SYRACUSE, NY—Due to my vicinity to the school, which is a multiple-hour drive, I am not able to cover every spring football practice for the Syracuse Orange. I am, however, able to attend every Saturday practice. While these practice sessions don’t have post-media availability, I think that these practices are important because of their timing on the schedule. With the limited viewing period, it’s impossible to tell an entire story. However, I can give my takeaways from what I saw. Hopefully, this will be useful to those reading it. Let’s begin.
Syracuse Football: Saturday Spring Practice Notes
Fran Brown preaches accountability
At this point, nearly every Syracuse football fan knows about DART. Detail, accountability, relentlessness, toughness. Well, that was on full display on the team’s first Saturday spring practice.
For instance, one player was noticeably giving subpar effort during drill work. While head coach Fran Brown was vocal about the player needing to perform better, he also signaled out the coach running the drill for allowing that performance to happen. This showed that both player and coach will only be held to a high standard – something they have the power to achieve.
Now, don’t get this twisted by any means. This wasn’t a negative interaction. On the contrary, the head coach tried to uplift his spirits in his final comments. However, it showcased the type of effort and accountability this team continues to expect heading into the second year of the Fran Brown experience. And if the players buy in, this program can only continue to get better.
A for Effort
I was able to watch multiple positional drills during Saturday’s practice. However, two players really stood out by how they handled every rep on the day.
The first was freshman wide receiver Darius Johnson. Johnson played under former NFL quarterback Teddy Bridgewater at Miami Northwestern. The receiver was a team captain, and also made First team All-Dade in 2024.
On Saturday’s practice, Johnson ran with purpose. So much so, that his teammates were quick to shout his nickname after his performance on a footwork drill. In what will be a wide open room at wide receiver, Johnson has a case to find himself high on the depth chart once summer practice approaches.
The second player is redshirt freshman Emanuel Ross, a player Syracuse fans are excited to see on the football field. Ross played limited snaps in 2024 to preserve his redshirt. In four games, he caught five passes for 78 yards while also seeing some duty as a return specialist. Ross was a four-star prospect and the second-highest prospect out of New Jersey in his class.
In practice, the Orange wideout excellent great in a press coverage drill. He showed good footwork to gain leverage, and performed well in the drill work. If he’s able to continue his strong spring presence, Syracuse football fans will be eager to see him in the summer.
Rickie Collins QB1?
For most Syracuse fans, the biggest concern on the team right now is who will be the starting quarterback. And, based on my conversations, Rickie Collins seems to be who most think will become the Orange’s signal-caller.
Collins transferred from LSU in December of 2024. When that happened, many assumed he would be handed the starting position once Kyle McCord left. Instead, Collins was told that he would have to compete for the QB1 spot. A surprise, perhaps, but one the redshirt sophomore took in stride.
Coach Brown hasn’t named the starter yet, but intends on doing so sooner rather than later. He was quoted as saying, “I ain’t got time to play mind games with my team.”
Truly refreshing to hear.
And perhaps soon, we may hear Collins’ name being called to lead Syracuse into the 2025 season.
