The NCAA has confirmed this rule change and it could be in play when the Orange take the field on Saturday.
The 2026 Syracuse football team will take the field for the first time in front of fans on Saturday night at the JMA Wireless Dome.
With the conclusion of the spring session comes the annual spring game, which is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. I will be there in attendance, but the question is, will I see a new rule in affect?
The NCAA has issued a new rule involving team's punting the football. The rule according to the NCAA website states:
"On punts where jersey number exceptions (players who do not wear numbers 50-79) are used, the snapper and two adjacent linemen on either side who are lined up in (or touching) the tackle box are ineligible receivers by position and become exceptions to the numbering rule when the snapper takes his position. This clarifies which players are eligible receivers in the formation."
Although to the casual fan, the rule may seem insignificant, the adjustment has caused many college football coaches to express frustration. According to coaches who remained anonymous in an article posted by the USA Today, the rule takes away "creativity" from the college game and the "process for approval" was not handled properly.
Will head coach Fran Brown test the new rule out for his team? Or will he use the game as a teaching lesson for his young players? It's likely we will find out that answer Saturday night.
Orange recent success with special teams
In recent seasons, the Syracuse football has found success with their special teams units.
Riley Dixon, a former walk-on with from 2011-2015 has spent the past decade as a punter in the NFL. The current Tampa Bay Buccaneer was an All-ACC Second Team selection during his tenure in Central New York.
Sterling Hofrichter followed Dixon as the team's punter and was able to carve out his own success. A seventh-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Hofrichter spent time with the Atlanta Falcons, Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins over three seasons. Hofrichter was most recently a part of the United Football League's St. Louis Battlehawks before being released earlier this year.
Kicker Andre Szmyt was a part of the Orange program from 2017-2022. After redshirting in 2017, Szmyt won the Lou Groza Award (best kicker in the country) in 2018. An All-American in 2018 and a two time All-ACC selection in his career, Szmyt has served as an NFL kicker with the Cleveland Browns since 2024.
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