These Orange players were recognized by noted college football expert Phil Steele.
With nearly three months until the start of the college football season, three Syracuse players are receiving some early buzz. Chris Peal, Chris D'Appolonia and Antoine Deslauriers were all members of All-ACC teams teams in the popular Phil Steele Magazine.
Peal received a second-team nod, D'Appolonia a third-team distinction and Deslauriers a fourth-team selection.
Who is Phil Steele?
For over 30 years, Steele has published a preseason college football magazine covering all FBS teams from around the country. Since 1995, Steele's magazine has built a strong reputation across college football media and fans as one of the most respected publications each season.
Steele's resume includes voting for some of college football's most prestigious awards: the Heisman Trophy, as well as the Maxwell and Bednarik Awards. Steele's 2026 edition will become available to fans and readers later this summer.
Chris Peal
Entering his fourth season of college football, Peal first appeared as a member of the Syracuse team in 2025. The 6-foot-1 defensive back was a four-star recruit coming of high school in Charlotte, N.C.
Before his time in Central New York, Peal played a total of 10 games over the course of two seasons for the Georgia Bulldogs. Last fall, Peal started all 12 games for the Orange, recording 43 tackles. Syracuse went just 3-9.
Nearly 11 months before the 2027 NFL Draft, Peal's name was already being was featured on multiple national websites as a potential first round pick.
Chris D'Appolonia
One of the newest additions to the Orange roster for the fall, D'Appolonia joined the program in January after spending last season with the Toledo Rockets. D'Appolonia was an All-MAC linebacker selection in his sophomore season, recording 68 tackles.
The 6-foot-3 Pennsylvania product will have his first full season to showcase his talent against power four conference competition. He re-links with Vince Kehres, who is the new defensive coordinator for Syracuse after previously being with Toledo.
Antoine Deslauriers
Deslauriers made school history in 2025, becoming the first true freshman ever to lead Syracuse in total tackles in a season. Deslauriers was named a Freshman All-American by multiple media outlets. A Canadian, Deslauriers will look to improve on his output again this fall.
What's next for the Orange?
Fran Brown and his staff will continue to focus on recruiting over the course of the next few weeks. June has proven to be a busy summer for the Orange program with multiple recruits committing and decommitting from the Orange.
The Orange start their season at the JMA Wireless Dome on Sept. 5 against New Hampshire. Kickoff against the Wildcats is set for noon ET.
Join the Conversation
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!
