It’s still 2024, but there’s been a lot of discourse about what 2025 may hold for Syracuse football. The biggest need for a program on the rise is someone to man the offense. Fran Brown hit the jackpot on his first go-around with Kyle McCord, which almost seems impossible to replicate. But, that doesn’t mean the university isn’t going to try, and SU made its first mark earlier today.
Brent Axe of syracuse.com reported that Syracuse is expected to land Rickie Collins Jr. out of the transfer portal from LSU. I know what you’re thinking, who?
Rickie Collins Jr. is a redshirt freshman quarterback from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The 19-year-old committed to his hometown team, the LSU Tigers, and was the backup this past season under Garrett Nuismeier. In his two seasons at LSU, Collins has recorded seven passes for 38 yards.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound quarterback was a four-star recruit out of high school from Woodlawn in Baton Rouge. Collins was ranked the 15th-best quarterback in the Class of 2023 by 247 Sports (a class headlined by Arch Manning and Nico Iamaleava,) and projected as a day-three NFL draft pick.
“{Collins is a} raw physically gifted quarterback that will need time to develop at the next level but possesses all the tools necessary to become an elite level player,” said Cooper Petagna, national recruiting analyst at 247 Sports. “Will need to clean up mechanics from feet up but all aspects of his game that are coachable. More of an athlete at the quarterback position than a quarterback at this point in his career but will benefit from two years of development before seeing significant playing time. Projects a high level multi-year starter with the ability to outperform his projection at the next level.”
This is a very interesting move by Syracuse, to say the least. It definitely makes sense on paper, as the only quarterbacks in the room come 2025 were FAU transfer Michael Johnson Jr. and redshirt freshman Jakhari Williams, but I’m sure SU fans were and still are expecting more. After nine wins in the regular season with McCord and a lot of young talent developing, the consensus was Fran Brown would shoot for the stars once again with a top talent in the portal for the program to compete now. But with this move, it seems more like gearing up for the long haul.
Syracuse has also missed out on some other quarterbacks. Liberty transfer, Kaidon Salter, who visited over the weekend, announced he is transferring to Colorado instead. There’s still plenty of offseason to go, but landing Collins is a smart move for a young quarterback with plenty of upside.
