Fran Brown is turning the tide at Syracuse, especially in recruitment. Former Orange and Jets player Rob Carpenter was high in praise of the new HC’s stance. He told Syracuse.com, “We were a perennial top-25 team for years, and it seems like it’s just gonna go forward as long as [Fran Brown’s] here.” Brown’s 2026 class has jumped up more than 20 places from its 2025 ranking, and it’s a feat worthy of respect. He has some special players in his squad who are firm in their belief in him and in their future at Syracuse. One such commit is all fired up for a brilliant career at the program.

Syracuse is finally in conversations for some top-rated prospects ever since Fran Brown took over. He now hosts the top punter of the 2026 class, Jimmy Gregg. He is also Fran Brown’s top commit in his 2026 squad. “I just think that the staff that coach Fran is building is special,” Gregg said in a July 9 appearance on Cuse Sports Talk. The specialist was also attracted by Ricky Brumfield’s hiring as special-teams coordinator. At Syracuse, he will be playing in the program’s crown jewel, the Carrier Dome. Syracuse is one of the few teams that play football indoors. Housing 50,000 people on game nights gets raucously loud, says Bleacher Report.

For a punter like Gregg, who made 37 punts and 1,581 yards last year, the nature of the Dome stands as a factor in his capabilities. An indoor field means the turf will not be seeing rain, snow, or other weather conditions, which adds to Gregg’s advantage. However, he isn’t bothered much about it. It was Syracuse that mattered more to him. “It didn’t really matter about the dome to me. I mean, my numbers are going to be great. You know, I have no conditions, but I feel like it was really just the coaching staff, more so than the actual location. I mean, I would play in a wind tunnel if it meant that I got to have coach Fran, coach Brumfield, and coach [William] Coale,” he told Cuse Sports Talk.

It was Fran Brown and Syracuse through and through for Gregg. “There was a proven track record of putting NFL punters from Syracuse… My first visit [when] I got my scholarship from Coach Fran, he asked me, he said, ‘Do you want to play on Sundays?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, I want to play on Sundays.’ And he was like, ‘Good. ‘Cause I don’t want anybody who doesn’t want to play on Sundays on my team.’” Of all the positions from which Syracuse has sent talent to the NFL, the punters proved to be the most productive. Gregg might have a chance to get opportunities that Riley Dixon and Sterling Hofrichter had.

Gregg is all in on Fran Brown’s mission to take Syracuse to the next level. He dropped another jaw-dropping statement, setting the stage for his career as an Orange.

Gregg is keen on winning the big game for Fran Brown

Fran Brown’s debut season came with a lot of notable achievements. After 2018, this was the first time the Orange finished in the Top 20 in the AP poll. They came close to a chance in the playoffs after a long time, which is on the list of goals for Fran Brown this season as well. Gregg, however, thinks that the Orange is set for grander feats when he arrives to play college football. “I just want to let everybody know that we’re going to win a National Championship in the next four years,” he claimed boldly.

“You know, the ACC rankings came out, they have us at four wins. You know, they doubted us last year. They can doubt us again, but it doesn’t matter what people think. You know, we have a different drive in us, and coach Fran is going to push us to be the best team in the country,” Gregg added. Syracuse’s poor ranking is particularly due to the loss of some of its stars. Kyle McCord is in the NFL, and Trebor Pena made a splash in the transfer portal, going to Penn State. Only 46% of the 2024 team returns this season. It will be a difficult road for Fran Brown this season, compared to last year. But this newfound zeal in the Orange is also worth taking into account. But will it be enough for Brown to recreate his 2024 success this year?

Jimmy Gregg is locked in on Syracuse for good. He is proof that Fran Brown’s recruitment drive is markedly different from his predecessors. Dome or not, Gregg is eager to play Syracuse football when his time comes. Can fans expect a National Championship when that happens?