In his first season leading Syracuse, Fran Brown looked like the next rising star in the coaching world as he led the Orange to a 10-3 season. The 2025 season however, was a massive step backwards as the team went 3-9 with a 1-7 record in ACC play. The biggest difference was far and away the quarterback play the Orange got.
Kyle McCord left for the NFL after leading Brown's first team, and between injuries and bad play, Syracuse's offense couldn't put it together this season. Steve Angeli transferred in from Notre Dame and led the team to a 3-1 start including a win over Clemson, but left the game with what was a season ending injury. LSU transfer Rickie Collins led the team the rest of the season, and they went 0-8 over the final 8 games.
Fran Brown's 2026 quarterback room is wildly interesting
To ensure Syracuse has capable backups in 2026, Fran Brown and his staff went out and used the Transfer Portal to build arguably the most interesting quarterback room in the Country. Whether it turns into a competition for the starting role or not, the Orange will be a fun team to follow throughout the offseason practices.
Steve Angeli returns after showing a ton of promise in his 4 starts for the Orange last season. Angeli finished the season going 98-156 (62.8%) for 1,317 yards and 10 touchdowns with just 2 interceptions while rushing for a touchdown. Heading into the offseason, it seems like Angeli should be back in the starting role depending on his recovery from his torn Achilles tendon.
The Orange then added an experienced starter in Kennesaw State star Amari Odom who emerged as a solid quarterback after starting his career at Wofford. Odom passed for 2,594 yards and 19 touchdowns with 7 rushing touchdowns. If anyone is going to push Steve Angeli for the starting job, it could be the Kennesaw State transfer who has two-years of experience.
The wild card in this new quarterback room is Malachi Nelson who transfers into Syracuse from UTEP. Coming out of High School, Malachi Nelson was a 5-star recruit signing with Lincoln Riley and USC, but he never caught on. After stops at USC, Boise State, and UTEP, Nelson is still looking to find a starting role after finishing this season with 8 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.
In 2026, the ACC could be wide open as Miami replaces a ton of elite playmakers while there's turnover all across the league. If Syracuse gets solid quarterback play, they could certainly be this year's surprise team like we saw last season with Virginia.