The beginning of the Fran Brown era couldn’t have been much better. The Orange finished 10-3, including a top-tier win against Miami to cap off the regular season. Now, months later, the Orange are in deep water as their roster is significantly different and their schedule is much harder. With star players like quarterback Kyle McCord and tight end Oronde Gadsden II in the pros, the task of replicating their talent is far from easy.
Syracuse 2025 Offseason Review and Outlook
On top of losing players to the pros, they also lost their top receiver Trebor Pena, to Penn State after contract talks went south. Even with the loss of significant talent, this season is still so important. The future of the Fran Brown era is riding on a lot of this, as many talented freshmen from last season will get their chance. Still, will any of these new additions be able to make a difference to their grueling schedule?
NEW: Fran Brown on Syracuse WR Trebor Pena entering the Transfer Portal:
“You gonna make $2 million at wide receiver? That’s the homie at Ohio State… I’m not giving no wide receiver $2 million in college.”
(via @TheAthletic)https://t.co/LKzUe55u6V pic.twitter.com/bLFmPfVBac
— On3 (@On3sports) April 17, 2025
Increased intensity
Last preseason, Syracuse had the 67th-ranked strength of schedule, but by the end, it went up to 62 due to games against Miami and UNLV. With a projected seven wins, the Orange greatly exceeded expectations, adding on three more wins. This season, however, is far more challenging. They have the 14th highest strength of schedule, per On3. This entails a week one game against Tennessee in Atlanta and countless top 25 road games. These road games include: Clemson on September 20, SMU on October 4, Miami on November 8, and Notre Dame on November 22. That’s four teams from last season’s playoff and one team that just missed out. They’re projected to win five games this season, just missing out on a bowl game. It would be a big drop-off from the first year, but with young talent, a schedule like this can only help develop.
Developing and Recruiting
This season, Syracuse brings in the 53rd-best recruiting class in the nation, according to 247Sports. This is Brown’s first recruiting class with an entire recruiting cycle. Leading up to his first year as the head coach, Brown brought in the 36th-best class, per 247Sports, with only an offseason. Now, with many of those players from the 2024 class returning, this season’s class was relatively smaller. 2024 brought in 22 players, while 2025 only brought in 14. Four-star safety Demetres Samuel Jr. headlines this year’s class alongside fan favorite, 6’-8” 380-pound offensive tackle Byron Washington.
Bigger Loss than Gain
On top of recruiting, the portal was the strongest and weakest point of Syracuse’s offseason. They brought in the 45th-best transfer class per 247Sports, consisting of 16 players, including Rickie Collins from LSU and Steve Angeli from Notre Dame. Expect one of these two QBs to stand behind center when August comes. Along with additions at QB, they bring in WR Jontay Cook III, who recently played for Texas before leaving the team and then briefly signing with Washington before ultimately landing in Syracuse. Even with all these additions, Syracuse lost 23 players to the portal, including eight offensive linemen. This number is absurdly high, making it hard to believe in the Orange this season.
What felt like a never-ending offseason is finally coming to an end soon. Before Syracuse takes the field in Mercedes-Benz Stadium against Tennessee, they will have to make a decision at QB and other positions. With the odds up against them, it’s hard to believe the Orange will make a bowl game. Nevertheless, the excitement is building, and year two of the Fran Brown era is underway.
Stay tuned for future Syracuse football updates, including the battle between Steve Angeli and Rickie Collins, and the full 2025 Syracuse football season preview.
Main Image: Abe Arredondo-Imagn Images
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