2026 Syracuse Football Preview: Secondary

As the final seconds wound off the clock in a 34-12 loss to Boston College to end the season for Syracuse, the seventh consecutive loss for the Orange, one issue remained persistent. The secondary. The loss was the second time in three games that SU had surrendered over 250 yards in the air, and the eighth time it had done so last year.

The worst part was, it was supposed to be an up year for the group. Defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson was heading into his second year in the position, coming off of a season where the ‘Cuse allowed the seventh fewest passing yards in the ACC. Syracuse expected to rely on big years from fifth-year returner Duce Chesnut as a safety and freshman two-way Demetres Samuel Jr. at cornerback. But as the season went on, the script was thrown out the window.

Samuel held up his end of the bargain, recording the fourth most pass breakups in the ACC as a true-freshman while tacking on an interception. His nine pass deflections were the third most of any true-freshman in the country, and earned him the fourth spot in the ACC Rookie of the Year voting.

Meanwhile, Chesnut recorded his fewest tackles since the 2022 season and failed to record an interception for the first time in an Orange uniform. His season's low point came in a 70-7 loss to No. 9 Notre Dame, where he started the game but failed to record a tackle, assist, or any defensive statistic in the blowout.

Robinson, however, did not have such a good season. He started the season off as the play-caller for the Orange defense, but by the end of the season had allowed the most points per game in the ACC and was stripped of the duty and demoted by head coach Fran Brown. On December 3rd, 2025, Fran Brown revealed that Robinson would become the co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach next season, a far cry from the DC position he entered the year in. Just three weeks later, it was announced that Robinson would not return in any capacity, as he would return to a previous role as the defensive coordinator of Texas A&M.

But the slate has been wiped clean for SU, and defensive-minded Fran Brown has flipped the group over in the transfer portal and on the coaching staff.

Cornerbacks

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Three big returners lead the cornerback group for SU. First, rising-sophomore Demetres Samuel Jr. looks to build on what was a stellar freshman year. While playing both sides of the ball as a wide-receiver and cornerback, Samuel recorded the most pass breakups of any ‘Cuse player at nine and added an interception against Colgate, the first of his career.

The freshman also added 45 tackles, including two for a loss. His best day in that category came against UConn on September 6th, with eight. Samuel ended the year by being named as a Top 25 Freshman by ESPN and a Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year semifinalist, the first player in Syracuse history to receive the achievement.

When asked about his play in the upcoming season, Samuel said to expect “the same thing, but everything a lot stronger.” The 18-year-old continued, “A little more offensive play, [and] corner play [I’m] just going to shut down the whole field.”

Samuel was joined by redshirt-sophomore cornerback Chris Peal, who made an immediate impact in his first year with the team last season. Peal began his career with Georgia, transferring to the 315 with Fran Brown in January of 2025. The transfer started every game last season and added 47 tackles, seven pass breakups and a forced fumble to the SU defense. Peal made himself known last year and was named to the All-ACC Preseason Watch List as a second-teamer.

The third and longest tenured member of the cornerback room is Junior Davien Kerr. The Connecticut native appeared in every game last season, making three starts. Kerr made 16 tackles with four pass deflections while leading the team in interceptions with three. He has played in 20 games for the Orange across two years, making him one of Fran Brown’s most trusted players on this defense.

All together, Samuel, Peal and Kerr make up a 1-2-3 combo that should anchor the SU defense this season. But the special component to this group is chemistry. All three players already have a full season with each other under their belts. And with a full off-season to practice together, the expectations are sky-high for year two.

Behind them is a supporting cast of young players and newcomers, namely two transfers from Western Kentucky University.

Redshirt juniors Jai Eugene Jr. and Nazir Ward both played for the Hilltoppers last year, combining for 26 games played, 55 tackles and 11 pass breakups. Both players also have two college seasons in the books, bringing experience to the DB room. The duo should provide cover for the corners and maybe even compete for a starting job.

Incoming freshman Cam Hairston-Taylor also gives SU another plug-and-play option. His listed position on 247 is “Athlete,” though he has mostly played at corner. According to his X account, Hairston-Taylor didn't have a single pass caught on him during his senior year of high school and picked off three balls on defense, while catching 23 touchdowns and over 1,200 yards on the offensive end. On top of that, he is a two-time state champion in Virginia for the long jump while holding the class 5A indoor record at just over 24 feet.

How much he features as a true freshman is anybody's guess, but the Virginia native comes to SU with one of the best athletic profiles on the team.

After them are a slew of true freshmen and players coming off redshirt years. Redshirt sophomores Ziyyon Bredell, Javon Lawrence, Rayshon Andrews, Bradley Chandler and James Trotter all used the redshirt with SU last year, with some featuring a few times in the previous season.

