Looking back and ahead at Syracuse athletics 'Big Three' sports seasons - Part I

After losing records in football and basketball, and another lacrosse Final Four, new leadership and new faces bring optimism to the 2026-27 'Cuse seasons.

Oct 18, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange linebacker Antoine Deslauriers (5) warms up prior to the game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

(Editor's Note: The lacrosse team falling in the NCAA semifinals, marks the end of the 2025-26 sports seasons for the big Orange trio of football, basketball and lax. Over the next week, we will look back and ahead at each program, starting with football.)

An eight game losing streak to end the 2025, must be replaced with a fast start in 2026

Following the giddiness of just the seventh winning season in the 2000s for 'Cuse football in Fran Brown's 2024 debut season, along with last year's fast 3-1 start under quarterback Steve Angeli, the subsequent season-ending injury to Angeli at Clemson in September, took the wind right out of the sail of the entire program.

That was because no other quarterback on the roster was able to capably stepped in over the final eight games which all ended in defeat, and defensively, the Orange had trouble staying off the field against ACC opponents.

Those two aspects on each side of the ball, highlight the significant changes that Brown has made with his program between years two and three, and with the first two games at home versus New Hampshire and Cal, before three straight on the road at Pitt, UConn, and Virginia, the Orange need to protect their Dome turf by getting out to a fast start in 2026.

Stocking the quarterback room to guard against injury

Brown was certainly not going to get caught again lacking reserve quarterbacks with significant Div. I college experience after last year's fiasco with Rickie Collins (just four games played at LSU with seven pass attempts) before SU, resulting in freshman walk-on (and lacrosse player) Joe Filardi starting two games and playing in four contests with unimpressive results.

Heading into this season backing up Angeli (assuming he is ready to play September 5), Brown and offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon certainly have new roster options (listed by jersey number behind Angeli's No. 9):

*Zaid Lott (No. 10) - The tall (6'4") and athletic freshman from Charlotte is a January enrollee and has a cannon of an arm. Perhaps the 'Cuse quarterback of the future?

*Amari Odom (No. 12) - In "a trade" of quarterbacks, if you will, Collins transferred to Kennesaw State, and Odom (R-Jr.) to Syracuse this past off-season, bringing the Orange a solid, dual-threat backup option. Odom threw for 2,954 yards and 19 TDs and rushed for 347 yards more.


*Malachi Nelson (No. 16) - It is never a bad item to have the former No. 1 overall prospect on your roster, even though Nelson (R-Jr.) is with his fourth program in four years at SU. Nelson was benched after starting six games at UTEP (1,163 yards, eight touchdowns, nine interceptions passing) last season.

*Danny Lauter (No. 21) - The unusual 'Cuse number for the Georgetown QB transfer (who wore No. 15 for the Hoyas) is a classy story. Lauter (R-Jr.) said when he joined the program this past spring that he selected "21" to honor the memory of family friend and Syracuse legend Lawrence Moten, who wore the number at SU. Lauter's grandfather was a manager of the 1959 Syracuse football national championship team.

A completely new "Toledo" look on the defensive coaching side of the ball

The acquisition of the year for the football program may turn out to be Brown bringing defensive coordinator Vince Kehres (pronounced Care-is) over from Toledo, to completely revamp a unit that ranked 120th in Div. I (out of 138 teams) in team defense. Kehres' Toledo "D" meanwhile, finished second nationally in 2025 behind only Ohio State.

Kehres brought Toledo coaches Perry Eliano (defensive backs) and Dan Bolden (defensive analyst) with him to SU, and both made significant impacts this spring.

Kehres also helped his new program with a couple of defensive players transferring from the Rockets. Linebacker Chris D'Appolonia (R-Jr.) who had an impressive spring teaming with sophomore Antoine Deslauriers (the first true freshman in school history to lead SU's defense in tackles) and R-Sr. Gary Bryant at that position, along with defensive back Amare Snowden (R-Jr.).

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