Seven quarters into the 2025 campaign, the panic meter in Syracuse had already reached a boiling point. With the Orange down two scores in the home opener, fans demanded change. Bench Angeli. Bring in Collins.
Be careful what you wish for.
Through nearly four full games as Syracuse’s starting quarterback, Notre Dame transfer Steve Angeli had the Orange sitting at 3-1. In that time, he led college football in total passing yards, tied the program’s single-game touchdown record, and set the stage for a marquee upset of Clemson. Before going down, Angeli had fans dreaming big. But a torn achilles ended his run. It also completely altered the course of the season for Syracuse.
The Orange now look completely different under LSU transfer Rickie Collins. In two games following its stunning upset over Clemson, the ‘Cuse have scored just two touchdowns. That’s the fewest for the Orange in any two-game stretch under head coach Fran Brown. They’ve been outscored 69-21 in that span, and have found themselves down 3 scores at halftime in back-to-back games.
That raises the question: Is it finally time for a real quarterback change?
The case is certainly there. Under Collins, Syracuse has lost two straight. Dreams of going bowling are fading fast, and expectations for the season have shifted. That’s exactly why the Orange should see what they have in freshman quarterback Luke Carney.
Carney, a three-star recruit from Mesquite, Texas, was one of four signal-callers to join the Orange ahead of 2025. He’s most known as the only quarterback in Texas high school football history to start four seasons and win a state title in each. In 55 games at Dallas Christian High School, Carney passed for over 10,700 yards and 111 touchdowns while adding over 3,110 yards and 42 touchdowns on the ground.
Carney’s presence at the very least makes things interesting for Syracuse. The struggles at quarterback, combined with Angeli’s continued eligibility, are making Collins look like the odd man out beyond 2025. That opens the door for the Orange to weigh experimenting for the rest of the season. Considering his resume, Carney seems like a great option to replace Collins for at least some time.
It remains to be seen if this is the direction Fran Brown and his staff decide to take. But one thing is certain: the Orange are running out of time to salvage what’s left of a seemingly lost season.
