Going going, back back, to Cali Cali
We’re less than a month away from the first Syracuse Orange football practice of the 2024 season. SU fans will see their Orangemen in action during the team’s annual spring game on April 20 before the regular season kicks off on Aug. 31.
Optimism is at an all-time high in Fran Brown’s first year and rightfully so. The former Georgia defensive backs coach brings in the highest-graded recruiting class (40th) since 247Sports began tracking in 2004.
But how about SU’s 2024 opponents? Where do they stack up? Take a quick glance at the schedule, and you might think the Orange are bound for a 10-win season. Let’s dive a little deeper. Listed below are each team’s record last season and incoming recruiting class for this year, per 247Sports.
Ohio Bobcats (10-3, 91st best recruiting class)
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (7-6, 33rd)
Stanford Cardinal (3-9, 30th)
Holy Cross Crusaders (7-4 FCS, 139th)
@ UNLV Rebels (9-5, 75th)
@NC State Wolfpack (9-4, 27th)
@Pittsburgh Panthers (3-9, 42nd)
Photo by Lee Coleman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Virginia Tech Hokies (7-6, 46th)
@Boston College Eagles (7-6, 94th)
@California Golden Bears (6-7, 55th)
UConn Huskies (3-9, 116th)
Miami Hurricanes (7-6, 4th)
Surprisingly, Ohio is the only 10-win team that SU will face. But it’ll be an uphill battle for the Bobcats in their regular season opener without longtime quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who transferred to Indiana during the offseason.
Recruiting-wise, Miami will bring a stacked roster to the JMA Wireless Dome on Nov. 30. Marquise Lightfoot and Armondo Blount highlight Mario Cristobal’s revamped defensive line, while wide receiver Joshisa Trader is one of the top pass-catching recruits in the country. The Hurricanes also added quarterback Cam Ward, who was one of the hottest names in the transfer portal after departing from Washington State.
The game I’m most interested in is when the Orange travel to Cal on Nov. 16. While Syracuse would undoubtedly be favored to win on a neutral field, who knows how it’ll play traveling nearly 3,000 miles to West Coast. It’ll be the first matchup between the two schools since 1968 and the third contest overall.
What’s your record prediction for Fran Brown’s inaugural year?