CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Syracuse coach Fran Brown makes it a point to stay in touch with Kirby Smart as a family friend, but the next phone call could be all about business, because it relates to Smart’s youngest son, rising Athens Academy freshman quarterback Andrew Smart.
“I’m going to offer him, I’ve got to call Kirby to do that,” Brown told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution at the ACC Kickoff media event on Thursday.
“It doesn’t have to be a headline, but I think he’s legit. I’ve been watching him play for some years now, and he can really do it. I’m excited for him.”
Andrew Smart, who already has offers from Georgia Tech and Colorado State, recently turned heads with a throwing session at the Georgia practice facility.
Brown, who coached defensive backs at Georgia in 2022 and 2023 before taking over at Syracuse, enters his third season with the Orange, coming off a 3-9 season after a successful 10-3 opening campaign that earned him the FWAA’s Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach of the Year Award.
Brown is confident Syracuse will bounce back, with many players from his first recruiting class blossoming into key roles and firming up the team culture.
“I started to put them into leadership roles halfway through last season,” he said. “When we were about 3-3 I said, ‘You guys have to take over, and we’re gonna win a national championship at some point, and its going to be because of you guys, let’s just stay together, trust me.’”
Brown, whose Syracuse team won 34-21 against Clemson last season, said there’s been a focus on improving the defense with the hire of coordinator Vince Kehres.
Kehres spent the past six seasons at Toledo, where the Rockets ranked among the nation’s leaders in total defense (second), pass efficiency defense (second), scoring defense (fourth) and rushing defense (eighth).
Syracuse returns 62% of its production from last season, ranking 27th nationally.
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