Going into 2024, the quarterback position was one of the few areas that didn’t have a lot of question marks for Syracuse Football (0-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference). The rookie season for head coach Fran Brown saw him bring in Ohio State’s Kyle McCord, who joined the Orange and shattered all expectations. McCord set the ACC’s all-time passing record with 4,779 yards, coupled with 34 touchdowns, to lead SU to its first ten-win season since 2018. But with McCord departing the program and now a part of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, what does the quarterback position look like for the Orange in 2025?
Obviously, replicating McCord’s production from 2024 will be close to impossible, and Fran Brown certainly understands that. Because of this, Brown was aggressive in his pursuit of the signal-caller position in the transfer portal, setting up a battle for the starting job throughout training camp between two potential candidates: Notre Dame’s Steve Angeli and LSU’s Rickie Collins Jr.
“I’m not really trying to compare them to Kyle,” Brown said at training camp. “I’m trying to compare them to them being able to run the offense the best that they can run offense, to do what fits them.”
That battle was the talk of the town up until Monday, when it was announced that Angeli will be manning the offense week one.
"It just came down to operation... being able to run the operation the best. We felt a little bit of a nod over him but it was extremely hard, I was up for a long time just trying to figure this out... it was a complete battle," head coach Fran Brown said
Despite Angeli receiving the initial nod for week one let’s meet all the options coach Brown has at his disposal for 2025.
Steve Angeli (Redshirt Junior)
The first fighter wasn’t originally part of Coach Brown’s plans. Syracuse football snatched up Steve Angeli from the portal in May to set up the previously mentioned QB competition. Angeli stands at 6-foot-3, 212 pounds and hails from Westfield, New Jersey, an area that Fran Brown has seen plenty of success from so far (i.e, Kyle McCord.) Angeli’s track record is certainly more polished than Collins’, appearing in 21 games for the Fighting Irish, going 58-of-80 for 772 yards and 10 touchdowns. Angeli even took some snaps in this past year’s College Football Playoffs after starter Riley Leonard went down with an injury.
Comparing Angeli’s game to Collins’ is almost like comparing apples to oranges (no pun intended.) Angeli enters the competition as more of a proven passer, with a strong arm, but not as much mobility. Additionally, Angeli is a year older and has much more experience than Collins. It seems Brown couldn’t have gone wrong with either option, and eventually settled on Angeli heading into August 30th in Atlanta.
“I think they’ve done a real good job,” Brown said this week at training camp. “Just hoping Rickie takes another huge step this week. That would mean a lot to us. I’m pushing for that. Steve’s doing a great job also. So hoping that Steve takes another huge step this week. ... I pray they take another big step this week. It’d be big for our program if they do that.”
Rickie Collins Jr. (Redshirt Sophomore)
The unfortunate loser of the quarterback battle is Rickie Collins Jr, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound redshirt sophomore from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Collins Jr. announced his transfer to the Orange in December and was expected to be the guy. Coach Brown even proclaimed Collins as the starter earlier this year, but like many parts of sports, things can change in an instant.
Collins served as the backup quarterback for LSU this past season, where he appeared in four games and went 7-of-7 passing for 38 total yards. The former four-star prospect distinguishes himself from Angeli with his ability to improvise, thriving using both his arm and legs when the pocket collapses. The sample size is small, but Collins has turned heads throughout training camp and even carried the slight edge in reps just weeks ago, according to coach Brown
The Rest Of The Room (Jakhari Williams, Luke Carney, Rich Belin)
Despite the Angeli and Collins Jr. battle stealing all the headlines, there’s plenty of talent behind those two waiting for an opportunity, including two true freshmen joining the program.
First up is redshirt freshman Jakhari Williams, who joined the Orange in the 2024. Williams stands at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, with his biggest quality being his legs. The Georgia native has impressed throughout training camp with his running ability, but most likely does not see the field this season with the logjam of talent ahead of him.
Behind him are two true freshmen who are certainly redshirt candidates: Texas’ Luke Carney and New York’s Rich Belin. Carney, a three-star prospect, was a Blue Grey All-American in high school and ranked as a top 300 player in the state of Texas. Belin, also a three-star, took home MaxPreps’ New York High School Player of the Year as a junior. Coach Brown said both quarterbacks have “stood out in the second group of guys,” which is a sign of things to come for SU.
Syracuse football kicks off its season in a neutral-site game against No. 24 Tennessee (0-0, 0-0 Southeastern Conference) on August 30th at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The contest gets underway at 12:00 p.m. Join us on 88.3 FM and waer.org at 11:00 a.m. for McClurg Remodeling Countdown To Kickoff.