Steve is coming back and is expected to be the starter next year, and I fully expect him to develop into an elite quarterback for Syracuse. We still have two more years with him leading the offense, which is huge for stability. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if Carney enters the transfer portal after the way Fran Brown handled his freshman season — it’s understandable from his perspective. Rich’s future is uncertain, Williams is gone, and in my opinion, Joe Filardi might even move to lacrosse permanently .Looking ahead, we have Lott coming in from the 2026 class. I’ve been following him closely, and I actually think he’s an elite prospect — just not ranked where he should be. In my opinion, he should be considered a 4-star quarterback. That highlights the bigger issue I see with Syracuse’s QB room: this staff needs to focus on bringing in highly ranked quarterbacks straight out of high school. We can’t keep relying on undersized, 3-star, pocket-passer types. To build an elite quarterback pipeline — one that can handle departures to the portal or NFL — Syracuse needs elite 4-star talent at the position. I love the way Fran recruits and the energy he brings to the program, but this is an area where the team can improve. Syracuse has a rich history of developing talent, and with the right high school QBs coming in consistently, we could finally have a quarterback room that matches that tradition. I fully believe Fran will recognize this soon and make it a priority, because to compete at a high level in the ACC, elite quarterback talent is absolutely essential.
