Since he's already played four seasons in college and is a class of 2022 athlete, Ross-Simmons is hoping to gain a fifth season of eligibility because of the federal injunction issued late last month by U.S. District Court of Colorado Judge Charlotte Sweeney. The same holds true for transfer forward Amarri Monroe of Quinnipiac, who recently committed to Syracuse men's basketball.

Assuming that the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Ross-Simmons is able to play in 2026, he would add an experienced, veteran wide receiver to SU's room. He competed for two seasons at Colorado State before transferring to the Hill.

In 2025, Ross-Simmons appeared in eight games, but he missed the final four contests due to an injury. As the Orange struggled to a 3-9 overall record, Ross-Simmons caught 20 passes for 312 yards and five scores through the air.

Earlier this month, as SU's preseason camp was getting underway, head coach Fran Brown said that he wasn't planning to add any players from the team's 2025 roster amid the ongoing legal battles playing out over 2022 athletes hoping to gain a fifth season of eligibility.

Brown said he was "just real comfortable with the team that we have." Still, an opportunity to bring back a veteran such as Ross-Simmons is understandable.

Assistant coach Josh Gattis says his wide receivers are working really hard in preseason camp.

Even though five-star freshman wide receiver Calvin Russell III likely won't be able to play for a sizable part of the 2026 campaign due to an injury, the Orange's WR room has a "ton of depth. I'm excited about the direction we're headed," Gattis says.

The team's first 2026 game is three weeks from today, on Saturday, Sept. 5., at home against non-conference foe New Hampshire. Gattis says that he thinks eight or nine guys could play in Syracuse's first game, when it's usually four or five, he notes.

So which wide receivers are standing out? Gattis mentioned a few, such as sixth-year player Umari Hatcher, sophomore Darius Johnson, senior Tyshawn Russell, senior Zamondre Merriweather, senior Cole Weaver, sophomore Matthew Outten and junior Elijah Moore, among others.

"We've got a ton of guys," Gattis says. "I'm excited about the direction we're headed."

Another SU player to monitor is sophomore Demetres Samuel Jr., a starting cornerback who is hoping to get more looks at wide receiver in 2026 than he did as a freshman. Gattis says that Samuel's skill set, his speed and athleticism, make him an appealing receiver.

One thing that resonated with me is that Gattis said the team's wide receivers are an extremely close-knit group on and off the field. While they are competing for minutes, they support one another and have fun together. "The care and love for each other," Gattis says. "It's a joy to be around."

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