How have four Orange players' rankings changed since July?
The 2026 college football season kicked off last weekend with more than 10 teams starting their seasons in Week 0. The rest of the teams at the FBS level will begin their seasons over the course of the next few days.
The Syracuse Orange will begin play on Saturday at noon ET against New Hampshire. SyracuseRoundtable will have coverage from the JMA Wireless Dome.
And while SU fans are excited about the idea of the Orange improving from a 3-9 season a year ago, college football as a whole is looking for new ways to excite its fans.
One way in which the college landscape has yet to captivatem? The fantasy football realm, which is dominated by the NFL.
In July, we gave you a rundown of where some of the top offensive playmakers ranked for Syracuse in Yahoo's national list of fantasy players.
After August's training camp practices, let's find out how much some Syracuse football players' rankings have changed this summer according to Yahoo!
Wide Receiver Cole Weaver was No. 172 in July, now No. 164 in September
Weaver joined the Orange after spending the past two seasons as member of the Miami (Ohio) football program. In two seasons with the Redhawks, the junior wideout appeared in 20 games, with 14 starts, posting 47 catches for 680 yards and two touchdowns.
The rise for Weaver may involve the strong performances he had during the August training camp. At multiple times during open media practice sessions, Weaver gained praise for his efforts and performance during drills. As the status of Justus Ross-Simmons still remains cloudy, Weaver could be poised for a strong season - and more touches.
Wide Receiver Umari Hatcher was No. 185 in July, now No. 188
Hatcher has totaled 797 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in his career. Hatcher's slight dip in the rankings seems to be more of a compliment to players like Keedrick Reescano and Garrett Oakley. Both players had strong summer camps for Arizona and Kansas State and moved past Hatcher in the rankings.
Hatcher is still projected to be one of the main targets of quarterback Steve Angeli this season, especially with Calvin Russell III injured and Ross-Simmons up in the air.
Running Back Ahmad Miller was No. 193 in July, now No. 217
The most surprising ranking is Miller at No. 217. After three seasons at Jackson State, Miller joined the program as a transfer this offseason and was expected to have a big role. However, Miller was not even listed on the team's depth chart release on Monday.
Miller could be, in fact, the primary ballcarrier for the Orange, but the uncertainty of that situation may steer some fantasy football managers away from selecting him.
Quarterback Steve Angeli was at No. 272, now No. 221
The biggest riser in the rankings from July until September was signal caller Steve Angeli.
The likely reason why Angeli's rankings rose so much is because of his confirmed health for the season. The past few months have included multiple questions about Angeli's recovery from a torn Achilles last fall.
In 2024, Fran Brown's first season as the team's head coach, quarterback Kyle McCord led the country in passing yards and ranked fifth in passing touchdowns. If Angeli is able to resemble those types of rankings in 2026, he will find himself anywhere between a top 25-50 fantasy player this season.
