The moves you hear about the most on the transfer portal are usually the flashy kind of players. Elite quarterbacks, speedy wide receivers, stuff of that sort. But sometimes, the biggest moves a team can make are the ones that go under the radar, especially down in the trenches. Yesterday, Fran Brown and Syracuse football made one of these moves, securing offensive lineman Austin Collins from Louisville.
Collins, who measures in at 6-foot-3, 300 pounds, joins the Orange for his senior season. The Kentucky native started seven games at right guard for the Cardinals last season, but has the versatility to play around the line. In those seven games, Collins had a pass blocking grade of 85.1 according to Pro Football Focus, which was the 38th-best mark among guards in the country.
Collins also ranked as the 66th best transfer offensive lineman is on the market according to 247 Sports. The former three-star recruit played his entire career with Louisville, receiving offers from a lot of schools in the MAC as well.
It’s hard to quantify how good an offensive lineman is, especially when teams work as a unit, but this is a huge get for Syracuse. Depth at this position is extremely important, and the Orange just lost two key linemen from last season, David Wohlabaugh Jr. and Enrique Cruz, to the portal last Friday. Bringing in a veteran who thrives in pass blocking to help out what was a pretty pass-heavy offense last season is huge. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have a guy out there who knows what he’s doing to guide a first-year starting quarterback in Rickie Collins.
Either way, another successful transfer for Fran Brown and his staff, and there’s still more to come. Coach said last week that they definitely want to add another quarterback with the departure of Michael Johnson Jr, so only time will tell what Syracuse football is cooking up next.
