After wrapping up fall camp this past Saturday with a scrimmage, Head Coach Fran Brown has decided to name Angeli the starting quarterback with just 12 days until the Orange’s week 1 matchup against Tennessee. Although Brown recently noted that “It’ll be Rickie’s spot to lose because he was here,” Angeli made a strong enough impact in camp to win the job.
Angeli, a redshirt junior who transferred late from Notre Dame, came to Syracuse after once again being the odd man out with the Irish. He sat behind future NFL players in Sam Hartman and Riley Leonard. Angeli even had the opportunity to lead a scoring drive in the College Football Playoff this past season while Leonard dealt with an injury.
Angeli missed all of the team’s “Spring Ball”; while Collins wasn’t able to play in Syracuse’s spring game due to injury, he was able to have valuable practice reps to gain more familiarity with his teammates and the playbook.
For Collins, a redshirt sophomore who sat behind Washington Commanders superstar Jayden Daniels and future 1st round NFL Draft pick Garrett Nussmeier, his play throughout fall camp made this a difficult decision which came down to wire as week 1 nears closer. Brown has the confidence to play either quarterback if any situation arises during the season:
“First off it says a lot to our fan base. It says a lot to our coaching staff, it says a lot about our players who were able to have two good players come here who want to be part of our program.
Angeli will make his Syracuse debut on August 30th alongside other key transfers: former Texas wide receiver Johntay Cook, former Florida State offensive lineman Terrance Ferguson, and others as Syracuse looks to keep the program momentum from their standout 2024.
Angeli was the older and more experienced quarterback, throwing 772 career passing yards compared to Collins’ 35. This extra experience looks to have lessened the learning curve from the delayed start and helped gain confidence with the playbook and offensive weapons.
Syracuse will face Tennessee and their transfer quarterback Joey Aguilar, with their quarterback battle wrapping up this weekend as well.
This is a breaking news story. Please allow time for updates.
