When I asked wide receiver Justus Ross-Simmons on Tuesday why the city of Syracuse should show up and support the Orange on Friday when they take on the Colgate Raiders at the Dome, his response was clear.
“Because we are going to win, that is the reason why everybody should show up, we are just going to perform,” said the senior.
Ross-Simmons carries a sense of “swagger” about him and a level of confidence that is clear when he enters the room.
The confidence from him is also showing up on the field,
as he is already just one reception shy of his total from last season, and has surpassed his touchdown catch total.
The results on the field are in huge part due to his connection with quarterback Steve Angeli, which continues to grow each day.
“Outside of football, the two of us just spend time together,” Ross-Simmons said.
Angeli also makes note of the bond between the two, and mentioned how happy he was to see the senior wideout thrive on Saturday.
“I just couldn’t be more proud of him, the work he’s put in since I have been here and just seeing him grow every day, he deserved it,” said Angeli.
It has been a long journey for Ross-Simmons to get to this point after spending two seasons across the country at Colorado State previously, but the switch was an easy one for the Rochester native who wanted to be closer to home to visit his dad.
“My dad had a heart attack and two strokes and now being at Syracuse it is easier for me to travel back and forth to visit him.”
Ross-Simmons went on to say that this sense of close proximity to his father allows him to keep his mind at ease.
With his mind at ease, he was able to come up with two of the biggest catches in the game in the 27-20 victory over Connecticut, but he also notes that he has even more room to grow.
“I’m not yet at 100% as I still have some things going on with myself, but I am still able to go out there and make plays for the team.”
As the team prepares for a matchup against a Patriot League opponent on Friday evening whom they were able to dominate in 2023, there are still a lot of things to clean up.
However, the confidence that is displayed by Ross-Simmons is mirrored by the rest of the Syracuse team, as Fran Brown said on Monday he wants this week to be a game where certain players can gain some in-game experience that they do not already possess.
One of these players is freshman phenom Demetres Samuel Jr., who should see some snaps at wide receiver Friday, which is extremely exciting for all Syracuse football fans.
At the end of the day, while a game against a FCS opponent may not bring the same name value as an ACC foe entering the Dome, Ross-Simmons notes that the offense needs to be ready to go from kickoff.
“We have to start out fast, because we were able to put up a lot of points in the fourth quarter, but we could have done that throughout the entire game (on Saturday). If we do that, we won’t have to be in a dog fight with teams.”
We will see how fast the Syracuse offense is this week soon, and how the confidence from the comeback win carries over.
What kind of season do you think Justus Ross-Simmons is going to have, and which players do you want to see make a real impact on offense this weekend?
