{"id":75489,"date":"2025-07-23T09:00:18","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T13:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/?p=75489"},"modified":"2025-09-20T14:50:48","modified_gmt":"2025-09-20T18:50:48","slug":"biggest-questions-ahead-of-syracuses-acc-media-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2025\/07\/23\/biggest-questions-ahead-of-syracuses-acc-media-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Biggest Questions Ahead of Syracuse\u2019s ACC Media Day"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>With just one day before Head Coach Fran Brown takes the mic at ACC Media Days, why not discuss some final thoughts and questions on Syracuse football?<\/p>\n<h2>Final Thoughts and Questions Before ACC Media Days<\/h2>\n<h3>Quarterback Battle: Is there a winner?<\/h3>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2025\/06\/19\/syracuse-quarterback-battle-collins-vs-angeli\/\" target=\"_self\">long battle<\/a> that started in late April continues to roll on, and now with <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/rickie-collins-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rickie Collins Jr.<\/a> at ACC Media Days, the battle hits a new high. The Orange have just under six weeks to decide their starter, kicking off the season on August 30th. It\u2019s unlikely Coach Brown reveals his decision on Wednesday, but with Collins there, it could happen. There will definitely be some news on the battle and the position from both Coach Brown and Collins.<\/p>\n<h3>Growth and Development Inquiries<\/h3>\n<p>Three of Syracuse\u2019s attendees are redshirt seniors, so it\u2019s important to know about the young players who are back on campus developing. Expect to hear updates on young players like wide receiver <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/emanuel-ross-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Emanuel Ross<\/a>, tight end <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/jamie-tremble-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jamie Tremble<\/a>, and starting running back <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/yasin-willis-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Yasin Willis<\/a>. All three of these guys are second-year players looking to break out.<\/p>\n<p>Lastly, in development, it will be interesting to hear about incoming freshmen and how they are adapting to the pace of the game. Freshmen corners like Demetres Samuel Jr. and Kaylib Singleton are most intriguing since they could both play meaningful minutes this season.<\/p>\n<h3>Questions on the Recruiting Front<\/h3>\n<p>By far the biggest topic on the minds of Syracuse fans is recruiting. What has been an amazing summer for landing verbal commitments makes fans wonder what\u2019s next and, more importantly, who&#8217;s next? That will be the biggest question: who are they after now, and how have they been so consistent lately? Lastly, it will be interesting to hear about <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2025\/07\/06\/syracuse-breaking-news-five-star-commitment\/\" target=\"_self\">Calvin Russell\u2019s recruitment<\/a> from Coach Brown&#8217;s perspective.<\/p>\n<h3>Who is the Number-One Receiver<\/h3>\n<p>At this point in time, probably <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/darrell-gill-jr-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Darrell Gill Jr.<\/a> or <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/johntay-cook-ii-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Johntay Cook II<\/a>. Gill, being the highest returning receiver in receiving yards, makes the most sense, plus he has been very productive in the offseason. As for Cook, the former four-star receiver offers more than any other receiver in upside and athleticism. Throughout the season, receivers like <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/justus-ross-simmons-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Justin Ross-Simmons<\/a>, Emanuel Ross, and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/umari-hatcher-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Umari Hatcher<\/a> could play well enough to take the number-one spot.<\/p>\n<h3>New O-Line<\/h3>\n<p>A new offensive line filled with transfers will usher in plenty of questions and intrigue on Wednesday. The offensive line has three transfers: center <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/austin-collins-2.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Austin Collins<\/a> from Louisville, guard TJ Ferguson from Florida State, and tackle <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/naquil-betrand-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Naquil Betrand<\/a> from Alabama. They return <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/dametrius-weatherspoon-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Da\u2019Metrius Weatherspoon<\/a>, who started ten games last season at tackle, and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/joe-cruz-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Joe Cruz<\/a>, who will be promoted this season to starting left guard. They also bring <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/zach-rice-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zach Rice<\/a> from North Carolina and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/kam-pringle-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kam Pringle<\/a> from South Carolina to compete and sub in.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_71063\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-71063\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-71063 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/12\/USATSI_25071920_168400536_lowres-1024x666.jpg\" alt=\"Holiday Bowl\" width=\"640\" height=\"416\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/12\/USATSI_25071920_168400536_lowres-1024x666.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/12\/USATSI_25071920_168400536_lowres-300x195.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/12\/USATSI_25071920_168400536_lowres-768x499.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/12\/USATSI_25071920_168400536_lowres-1536x999.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/12\/USATSI_25071920_168400536_lowres-2048x1331.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-71063\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: Abe Arredondo-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Will the Offensive Approach Change<\/h3>\n<p>The final question to likely be asked on Wednesday is if their offensive approach will change. Last season, Syracuse threw the ball on first down the most often in college football, and Kyle McCord ended with the most passing yards. Now, with a new backfield, offensive line, and receiving room, they will likely slow down their tempo and run more. Still, you never know with Coach Brown. He could have Collins or Angeli throwing on every first down, leading the country in passing yards.<\/p>\n<p>It will be interesting to see answers and updates on everything Syracuse football this Wednesday. Syracuse will be live on Wednesday, July 21st at 12:30 p.m. ET on ACC Network. Stay tuned for a Syracuse article after Media Day, covering everything.<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With just one day before Head Coach Fran Brown takes the mic at ACC Media Days, why not discuss some final thoughts and questions on Syracuse football? Final Thoughts and Questions Before ACC Media Days Quarterback Battle: Is there a winner? The long battle that started in late April continues to roll on, and now [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5571,"featured_media":75565,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,2,35641],"tags":[4817,10269,79,32935,306],"class_list":["post-75489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-acc","category-featured","category-syracuse-orange","tag-acc-football","tag-acc-media-days","tag-college-football","tag-fran-brown","tag-syracuse-orange"],"modified_by":"Michael Kovacs, ADMIN","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75489","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5571"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75489"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75489\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":75566,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75489\/revisions\/75566"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/75565"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75489"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75489"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75489"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}