Quarterback Steve Angeli addressed the media earlier this week at the ACC's Kickoff event.
This week, Syracuse football, along with 16 other Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) schools, were represented at the ACC Football Kickoff event in Charlotte, N.C. The event featured media sessions with players and coaches from around the league.
For Syracuse football fans, the question most wondered going into the event was the injury status of quarterback Steve Angeli. Angeli answered that and his response is an encouraging sign for the Orange this fall.
What did Steve Angeli say about his injury recovery?
Angeli said this to CNY Central's Samantha Croston about how he is feeling following months of rehabbing his injury and with kickoff less than two months away.
"I'm 100% right now. If we had to play tomorrow, I'd be good to go."
Remember, Angeli tore his Achilles last season in the fourth game of the year. Syracuse was 3-1 at the time of his injury, but lost the final eight games of the year to finish 3-9.
Outside of Angeli's injury update, these were some of the other highlights from the media session.
Fran Brown stressed importance of quarterback play
During Thursday's event, head coach Fran Brown was asked by Syracuse reporter Dan Tortora “What have you taken as your biggest learning lessons?”
Brown's response was to "have better back up quarterbacks". The 2025 Orange lost eight straight games after Angeli was sidelined. SU has brought in several new quarterback options, including Malachi Nelson, Amari Odom and Danny Lauter. All three have extensive starting experiences at various schools.
Why are Angeli's comments encouraging for Syracuse football fans?
A typical rehab for a torn Achilles tendon is projected to last anywhere between 9-12 months. It was possible that Angeli's rehab from the injury have been slower than anticipated, thus forcing the quarterback to miss time early in the regular season. If Angeli is able to stay healthy, the Orange players and fans can be optimistic about an improvement on an overall win total in 2026.
Other news and notes
--Before Brown took any questions from the media, the coach of the Orange felt disrespected by a moment during the introduction of coaches on Thursday. It is possible Brown may use this as a motivating tactic for his coaching staff and team throughout 2026.
--The most impactful news that has been released so far during the multiple-day event arrived on Wednesday and the news involved the conference's new tiebreaker rules.
The adjusted tiebreaker is in an effort to have the two best teams in the conference competing for the championship and a likely College Football Playoff berth.
It's also a response to the new ACC schedule that will take (partial) effect in 2026. Some ACC schools are playing eight conference games, while some are playing nine. As a result, it's possible for one team to finish 6-3 and another to finish 6-2. If that happens, the 6-3 team could earn a trip to the conference title game, because it might have the stronger overall resume.
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