Last week, Syracuse University football held its annual Pro Day for draft-eligible players. And while sophomore Demetres Samuel Jr. doesn't fit that bill, he was there supporting his teammates.

We learned at that time that he was walking around with a sling on his arm, and according to television reporter Ashley Wenskoski, we also learned that the star defensive back has some new plans in mind for when he's fully healthy.

Syracuse WR/DB Demetres Samuel Jr confirmed he will be limited throughout the spring with an arm injury. We saw him in a sling at SU football’s Pro Day last week- the sling is now off.

He expects to be 100% by the summer and good to go for the season.

He also said he’s splitting reps 60-40 and is still focused on corner, but hopes to get more opportunities to play as a receiver this season as well

A bright spot in a down (3-9) Syracuse 2025 season, Samuel wrapped up his freshman campaign in 2025. The standout finished tied for fourth for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Defensive Rookie of the Year award, finishing behind only Luke Ferrelli (Cal), Mandrell Desir (Florida State) and Bryce Fitzgerald (Miami). 

He made 33 solo tackles, had nine pass deflections and an interception. Also important, he elected to stay with the program, which is never a given in the era of the transfer portal and NIL.

He'll be a foundational piece of Fran Brown's defense in 2026.

In addition, he returned four punts in 2025. He also had one catch and one rushing attempt, so clearly the athleticism is there to do some different things, but how many chances will Syracuse really give him to exploit those other avenues? That remains to be seen.

--The Syracuse women's basketball team saw its season come to a crashing halt on Monday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. For the fifth consecutive tournament run, Syracuse lost to Connecticut. The Orange finished the campaign at 24-9, a marked improvement from last season's 12-18.

The Orange have plenty of contributors coming back next season, but they will lose seniors Laila Phelia and Dominique Darius to graduation.

--The Syracuse men's basketball program has announced the hiring of new head coach Gerry McNamara. McNamara just spent two seasons at Siena, helping lead the Saints to the NCAA Tournament this season.

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!