Philadelphia native Ziyyon Bredell and Connecticut product Rayshon Andrews both appeared in the maximum of four games allowed for a redshirt last season with SU, putting them in pole position for more playing time this season. Bredell was the only one of the pair to make a tackle last year, with two against Colgate on September 12th.

Then its former walk-on Nate Prater, a fifth-year Louisville transfer, and former Toledo baseball and football player Amare Snowden, who follows new defensive coordinator Vince Kehres to the 315. This group should make up some special teams snaps, as none of them have featured heavily as a DB.

In what is a tough schedule this year for SU, with some analysts putting it in the top five most challenging in the nation, the cornerbacks have their work cut out for them. But behind this group are the safeties, tasked with keeping it all together.

Safeties

And while the cornerback room might have a lot of names, the safeties are a more tight-knit group.

The longest-tenured of the bunch is three-year returner Raheem Long Jr., who has played for SU in two straight seasons. The junior has appeared in 23 games over the two years with 58 tackles and two sacks. His best game last season was in the 34-21 win over Clemson, with eight tackles, a pass breakup and an interception to seal the game.

Long is expected to be a mainstay in this Syracuse defense, and another player with lots of experience joins him at the top of the SU secondary.

Redshirt senior Cornell Perry is the longest-tenured member of the secondary, going into his fifth year with the ‘Cuse. An injury kept him off the field as a freshman, and his next two years consisted mostly of special teams, but Perry made a huge impact last year.

The Michigan native started in seven games for the Orange last season and appeared in every contest. Perry made 45 tackles, including one for a loss, and had a pass breakup. The safety had multiple games with seven tackles, a career high for the fifth-year.

Perry and Long should make up most of the snaps from the safeties, with tons of college experience and trust from the coaching staff. But behind them are three safeties to watch for the future.

Freshman Tedarious Hughes is a four-star recruit from Miami who had previously committed to play at Florida State before flipping to SU in November of 2025. Fellow Florida native Terrance Johnson joined him in Orange earlier this year. Hughes racked up 30 tackles and two interceptions his senior year, while Johnson is fresh off of a state championship with Fort Lauderdale American Heritage with 59 tackles and two forced fumbles and 11 interceptions.

The final name in the safety room is freshman Ibn-Wabu Muhammad from Camden, New Jersey. The three-star featured on both sides of the ball in high school as a safety and wide-receiver, but is expected to stick to defense at SU. Muhammad made 40 tackles with 11 of them for a loss and eight sacks as a senior.

The trio might be called into action frequently this year given the lack of depth in the Syracuse safety room. While Perry and Long will likely start the season, Hughes, Johnson and Muhammad won't be far behind them.

So now that you know the players, it's time to introduce who calls the shots for the secondary.

Coaches

The Syracuse defense is led by head coach Fran Brown and new defensive coordinator Vince Kehres, as well as defensive backs coach Perry Eliano.

Brown is a former defensive backs coach himself, holding the position at Rutgers and Georgia. The third-year head coach still works closely with the secondary, often taking time to personally run drills for the DBs.

After a couple early interceptions in the 2026 Spring Game, Coach Brown was asked how he felt about the state of the secondary entering the year.

“We’ve got to keep getting better. I want more contact,” Brown said. “I'm always thankful for the picks, but I'm more of a technician when it comes to DBs. I like eye placement, discipline and technique. But Coach Perry is doing a good job.”

Vincent Kehres is the new Defensive Coordinator, bringing six years of experience from Toledo. Kehres’s defense was second in the nation in total defense and passing efficiency defense last year with the Rockets. He also has 12 NCAA championships from the Division III level with the University of Mount Union. Kehres coached for 20 years with the Purple Raiders with 20 title game appearances.

Eliano followed Kehres to SU, sharing two years at Toledo. Eliano’s secondary allowed the fifth-fewest passing yards in the FBS last season at just 158 a game. Before Toledo he coached at Ohio State and Cincinnati, coaching big name corners like Sauce Gardner, Coby Bryant and Ronnie Hickman, all of whom earned All-American honors.

“I’m excited that Coach Eliano is here with us,” Fran Brown raved. “We’ve been competing for years when it comes to recruiting and he’s always done an amazing job when it comes to developing. He develops players well and is a technician on the backend. He knows how to coach all five spots in the secondary.”

Overall, the group comes into the year stronger on paper and with more experience than last year. Samuel and Peal are going to need to give more as second-year starters on this team. Long and Perry are clear-cut leaders for the secondary, and can help the future of SU by guiding younger players along the way. With the right scheme and direction of the coaching staff, this group will go far, and could propel the Orange to some big wins this year.

The secondary and the rest of the Syracuse team start the season against New Hampshire on September 5th at noon. Tune in to WAER at 11:30 for McClurg Remodeling countdown to Kickoff at 11:30, and follow @waersports on X for more previews and updates as the season gets closer.