For the third time in his career, Syracuse football head coach Fran Brown will represent the program in front of national media during the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Football Kickoff event on Friday.
This year’s ACC Football Kickoff began Wednesday and will continue into Friday in Charlotte, N.C. All 17 of the conference’s football programs will be represented during the event.
Advertisement
The three-day event is scheduled to feature press conferences with head coaches and student-athletes from all 17 schools. Syracuse was assigned a Friday meeting with the media.
Quarterback Steve Angeli, linebacker Antoine Deslauriers and defensive back Demetres Samuel Jr. will represent the team.
Playing in just four games last season due to an Achilles injury, Angeli looks to be the team’s starting signal caller this fall.
Deslauriers made history in 2025, becoming the first true Syracuse freshman ever to lead the team in total tackles in a season. A native of Canada, Deslauriers also gained preseason recognition from this national media outlet earlier this month.
Advertisement
Samuel was a key contributor to the Orange defense last season. Playing in all 12 games, Samuel registered 31 tackles, one interception and nine pass breakups. Samuel also played on offense, logging 10 yards receiving. He could get more dual threat opportunities this season.
The likely most asked questions by media members will concern the injury status of Angeli. The quarterback suffered the torn Achilles during the Orange’s upset win over Clemson in Week 4, and the Orange lost the final eight games of the season amid tumult at the position in his absence. Media members likely will be looking for answers as to whether Angeli will be the team’s starting quarterback in Week One of the regular season against New Hampshire.
It is also possible that Brown will share an animated quote or mantra to describe this year’s team. In 2025, Brown discussed the term “DART” for the season. The acronym stood for “Detailed, Accountable, Relentless and Tough.” Those four words were characteristics Brown wanted his players to exhibit throughout the season.
Advertisement
In 2024, Brown gave a memorable quote about being so upset over losses that he would not shower following games.
“Winners get washed” became a popular expression used to describe the 2024 Orange team that won double-digit games.
The most impactful news that has been released so far during the multiple-day event has involved the conference’s new tiebreaker rules.
The adjusted tiebreaker is in an effort to have the two best teams in the conference competing for the championship and a likely College Football Playoff berth.
It’s also a response to the new ACC schedule that will take (partial) effect in 2026. Some ACC schools are playing eight conference games, while some are playing nine. As a result, it’s possible for one team to finish 6-3 and another to finish 6-2. If that happens, the 6-3 team could earn a trip to the conference title game, because it might have the stronger overall resume.
Advertisement
Remember to join our SYRACUSE on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Orange fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that’s free too!
