The Top 50 countdown begins, and 50 days away from the start of the new season, we have our first team on the list: the 2025 Syracuse Orange.

Things looked up for the Orange last season, as they put together a 10-win campaign under new coach Fran Brown. They are hoping for more good things in 2025, though they have lost some of their top players to the professional tier of the sport. Just how good could the year get for Syracuse?

2025 Syracuse Orange Basic Facts

Head Coach: Fran Brown (2nd season)

2025 Conference: Atlantic Coast Conference

2024 Record: 10-3 (5-3)

Final Resolution of Last Season: Won Holiday Bowl

Syracuse Key Additions and Subtractions

IN – Rickie Collins, quarterback. Transferred from LSU.

IN – Demetres Samuel, cornerback. 2025 recruit, Syracuse’s only four-star recruit in the class.

OUT – Kyle McCord, quarterback. Drafted in 6th round by Philadelphia in 2025 NFL Draft.

OUT – Oronde Gadsden, tight end. Drafted in 5th round by Los Angeles Chargers in 2025 NFL Draft.

OUT – LeQuint Allen, running back. Drafted in 7th round by Jacksonville in 2025 NFL Draft.

OUT – Fadil Diggs, defensive end. Drafted in 7th round by New Orleans in 2025 NFL Draft.

Best Game on the Schedule in 2025

Syracuse at Notre Dame, November 22. If the Orange are still in the mix for something of consequence by the time we get to this penultimate game of the season, then heading into South Bend against what will most likely be a contending Notre Dame team is going to be must-see TV. It would be a non-conference game, so no ACC implications, but a win here over the Irish could send them soaring, not to mention the damage it could do to Notre Dame’s playoff chances.

2025 Syracuse Orange: Outlook

In the last few years, the Atlantic Coast Conference has not been a football powerhouse to say the least. When Florida State is down and Clemson is good but not elite, not many people have a lot to say about the ACC (except if it’s bad). Syracuse was one of four ACC teams last year to find a way to 10 wins, the others being Clemson, Miami, and SMU.

The opportunity is there for the Orange to put together another respectable season. Though they lost their quarterback to the Draft this year, Syracuse seems to have replaced him with talent. Rickie Collins will take the snaps for the team this year; he was the backup quarterback at LSU and won the job out of spring practice.

What might inhibit Syracuse from having a season up to the level of last year is that the schedule appears somewhat difficult. Tennessee (neutral), Clemson (away), SMU (away), Miami (away), and Notre Dame (away) are all going to be difficult games. When basically all your tough games are on the road, you might think someone in the Greensboro home office has it out for you, but that’s just how it falls based on the ACC’s established schedule rotation, amongst other factors. It will be on the Orange to prove that they belong by beating at least a few of these top teams. Otherwise, there is no reason they cannot get back to a bowl game in 2025.

References

247Sports. (n.d.). Syracuse 2025 football commits. https://247sports.com/college/syracuse/season/2025-football/commits/?rankings=composite

Brent Axe, baxe@syracuse.com. (2025, March 28). Axe: Rickie Collins is going to be Syracuse’s starting quarterback. Syracuse. https://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/2025/03/axe-rickie-collins-is-going-to-be-syracuses-starting-quarterback.html

Wikipedia contributors. (2025, June 23). 2025 Syracuse Orange football team. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Syracuse_Orange_football_team