Though the Syracuse football team is still three months away from taking the field for its 2026 season opener, the program is continuing to build this offseason. Head coach Fran Brown has added a former NFL player and college national champion to his staff: According to syracuse.com, Anthony Averett will be with the program in 2026.

A Woodbury, N.J. native, Averett played his college football at Alabama under legendary head coach Nick Saban. During his tenure with the Crimson Tide from 2013-2017, the defensive back helped lead his school to two national championships. 

Averett was a fourth-round selection by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2018 NFL Draft. Over the next four seasons, Averett became a contributor for the Ravens franchise, and then he began to bounce around. Following the 2021 season, Averett spent the next three seasons playing with five different NFL team,  including the Las Vegas Raiders, Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans.

According to syracuse.com, Averett is joining the recruiting staff portion of the program. Syracuse's recruiting staff is led by general manager  Tommy Caporale and scouting director Aaron Mannicci.

There has been no official word on if Averett will help or offer any advice to the secondary unit. Averett recorded three total interceptions and over 100 tackles as a defensive back during his professional career. If Averett finds his way onto the field coaching staff, the Orange's projected overall best player this season could be gaining wisdom from the NFL veteran.

Chris Peal has already been featured by national media outlets as a potential first- round draft pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. Peal will look to help his team into ACC contention this fall. 

Official visit or "OV Season" is officially underway for Syracuse. An official visit is viewed by college programs as the earliest start to signing high school players to their program. High school players scheduled to graduate in 2027 can begin visiting schools they are being recruited in this time period. 

According to the NCAA's website, 

"A school can pay for the following for you and your parents/guardians: transportation to and from the campus, lodging throughout your visit, three meals per day and three tickets to a home sports event."

Since 2023, players are allowed to have an unlimited of schools to visits, but they can only officially visit one school once. 

Syracuse has been active on their X account posting some of the prospects' visits. Included in those social messages are New Jersey product Javon Lane, Pennsylvania's Chase Guers and New York State's top prospect, Elijah Kimble. 

The Orange kickoff their season Sept. against New Hampshire. SU went 3-9 last season, but there is more optimism in Central New York for this campaign.

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!