Wide receiver Justus Ross-Simmons, the Rochester, N.Y., native who is hoping to play in the 2026 season for Syracuse football, has been cleared to join the 'Cuse program and can begin practicing with the Orange on Tuesday, an SU Athletics spokesperson confirmed to Inside the Loud House on Monday night.
Chris Carlson of Syracuse.com first reported this news earlier on Monday evening. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Ross-Simmons has played two seasons at Syracuse and two at Colorado State.
As a member of the 2022 high school recruiting class, Ross-Simmons wouldn't be allowed to play a fifth season in college under the NCAA's new 5-for-5 eligibility model that was approved in late June.
However, at the end of July, U.S. District Court of Colorado Judge Charlotte Sweeney issued a preliminary injunction that grants all 2022 athletes a fifth season of college eligibility, should they want one and with certain parameters.
The NCAA has appealed Sweeney's decision, and more clarity on this federal case should come this week, legal experts have told Inside the Loud House. At the same time, some 2022 athletes are attaching their names to lawsuits over this issue in state courts, including former Syracuse basketball guard J.J. Starling.
Wide receiver Justus Ross-Simmons is expected at Syracuse football's practice on Tuesday.
On Monday afternoon, head coach Fran Brown said he was optimistic that Ross-Simmons would be able to join the team soon, but that some administrative things needed to get taken care of first.
Earlier this month, as the Orange's preseason camp was set to begin, Brown said that he didn't plan to add any players from the 2025 roster who could gain a fifth year of eligibility resulting from the federal injunction issued in late July.
However, on Monday, Brown said he communicated with his team, and that helped pave the way for talks surrounding Ross-Simmons' possible return in the 2026 season. Here's a cool nugget from Carlson's story: Several days ago, Syracuse football fifth-year quarterback Steve Angeli called Ross-Simmons and asked if he would be willing to come back.
"We both got hurt last year. He asked me to come back and finish what we started," Ross-Simmons said of Angeli.
Last year, as the 'Cuse sputtered to a 3-9 overall record, Ross-Simmons appeared in eight games before suffering a season-ending injury. He caught 20 passes for 312 yards and five receiving touchdowns.
If he is eligible to play, Ross-Simmons would bring veteran leadership and experience to the wide receivers room, which has a ton of depth but is unproven, by and large. Ross-Simmons has also previously played with Angeli and is familiar with offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon's system.
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