Syracuse, N.Y. — If someone is going to wake you up from a good nap, there better be a valid reason.
For Syracuse wide receiver Darrell Gill Jr., his mother did have worthy news to wake him from a Sunday slumber earlier this week when she spotted her son featured on ESPN’s “You Got Mossed” segment after he made a spectacular catch in SU’s win over Colgate.
“I was taking a nice little nap. My mom called and said, ‘Did you see who shouted you out?’ Saw it was Randy Moss on my phone and I started jumping up and down. It was really exciting,” Gill said.
Gill’s comments on being featured on ESPN, how OC Jeff Nixon’s offense generates the nation’s top passer two years running and the Orange prepping for a trip to Death Valley to open Atlantic Coast Conference play against Clemson on Saturday (noon, ESPN) were among the best things I overheard from the Orange after practice on Tuesday.
WR Darrell Gill 
Syracuse Orange wide receiver Darrell Gill Jr. (15) celebrates a crushing hit on a punt return against the Connecticut Huskies at the JMA Wireless Dome Saturday, September 6, 2025, in Syracuse, N.Y.
Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com
Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com
On what it means to win ACC receiver of the week and to earn gloves from Moss:
“I would say it means a lot because hard work is paying off, but I’ve got to keep working so I get some more gloves.”
On being just one of many who can make big catches in the Orange receiver room:
“I feel like the whole receiving room is talented enough to make those plays. I’m not the only one who can make that play. Most of the time we’re just making plays. The way we practice day in and day out, watching films, meetings and in recovery. We can all make those plays.”
On preparing to play at Clemson:
“To be honest, you really can’t. Death Valley is Death Valley. You can pump in the noise and stuff like that, but we just have to get the jitters out. Once we do that we should be fine.”
QB Steve Angeli 
Syracuse Orange quarterback Steve Angeli (9)runs out of bounds as the Colgate Raiders challenge the Syracuse Orange Friday night, September 12, 2025 at the JMA Wireless Dome. (N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com)N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com
On the schedule ramping up with the start of ACC play:
“Yeah, my mind every game is the Super Bowl. My mind, you know, you only have 12 guaranteed opportunities, so they mean the world. You practice a lot, so to have an opportunity to play football on Saturday is the world to me.”
On how he’s become the nation’s leading passer in OC Jeff Nixon’s offense:
“Coach Nixon’s approach to offensive football is we’re going to be aggressive. So it’s awesome when you come into a situation where you build that trust through our camp and through reps. He does a great job of really just putting us in situations to make plays, whether it be in the run game or in the pass game. We have a very versatile offense, so it’s unbelievable opportunity to play in it. You know, I’m thankful to be a part of it. And we have playmakers all over the field that do a great job.”
On the challenge of facing a talented Clemson defense:
“They’ve been unbelievable. You know, great up front. Great linebackers, great defensive backs, great safeties. You know, they’re very well-coached, very sound. Just got to lock in on protection, seeing the shell and making good decisions.”
OL Joe Cruz 
Syracuse Orange offensive lineman Joe Cruz (78) signals a touchdown as the offense pushed through from the 1 yard line as the Syracuse Orange clashed with the University of Connecticut Huskies at JMA Wireless Dome Saturday, November 23, 2024. (N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com)N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com
On the message from the coaching staff on facing Clemson’s defense:
“Yeah, we just have to be physical. I mean, that’s the coaches tell us all week. We have to be more physical than them. We dominate play, hit the ball, run. They have fast, strong guys. Speed, very fast and quick on their feet. Gotta be on our game. They watch a lot of film. We gotta prepare and we gotta play over play like this.
On what it’s like to prepare to play at Death Valley:
“My freshman year, we played at Clemson in 2022 and I traveled. That was a eye opening experience seeing how schools down south take football like life or death. So, you know, just playing the crowd music at practice. We had the heat on indoors today, everyone was sweating bullets. Even yesterday, we were outside in the hot sun preparing for that heat. The crowd noise is gonna be a factor. Heat’s gonna be factor.”
OL TJ Ferguson 
Syracuse Orange quarterback Steve Angeli (9) makes a quarterback sneak as the Colgate Raiders challenge the Syracuse Orange Friday night, September 12, 2025 at the JMA Wireless Dome. (N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com)N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com
On the progression of the offensive line:
“I feel like it’s gelling more. And that’s the good thing about going through a season, you know, especially now, got a lot of guys who transferred in. We got a lot of young guys with their first time playing. How’s the guy next to me play? All right, we’re gonna do this on this type of block or out wide. When’s the ball gonna come from the quarterback? Quarterback understanding how the route is, that type the timing. So everything is just gelling. The chemistry is just stacking and building every day.”
On QB Steve Angeli:
“He’s a great leader. He demands a lot out of us and he wants that energy reciprocated. He wants us to demand the same out of him. He tells us, if he’s slacking, for us to pick him up. He’s going to pick us up if we’re slacking. And I mean, that’s what you look for in a leader.”
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