Earlier this week, Syracuse football head coach Fran Brown said that superstar freshman wide receiver Calvin Russell III could be just a few weeks out from a return to the field.

That's fairly shocking, considering Russell tore his Achilles during spring practice. Achilles injuries typically take 10 months to a year for athletes to return from, and if Russell returns in October, hypothetically, it will barely be six months.

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles in May of 2025 and didn't return to action until March of 2026, and even then, he was eased into the Celtics rotation. Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles in June of 2025 and didn't play at all last NBA season, though that could have been a product of his team's poor record and the fact there was no need to rush him back as a result.

If and when Russell returns, he will be a big boon for a Syracuse offense that just put up 66 points in its opener against New Hampshire. A five-star recruit from Florida who also plays for the basketball team, he's one of the best recruits that Syracuse has ever landed. Even though he's a freshman, he should open things up for quarterback Steve Angeli and should also help answer some questions about the rest of the wide receiver room's depth.

Furthermore, the new rules in college sports have certainly changed the calculus for Russell.

How?

Under the new legislation, adopted this year, college athletes have five years to play as many seasons of their sport as they can. There are no more redshirt years for athletes. If a player has to miss a season because of injury, then, the goal is that they simply have another four years available to them in the same way they did before.

In the past, football teams would try to protect players' eligibility. If a player played in more than four football games in a season, they would use a year of eligibility, so you would often see teams not play younger players or players returning from injury in an effort to preserve a season of eligibility.

With redshirts no longer a thing, there's no reason to sit Russell - so as long as he's healthy enough to play. If he plays one game, seven games or nine games, there's no difference to his eligibility. He's using one of his five years no matter what. So, he might as well get on the field when he can.

The Orange will take on Cal in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opener on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. ET. Cal enters play at 0-1 after losing its opener to UCLA.