B
old proclamations are a prerequisite for an introductory press conference. Fran Brown’s was no different. On Dec. 4, 2023, Syracuse’s first-year head coach promised he’d restore the program’s long-lost national championship standard through recruiting mastery and a coaching style centered around his unabating intensity.
Brown’s opening address did not feature visualizations of an offense that doesn’t huddle, a well-coached special teams unit and a relentless defense. This one was direct. It was authentic. It was exactly what the program needed to hear.
Of course, actions speak louder than words. Unfulfilled proclamations are a prerequisite for those who are fired prematurely. But Brown is a man of conviction. He’s fulfilled every single promise with Syracuse thus far.
He delivered SU’s best recruiting year since 2001, notching the No. 36 overall class of 2024, per 247Sports. His northeast recruiting prowess rapidly established Syracuse as a force within the region once again. He even beefed up the roster through the transfer portal, convincing Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord and Texas A&M edge rusher Fadil Diggs — two stars with northeast roots — to join the Orange for their senior seasons.
If you pile on Brown’s recruiting success in the southeast, carrying over from his Georgia days, his retention of Oronde Gadsden II, Marlowe Wax and Justin Barron after Dino Babers’ dismissal and his clear installation of a brand-new culture, he’s effectively revitalized Syracuse football. All before coaching in a meaningful game.
Brown’s loftiest goals, however, revolve around competing for national titles. In a matter of months, he built SU into a contender. It may only be Brown’s debut year, but the Orange need to take advantage of their most-complete rosters in more than two decades. Syracuse needs to display a sense of urgency early in the Brown era for it to transform from an intriguing program to a winning one, and this is the year to do it.
Fran Brown’s first offseason with Syracuse drastically improved its roster. It’s led to higher expectations heading into 2024. Joe Zhao | Video Editor
Gadsden, who’s likely entering his final year with the Orange, sure thinks so.
“Like how Clemson was great over these past couple of years, we’re trying to get ahead of them,” Gadsden said following an Aug. 13 training camp practice. “Everyone thinks because of Fran being a first-year head coach, people don’t think we’re going to do too good. But we’re here to prove them wrong.”
Critics still find Syracuse to be unassuming. It was picked to finish 12th in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s preseason poll. According to Gadsden, McCord told his teammates about an encounter he had at July’s ACC Kickoff where someone asked if seven wins would be a successful season. McCord shrugged them off and said they’re going for 12.
There’s no reason not to exude confidence in a wide-open conference, and McCord is exhibit A of why Syracuse feels assured heading into 2024. After all, McCord was one regular season finale road win over Michigan away from being Ohio State’s starter this year.
McCord passed for 271 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in the Buckeyes’ 30-24 loss at the Big House on Nov. 25, 2023. It was McCord’s first loss as OSU’s starter.
Even in a year where he threw for 3,170 yards, tallied 24 touchdown passes and ranked 18th in the nation with a 161.6 passer rating — ahead of QBs like former Washington star Michael Penix Jr. and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders — McCord’s Buckeye career was finished.
The Columbus Dispatch reported in January that Ohio State head coach Ryan Day’s inability to guarantee McCord’s spot as the starter going forward pushed him into transferring. He entered his name in the portal on Dec. 4, 2023, and committed to Syracuse 13 days later.
The fit was seamless. The Orange needed an accomplished signal-caller and McCord needed security. Ever since transferring, he’s said his decision to join SU was “people-based,” as Brown — one of his many New Jersey connections — is someone McCord has known since his childhood in New Jersey. And the confidence Brown instills in him will only help to bring the best out of the former five-star.
Cole Ross | Digital Design Director
Brown was bullish on McCord during training camp, often naming him as a player who stood out after any given practice or scrimmage. The head coach admires his veteran experience and knows he’s capable of leading a new lineage of SU quarterbacks. McCord’s history in a pro-style offense at Ohio State is a welcome transition from former quarterback Garrett Shrader’s more erratic offensive style and last year’s late-season wildcat set.
Syracuse developing consistency under center would be a major addition to running back LeQuint Allen Jr. and a top-tier tight end room of Gadsden, Dan Villari and four-star freshman Jamie Tremble.
Incoming freshman wide receiver Zeed Haynes, a former Georgia commit, and UGA transfer Jackson Meeks highlight McCord’s arsenal as well. With a quarterback who can move around the pocket like McCord, SU can bring the most out of its weapons by installing a balanced offense.
“I felt like it was a great situation for me to come in and have a lot of talent around me to have success early on,” McCord said at ACC Kickoff on July 25. “Now I think we have the opportunity to go on a fast start.”
Brown got his quarterback. He got his defensive stud, too, in Diggs. He gave McCord speed to work with on offense, persuaded team staples in Gadsden, Wax and Barron to return and fortified SU’s defense in the portal with cornerback Duce Chestnut and defensive lineman Dion Wilson Jr.
It’s the most noticeable change from the Babers regime: Brown gets what he wants.
Babers faltered as a northeast recruiter, failing to set the same standard Paul Pasqualoni and others once set when crafting a strong base in the region. Brown immediately steered Syracuse into the right direction. The Camden, New Jersey, native lives and breathes the northeast. His personable recruiting approach has earned him what are currently top-40 recruiting classes in 2024 and 2025, per 247Sports. Babers’ last class in 2023 ranked 73rd.
Fran Brown smiles alongside Syracuse Director of Athletics John Wildhack at Brown’s introductory press conference in Nov, 2023. Cassandra Roshu | Digital Managing Editor
The milestones of Brown’s first offseason make winning in 2024 all the more important. Dominating the northeast is a necessary first step. But, to create a national recruiting base, Syracuse has to show it can compete against the Football Bowl Subdivision’s upper-echelon.
The geographic challenges of recruiting in SU’s climate are damning. Regardless of its local success, a national recruiting balance will always prove harder to come by for Syracuse. Brown’s program can offset these obstacles by winning.
In an unpredictable ACC, where preseason favorite No. 10 Florida State fell to Georgia Tech in the season opener, the time is now for Syracuse — with one of its best-rated rosters of the millennium — to emerge among the conference’s best.
SU’s future is bright. But exceeding expectations in year one would slot Brown’s program into the spotlight and extend its national outreach. There must be a sense of urgency to win now.
The Orange have all the tools to shock the college football world in 2024. And with Brown’s sweeping changes, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise — only a fulfilled proclamation.
Cooper Andrews is the Managing Editor at The Daily Orange, where his column appears occasionally. He can be reached at ccandrew@syr.edu or on X @cooper_andrews.
Photograph by Joe Zhao | Video Editor
Published on August 29, 2024 at 12:05 am
