The 2024 season of Syracuse University football has brought unyielding excitement and a sense of pride to Orange fans near and far.
As the team prepares for the highly anticipated DIRECTV Holiday Bowl against Washington State on Dec. 27, their journey remains a testament to passion, perseverance and strategic brilliance—a celebration of the unyielding spirit of college football.
Here are 10 reasons to love the Syracuse Orange.
1. DART-Like Precision
“The success of my players is my No. 1 priority,” says head coach Fran Brown.
When head coach Fran Brown arrived at Syracuse last fall, he wasted no time imparting his personal philosophy to his players. DART, which stands for “detailed, accountable, relentless and tough,” is Brown’s mantra. It’s also a noun that works like a verb. Brown is always moving—on the field, in his office and throughout the community.
“The success of my players is my No. 1 priority,” says the former Georgia defensive backs coach.
To say that the Brown Era is off to a fast start is to flirt with understatement. Not since Paul Pasqualoni went 10-2 has a first-year head coach achieved a winning record with the Orange. Brown also is the third head coach since World War II to lead Syracuse to a bowl game during his first season, joining Pasqualoni (1991) and Scott Shafer (2013).
2. Pass-Happy Offense
Kyle McCord ’25 is the Orange’s first 4,000-yard passer.
If anyone epitomizes Syracuse’s pass-happy offense, it’s senior quarterback Kyle McCord ’25. The five-star transfer from Ohio State, who committed to Syracuse hours after Brown’s appointment, has exceeded expectations. “It was the best decision that I’ve ever made in my life,” McCord says.
The Orange’s first 4,000-yard passer, McCord leads the nation in passing yards and completions as well as ranks fifth in ACC history in passing yards. He also owns the program’s single season record for passing yards (4,326), completions (367) and touchdown passes (29).
His performance against UConn, where he completed 37 of 47 passes for a career-high 470 yards and two touchdowns, was the second-highest single-game total in Syracuse history.
3. Breathtaking Speed
Wide receiver Trebor Peña ’26 is integral to the Orange’s spread offense.
Much has been made about Trebor Peña ’26 and his impressive athleticism and breathtaking speed, both of which have contributed to a breakout season for the redshirt junior.
A swift return man and slot receiver, Peña leads the ACC and ranks 10th in the nation in receptions among wide receivers. He’s also a thousand-yard wideout and master of the Orange’s signature spread offense.
His decisive footwork—a holdover from his high school long jumping days—makes him adept at deep and shallow patterns. No surprise that the Northern Jersey native is McCord’s No. 1 target.
4. Breaking School Records
Running back LeQuint Allen ’26 leads the ACC in total touchdowns.
A leader on and off the field, All-ACC junior running back LeQuint Allen Jr. ’26 is arguably the heart and soul of the Orange. Witness his four-touchdown, 129-yard performance against No. 25 UNLV in October, despite playing with what Brown described as a “banged up” lower left leg.
Allen has since shattered school records for most receptions in a season and in a career by a rusher. He currently ranks first in the ACC and 12th in the nation in total touchdowns (17).
Like Brown, Allen grew up in the shadow of Philly, where football culture runs deep. The unexpected death of Allen’s father in 2023 inspired him to establish a football camp in his hometown of Millville, New Jersey, and to add “Jr.” to his name on the back of his jersey. “I want to be just like him—a role model,” Allen says.
5. Touchdowns!
Wide receiver Jackson Meeks ’26 “comes up big when we need him most,” Brown says.
No sooner had Brown blazed a trail from Georgia to Syracuse than wide receiver Jackson Meeks ’26 followed suit. The Alabama native has injected some SEC grit into the Orange, as evidenced by his 73 catches for 911 yards and seven touchdowns.
“He comes up big when we need him most,” says Brown of Meeks’ ability to deliver game-tying and go-ahead touchdowns.
