Syracuse Orange Football Is Ready For Kick Off Now

© Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

The Syracuse Orange stepped on stage today, the final day of the Atlantic Coast Conference Media Days. Coach Fran Brown was loose and confident in the growth of his team in his first offseason. Quarterback Kyle McCord also experienced his first offseason at Syracuse, after transferring from Ohio State. He and Brown are ready to step on the field and get the 2024 season going.

Brown is the New Orange

Brown comes to the Orange from the University of Georgia. He is one of the nation’s top recruiters, and since taking the helm at Syracuse, continues to sign top talent. Brown was asked how all the new additions have gelled with the team and boasted about how the guys that committed to the Orange committed to their core DART principles:

• Details

• Accountability

• Relentless

• Tough

Brown mentioned the additions of QB McCord and defensive lineman Fadil Diggs, speaking highly about their character and what they mean to the team. Brown was asked about what made McCord great beyond what we see on film:

"I think he's a great person. When you just sit down and talk to him and he's genuine, he's himself. He's a guy that as I recruited, a lot of people throughout my time of being a coach, everyone started to change. The kids started to get different accolades and different honors. They all switched up…. He's just a genuine person. I thought he was a leader. Got a chance to watch him play Little League and where we come from, he's him. A lot of dudes say different things. He's just a good leader. When you watch him in the weight room, everything about him. I’m honored and thankful that he is our quarterback and the leader of our football team."

Brown was also asked about adjusting to the new West Coast games on their schedule. His eagerness to get the season started seeped into his answer:

"I mean, we still got to play 60 minutes, right? I think these kids are young enough. I know when I was young, I go to the West Coast, I'm not going to bed no matter what time it is on the East Coast. We'll just go over there and have fun. Excited to be able to go and play on the West Coast. We'll adapt as it comes week to week. Mainly we're just going to worry about getting into camp right now, and we'll let that handle itself when it gets to us."

McCord at Syracuse

McCord is in his first year with the Orange, and he said he is excited about the direction of the program under coach Brown and to finally get spring snaps under his belt. Asked about the differences in styles between ACC offenses and defenses compared to the Big Ten Conference, McCord said:

"Yeah, I think it's case by case. I think the offense we run here is similar to the one I ran at Ohio State but I think when you look across the conference, there [are] a lot of great quarterbacks in this conference. I think teams are going to obviously try to pass the ball. I know in the Big Ten, some of those teams will run the ball all game and pass 10 times a game. I think quarterbacks in the ACC, in my opinion, are top-notch. So I think there will be some games that might get into a little bit of a shootout this year. I think talent-wise, it's there. Again, I think it's case-by-case for each team."

© Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Orange is Next

Syracuse is looking for a complete turnaround after last season took a turn for the worse despite a promising start. Additions such as McCord and Diggs will help with leadership and consistency from the ever-important QB position and the defensive front. The Orange is the ACC, and will showcase its toughness and likeness in 2024.