2026 Syracuse Football Preview: Linebackers

The 2025 college football season for Syracuse did not end too kindly. SU finished the year on a grueling eight-game skid for its players and fans. The culmination of those defeats came in a 34-12 loss at the hands of Boston College. Through those eight games, seven of them found Syracuse allowing 30 or more points from its opponents. With Fran Brown’s offseason valuing other positions on higher pedestals, the Orange linebacker corp still is looking different in 2026.

When former defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson departed for Texas A&M and linebackers coach Robert Wright also moved on last December, the reset button for the room was pushed.

Head coach Fran Brown brought in former Toledo defensive coordinator Vince Kehres to run all schemes on the defensive side and moved Dan Bolden to the next level in house to coach the linebackers. If the Orange want to survive against a tough ACC schedule, it will depend entirely on how the revamped linebacker room can succeed.

The Catalyst

If you want to know where the new identity of this linebacker room lies, it would be a familiar name and face.

Montreal native Antoine Deslauriers comes back to Syracuse after a solid freshman season. The sophomore took on a starting role pretty quickly getting into the rotation in his first season with SU. Deslauriers ended up starting 11 games for the Cuse and finished the season second on the team with 60 total tackles. The sophomore brings a blend of sideline-to-sideline speed and a violent tackling ability that earned him On3 True Freshman All-American honors.

“We’re gonna be a physical unit,” Deslauriers said.

Now entering his sophomore year, Deslauriers can solidify himself not just as a rotation player but a top dog or leader in the locker room. Fran Brown, already selecting the LB to represent Syracuse University at the ACC Kickoff media day tells you everything you need to know about his rising qualities on and off the field. Under Kehres’ new defensive system, Deslauriers can become more of a ball hunter and his skills of plugging holes and can get to spots before opposing backs.

The Thumpers

While Deslauriers provides the leadership, Syracuse has ensured that there are other veterans alongside him.

Redshirt junior Zyian Moultrie-Goddard enters the season as a bridge between the old and new. The Bronx native has been a heavy-hitting inside presence for the Orange throughout his career. Standing at 230 pounds, Moultrie-Goddard is a traditional downhill player whose primary job will be absorbing the offensive lineman and keeping Deslauriers clean.

Completing the inside group is redshirt senior Gary Bryan III. The Baltimore product and former South Dakota transfer settled into Central New York last season and proved to be a solid rotational piece. Heading into his final season of eligibility, Bryant’s understanding of pre-snap adjustments can make him an important piece for Coach Bolden, particularly if he comes in on third downs.

Rounding out the established rotation is Chris D’Appolonia. The 6-foot 3, 240-pound redshirt junior spent his last season refining his edge-setting capabilities at Toledo. D’Appolonia follows his old DC making the move from the Rockets to the Orange.

“It's only been positive for us having him there, him already knowing most of what's going on,” Deslauriers said. “[He’s] really been stepping up as a leader.”

He was a third-team All-MAC selection this past season. D’Appolonia has the highest stat totals of any player mentioned so far at SU’s linebacker position. The redshirt junior posted 68 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble in 2025. In addition, D’Appolonia’s pass coverage was ranked nearly 82 by PFF, 42nd out of over 700 linebackers. The linebacker was also a captain with the Rockets last season as just a sophomore. D’Appolonia was another SU player to make an appearance on Phil Steele’s Preseason All-ACC Watch List and set the tone early with an interception in the spring game a few months ago.

"We gotta keep getting better. We got a long way to go,” head coach Fran Brown said after the spring game.”I like eye placement, discipline and technique. I think we can communicate more. I think once they continue to do that … we'll be fine."

The Outlook

On paper, this linebacker room has its fair share of high-floor veterans and an exciting transfer who can plug and play. Deslauriers has the look of a future All-ACC first teamer, while D’Appolonia, Bryant, and Moultrie-Goddard give the room structure which is needed after last season's defensive collapse.

The Syracuse 2026 schedule is one of the most difficult among ACC teams. SU faces nonconference opponents Penn State and Notre Dame while also taking on strong ACC foes in Clemson, SMU, and Louisville.

The season begins on Saturday, September 5, when SU takes on New Hampshire.