The two-time national champion seems to get better each week, with most of his touchdowns and receptions having occurred in the past eight games. Fun fact: Meeks’ uncle is Detroit Lions defensive end Za’Darius Smith.
6. Versatile Plays
Tight end Oronde Gadsden II ’26 adds versatility to the Orange’s passing game.
Known for his long stride, large catch radius and quickness off the line, tight end Oronde Gadsden II ’26 adds versatility to the Orange’s passing game. His 69 catches for 860 yards this season puts him fourth in the nation. And with 1,920 total receiving yards, he’s 10th on the program’s all-time list.
One of Gadsden’s most memorable performances this season took place against UNLV, where he posted 10 receptions and a career-high 142 yards. The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native hopes to follow in the footsteps of his father, a former Miami Dolphins wide receiver. If drafted, Gadsden would comprise only the second father-son, wide receiver-tight end duo in NFL history.
7. Ring of Honor Inductions
The family of Syracuse coach Richard MacPherson at his Ring of Honor induction ceremony.
Richard “Dick” MacPherson was posthumously inducted into Syracuse’s Ring of Honor on Nov. 23. Affectionately called “Coach Mac,” he returned the Orange to national prominence in the 1980s with three bowl wins.
Many fans recall the fall of 1987, when MacPherson guided the Orange to their second unbeaten season in school history and then tied Auburn, 16-16, in the Sugar Bowl. He was the consensus pick for the national Coach of the Year, earning the honor from 12 different organizations.
“If they ever compare me to Dick MacPherson, I’d be thankful,” says Brown of MacPherson, who subsequently coached the New England Patriots. The college Hall of Famer died in 2017.
8. Family Ties
Running back Will Nixon ’26 is the son of Jeff Nixon, the Orange’s offensive coordinator and running backs coach.
The Orange have found unprecedented success in the transfer portal. On3’s rankings place this year’s transfer recruiting class ninth in the nation. It’s both the highest-ranked recruiting class and the highest-rated freshman recruiting class in Orange history—and the highest such class in the ACC. Credit 59 newcomers for enabling Syracuse to tie for fifth among Power 4 programs (i.e., the Big Ten, Big 12, ACC and SEC).
With new energy and talent comes a heightened sense of family. Literally. Running back Will Nixon ’26, a redshirt junior from Waco, Texas, is the son of Jeff Nixon, the Orange’s offensive coordinator and running backs coach. Jeff works closely with co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Michael Johnson, whose son, Michael Johnson Jr. ’25, is the Orange’s redshirt senior quarterback from San Jose, California.
9. Service With a Smile
Activities like the football program's Quad Walk (above) and student-athlete volunteerism have a positive impact on Syracuse's sports culture.
Brown requires his players to perform at least 30 hours of community service per year. Last spring, he teamed up with Syracuse-based Athletes Who Care (founded by Trustee Clifford J. Ensley ’69, ’70, G’71) to secure local volunteering opportunities. The football program then racked up some 2,000 volunteer hours, whose charitable economic impact was estimated at $20,000. The program has since become the 2024 winner of the ‘Cuse Cares Award for community service.
Linebacker Justin Barron ’25 is a force on the field and in the community.
Brown and senior linebacker Justin Barron ’25 have been recognized for their charitable contributions by the American Football Coaches Association. Allen, in turn, is an ACC Top Six for Service honoree.
10. Building Success
The Orange are entering a new era of competitive excellence.
While fans revel in the $118 million transformation of the JMA Wireless Dome, the football program is stoked about renovations to the John A. Lally Athletics Complex. The facility includes the Football Operations Center, which is currently under construction. The state-of-the-art facility will feature expanded sports medicine and student-athlete recovery spaces, a cafeteria, a locker room, position meeting rooms and coaches’ offices.
The complex also will house the “One Team” Olympic Sports Center. Amenities include a world-class sports medicine hub, a student-athlete lounge and recovery space, a cafeteria, and a dining area.
