Arguably the most important question heading into the 2026 Syracuse Orange football season is what comes next for quarterback Steve Angeli.
Angeli — who finished with 1,317 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions in four games — missed the Orange’s last eight games of 2025 due to a torn Achilles. And, the injury was not just brutal in itself, but it completely torpedoed the remainder of Syracuse’s most recent campaign.
The Orange without Angeli concluded the 2025 season on an eight-game losing streak. After averaging over 38 points per game in the contests he started in (29 PPG if you exclude the Colgate game), Syracuse never reached 20 points the rest of the year. In fact, Syracuse in half its non-Angeli games never scored more than 10 points.
This time around, there are of course more potential options who could theoretically start on day one, with Syracuse bringing in several candidates through the portal. The expectation, however, is for Angeli to be back as QB1. If so, when could fans expect him to be back and will he be *fully back?
Angeli tore his Achilles after going down with a non-contact injury against Clemson on September 20. The injury happened during the third quarter in the Tigers game. As Angeli was rolling out of the pocket, he stepped awkwardly and fell immediately to the ground clutching his left leg, which already had a brace on it.
Two days later, Angeli on social media announced he had “successful surgery” on the torn Achilles.
The timing from surgery to recovery is important to note.
While recovery times vary based on many factors (severity of injury, age, body type, etc.), it takes at least six to nine months to go from surgery to returning to activities, according to Hospital for Special Surgery. But, complete recovery might also be as much as a full year or even two in some cases.
CLEMSON, SC – SEPTEMBER 20: Syracuse Orange quarterback Steve Angeli (9) during a college football game between the Syracuse Orange and the Clemson Tigers on September 20, 2025 at Clemson Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C. (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Syracuse opens its 2026 season on September 5, nearly the one year mark since Angeli’s surgery. Since the opponent is New Hampshire (a shoe-in win… knock on wood), this could be a case where Angeli either doesn’t start, but gets some action, or starts and only plays a quarter or two. Of course, that assumes Angeli is fully good to go, both personally and after consulting coach Fran Brown, the medical staff and so on.
If Angeli needed the extra time (say, a month), another ideal spot to potentially start him would be in Week 5 versus UConn. That game is on October 3, after Syracuse’s lone bye week of 2026 and against UConn (still a notable opponent, but obviously not of the caliber of a team like Clemson or SMU).
We know that Angeli will only participate in non-contact drills this spring, but what happens when camp opens next August? Even though practice viewing is limited, we’d see if Angeli is moving around during drills and if he’s on track to resume his starting role.
And, let’s say he is ready to start: will be be “fully” back?
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum was notably the latest athlete to get back on the court coming off a torn Achilles. After suffering the injury during the 2025 NBA Playoffs, Tatum returned to the court on Friday, coming back less than a full year. It’s one of the shorter absences due to an Achilles injury in NBA history.
Obviously, there is a notable statistical drop off (albeit in a very small sample size). In the two games he’s played in since coming back, he’s averaging 17.5 (down 10 from 2024-25) and 27 minutes per game. The efficiency stats are also several points below his career averages.
Mar 6, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) shows his jersey to the crowd before taking the court for the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
The main point being: it’s very possible for Angeli, like Tatum, to get back to the action. Even then, however, there might need to be time just to ramp up physically and mentally. If Angeli does come back in September, that’s still a full year since seeing any action. There’s a different between being ready and actually ready to take the field for games.
There are also some other factors in Angeli’s favor.
For starters, Achilles injuries definitely impact the players who rely on their athleticism primarily the most. At least in the NFL, wide receivers, running backs and most defensive players tend to see their production most altered due to a torn Achilles.
Angeli in his career has 40 carries for three yards and operates as a mostly pure pocket passer, not as a dual-thread or primary runner.
There’s also his age. Angeli is 22. This isn’t a Kobe Bryant-like situation. Bryant tore his Achilles during his age-34 season, an All-NBA first-team campaign for him. He came back and was never close to playing the same, but he was also so much older compared to Angeli.
Looking more at football examples, other notable quarterbacks with torn Achilles who did return include Dan Marino, Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins. So, it is possible, especially more so in today’s era with advanced understanding, treatment and so on.
Should Angeli not be ready, Syracuse at least this time around will have more cards to play with who is under center. In the offseason, the Orange brought in former UTEP QB Malachi Nelson, former Kennesaw State QB Amari Odom and former Georgetown quarterback Danny Lauter. Each of the three will look to earn Brown’s endorsement as either the primary backup or potentially the day-one starter.
As the next football season approaches, many eyes will continue to be focused on what will happen under center by the time September approaches, whether it be Angeli or someone else.