Since Syracuse joined the ACC in 2013, it has only faced Virginia twice. The Cavaliers and the Orange have only played each other six times in program history, making for a strangely rare matchup in the conference.
This 2026 campaign marks the first time Virginia and Syracuse duel in Charlottesville since 2015. At the moment, the Cavaliers appear to be a significant favorite — but a new defensive leader and the return of a potential star quarterback make for an intriguing matchup on paper.
To explore the Virginia-Syracuse game as part of the way-too-early 2026 opponent preview series, UVA On SI is joined by Nicholas Alumkal, a Senior Writer at The Daily Orange.
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The Syracuse file
The biggest story surrounding the Orange is at the quarterback position — but this situation is different than Virginia’s other opponents. Syracuse does have a highly skilled quarterback in Steve Angeli, so the concern is not about ability. It is about health.
In the first four weeks of the 2025 campaign, Angeli led the nation in passing yards and already recorded 10 touchdowns. He appeared destined for stardom in his redshirt junior campaign.
“He was as accurate as Robin Hood with an arrow and cooler than a bomb disposal expert,” Alumkal said.
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But then disaster struck. Angeli suffered a torn ACL at Clemson and the Orange lost every single game without him. So, the biggest question about Syracuse is how Angeli performs post-injury — but there are other questions besides the health of a promising starting quarterback.
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“Syracuse spent last season wandering the football wilderness,” Alumkal said. “Whether the Orange emerge from that interregnum depends largely on Angeli’s Achilles, [Coach Fran] Brown’s reconstruction project and a roster that remains more promise than proof.”
Can the Orange offense compete with Virginia’s experienced defense?
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Sep 12, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Steve Angeli (9) warms up before a game against the Colgate Raiders at JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
For better or worse, Syracuse is starting with a clean slate offensively. Alumkal mentioned that the top seven Orange in receiving yards are gone, and no returning players ran for more than 40 yards except a backup quarterback. The Syracuse coaching staff is not working with an abundance of continuity at skill positions.
The Orange do feature coveted five-star receiver Calvin Russell — but he might not play against Virginia, as he suffered a torn ACL earlier this spring. Angeli could be targeting two-way player Demetres Samuel, or transfers Elijah Moore (Florida State) and Cole Weaver (Miami).
“The remainder of the room is a mélange of greenhorns, transfers and tantalizing possibilities,” Alumkal said.
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Angeli could also rely on running back Ahmad Miller, a Jackson State transfer who ran for 1,035 yards and five touchdowns in 2025.
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In his four starts last year, the best defense Angeli started against was Clemson. The Cavaliers could present a much more difficult challenge, given that they ranked 35 spots above the Tigers in total defense on the 2025 national leaderboard. Angeli will need to take over the game, which will require a pristine performance from his offensive line in order to upset Virginia.
Angeli is not an incredibly mobile quarterback — he has never rushed for more than 30 yards in a single season.
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A defense hoping to ascend under a new coordinator
Syracuse fielded the worst scoring defense in the ACC last season. That aligns with a common theme shared by some of Virginia’s opponents, namely Florida State and Norfolk State — the idea that things cannot possibly get worse after 2025.
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“Rebuilding this defense is less a renovation than an extirpation project,” Alumkal said.
Even so, the Orange defense could make a significant leap in 2026, as Syracuse hired defensive coordinator Vince Kehres from Toledo. Kehres led the Rockets to finish second nationally in yards allowed per game, third in total defense, and fourth in scoring defense.
Kehres brings a winning pedigree to New York. He spent 20 years as a coach, student assistant, and player at Division III Mount Union, where he helped lead the Purple Raiders to the national championship game every single year.
Before Kehres took the Toledo defensive coordinator job, the Rockets ranked dead last in the Mid-American Conference in total defense.
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As is commonplace in contemporary college football, change is inevitable. The key is, has Syracuse changed enough to drastically improve and eventually topple the contending Cavaliers?
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Virginia is hoping to dispatch the Orange, and build an early hot streak before a crucial road game at SMU one week later. Syracuse could give the Cavaliers a genuine scare, though.
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MIDDLEBURG, Va. – Vice President J.D. Vance is eyeing a multimillion-dollar estate in Middleburg, Virginia, to serve as a part-time home for his family, according to a report from the Washington Business Journal.
The second family is leasing two of the four properties at Wolver Hill Farm, a sprawling, nearly 500-acre estate situated about 45 minutes to an hour outside of Washington, D.C.
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What we know:
The historic property was acquired five years ago for nearly $9 million by Chuck Kuhn, the owner of J.K. Moving.
According to Michael Neibauer with the Washington Business Journal, there are four homes on the 500-acre property which backs up to the Salamander Middleburg Resort and Spa.
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“I wouldn’t be shocked if the Vance family maybe takes advantage of some of those spa facilities that are celebrated out there,” Neibauer added.
Requests for comment regarding the lease agreements were sent to Kuhn’s company, which has not yet responded.
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The potential move comes at a busy time for the Vances, as Second Lady Usha Vance is currently expecting the couple’s fourth child.
The news has quickly traveled through the heart of Middleburg, a historic town known for its vibrant strip of mom-and-pop shops and popular resorts along East Washington Street.
What they’re saying:
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Business owners along the main thoroughfare were universally aware of their potential new neighbor, though several declined to talk on camera.
The reaction to the Vice President’s potential arrival has been mixed.
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“Well, I figure J.D. is going to—the vice president, excuse me— is going to want to play some golf, and I’m a member of Creighton Farms. So, Mr. Vice President, if you’re watching, you’re always welcome on my tee time,” Upperville resident Luke Mahoney said.
When asked if he has concerns about having a potential Secret Service presence in the community, Mahoney said, “No, it can’t be worse than the people that drive 35 miles an hour on Route 50 during commute times. I think they’re very professional; they do a great job. I’m not really that worried about it.”
The Source: This information is from the Washington Business Journal and FOX5 DC reporting.
Vice President JD Vance is leasing part of a sprawling, multimillion-dollar property in rural Virginia to serve as an additional residence for his family, two people familiar with the matter told CNN.
The new rental residence is part of the historic Wolver Hill Farm, which spans nearly 500 acres on the outskirts of Middleburg, Virginia, a wealthy enclave located a little more than an hour drive from Washington, DC.
Wolver Hill Farm is owned by a firm led by Charles Kuhn, the founder of a moving company that has moved several presidents into and out of the White House, including President Donald Trump. The company is also a longtime government contractor.
Kuhn in recent years has become one of the largest landholders in Virginia, as well as a major player in the development of data centers across the state. In one deal last November, Kuhn’s company reportedly sold a nearly 100-acre parcel of land to a data center investor for $615 million.
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Vance is renting part of the Middleburg property from Kuhn’s firm primarily for his wife and three kids, in what the people familiar described as an effort to provide them with a greater sense of normalcy away from the scrutiny of Washington. The vice president is expected to stay there on occasion, though he and his family are maintaining their official residence at the Naval Observatory.
In a statement, Vance’s personal attorney, Chris Ashby, said the vice president planned to pay market value for the property.
“The rent will be at fair market value, determined with reference to the rent for comparable properties in the area,” Ashby said.
Kuhn did not respond to a request for comment. The Washington Business Journal first reported that the vice president was leasing part of Kuhn’s Wolver Hill Farm.
Vance is the latest major political figure to establish a retreat near the small but well-heeled town of Middleburg, which has a population under 1,000 residents. Former President John F. Kennedy once owned an estate in the area, while former President Ronald Reagan once rented a home in the area to serve as a base of operations during his 1980 presidential campaign.
