For Syracuse football's game at No. 9 Notre Dame, Fran Brown shuffles QBs again

As Syracuse football travels to No. 9 Notre Dame this Saturday afternoon, the Orange's quarterback shuffle will continue.
As Syracuse football travels to No. 9 Notre Dame this Saturday afternoon, the Orange's quarterback shuffle will continue. | Jeff Romance-Imagn Images

Syracuse football's quarterback shuffle continues.

Freshman Joseph Filardi, a walk-on with the football program who is on scholarship with Syracuse men's lacrosse, is expected to start for the Orange at quarterback when the team travels to No. 9 Notre Dame on Saturday afternoon, according to head coach Fran Brown.

Filardi started against North Carolina on Halloween. He struggled, going just 4-of-18 for 39 yards as the Orange fell to the Tar Heels. On November 8, when the 'Cuse lost at then-No. 18 Miami by a final score of 38-10, Brown inserted redshirt sophomore Rickie Collins back into the starting role at quarterback.

Collins, though, went 12-of-25 for only 85 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. For the entire 2025 season, the transfer from LSU has completed 53.6 percent of his passes for 1,042 yards with six touchdowns against 10 interceptions.

Freshman Joseph Filardi is expected to start at QB for Syracuse football at Notre Dame.

In that setback to the Hurricanes, Filardi completed 3-of-3 passes for 39 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown throw. Freshman quarterback Luke Carney also might play against the Fighting Irish, Brown said at his weekly press conference this past Monday.

Carney has appeared in three games so far this season. He's expected to redshirt, meaning he can play in one more regular-season contest. In the Orange's regular-season finale, the 'Cuse will welcome Boston College to the JMA Wireless Dome.

Syracuse football (3-7 overall, 1-6 in the ACC) is mired in a six-game losing streak. Redshirt junior Steve Angeli, a transfer from Notre Dame, was off to a fast start as the Orange's starting quarterback. He was leading the country in total passing yards, but he suffered a season-ending injury when Syracuse football knocked off Clemson on the road in September.

That win propelled the 'Cuse to 3-1 overall. But with Angeli unavailable after the Clemson win, the Orange has mightily struggled at quarterback. To be fair, however, the 'Cuse has also been up and down on defense, on both the offensive and defensive lines, and in its run game, among other things.

Hopefully, Filardi can have a solid start against Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish defense is tied for No. 17 around the nation in points allowed per game, at 18.40.

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