Syracuse WR Darrell Gill Jr. picking up where he left off last season

The junior from Texas, was the leading returning Orange receiver heading into this season. On Tuesday he was named the ACC Receiver of the Week, following six receptions-for-152 yards and two touchdowns in last week's 66-24 blitz against Colgate.

Sep 12, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange wide receiver Darrell Gill Jr. (15) warms up before a game against the Colgate Raiders at JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Last season, Gill snatched passes (31 catches for 570 yards and two TDs) from the nation's leading passing yardage leader, Kyle McCord (4,779-13 games).

So far this season, Gill's also catching passes from the nation's current leading passing yardage leader, Steve Angeli (1,072 yards-three games).

Gill is 24th nationally in receiving yards (269), and 27th in yards per game (89.7), highlighted by an amazing, high-vertical-jump-leaping snare of an Angeli pass late in the first quarter last week for his first TD catch of the season.

An unselfish position leader coming into his own

After breaking into the program under Dino Babers and catching his first touchdown pass from Carlos Del Rio-Wilson in 2023's rout of Colgate, Gill was one of a trio (Trebor Pena, Oronde Gadsden II) of 'Cuse WRs benefitting from McCord's big campaign to gain over 500 yards last season, tops in the nation.

This season, with Angeli only having transferred into the program in early May, the two worked non-stop even before pre-season camp to get on the same page. Against Colgate last week late in the first quarter, when Angeli saw a Raiders mismatch defending Gill, his eyes lit up.

"When you get a free play (defensive penalty) like that and I see (number) 15 running down the field, I'm always going to give him a chance," Angeli said postgame to Cuse.tv. "He just did what he did. I've seen him multiple times in practice (leap high in the air for catches), so finally seeing it on game day is awesome."

"He's a great passer," Gill said smiling about his quarterback after the win over 'gate. "When he's in the pocket he has that pocket presence, and I'll have my eyes ready for him."

His head coach sees a player with "Texas swag"

Playing in one of the state's most competitive scholastic football regions (Atascocita) in suburban Houston, Gill was an all-district performer, a captain on a championship-contending program and ran track.

He brings a uniqueness to Fran Brown's program that the head coach saw soon after he took over, and has evolved into his junior campaign.

"Leadership, he is continuing to get better at. Athletically, he is a freak, he can jump out of the gym, he can catch, he can make plays," Brown summed up this week, thankful for a player who's also helping the program's core of young receiving talent.

"He's just himself, that's what I like most about him," Brown continued. "He's a Texas kid, his whole style and swag is Texas. I'm thankful that he's here and leading that receiver's room."

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