Syracuse football has one of the more intriguing quarterback competitions across the country as the Orange and its peers are engaged in falls camps ahead of the 2025 season.
At this juncture in preseason camp, things are pretty well equal for the starting quarterback position at the 'Cuse in 2025, with Notre Dame transfer Steve Angeli, a redshirt junior, and LSU transfer Rickie Collins, a redshirt sophomore, both performing well, according to the 'Cuse staff.
What's cool about this QB competition is that the 6-foot-3, 212-pound Angeli, from Westfield, N.J., and the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Collins, out of Baton Rouge, La., are battling hard but also showing tons of respect for one another.
By extension, Syracuse football coaches and other Orange players are showering each quarterback with high praise. It's a lot of fun. While I don't think either signal-caller can replicate Kyle McCord's record-setting production a stanza ago, I also don't believe the quarterback position will be any sort of liability for the 'Cuse in the upcoming campaign.
Syracuse football coaches and players weigh in on their quarterbacks.
Head coach Fran Brown, via Syracuse.com, had this to say about the QB competition: "One is super talented as a arm thrower (Collins) the other one is a natural quarterback leader (Angeli) and it just depends on what our team needs. So we got a couple weeks. We got two scrimmages. We'll find out who's gonna be the guy."
Offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon notes that Angeli has more of a "veteran presence," and that's because he's played more so far in college. Neither Angeli nor Collins has thrown a ton of passes in college, although last year, Angeli did play well in a College Football Playoff semifinal game for Notre Dame against Penn State when Riley Leonard had to be evaluated for a possible concussion.
Angeli would complete six of seven pass attempts for 44 yards. Notre Dame defeated Penn State and advanced to the CFP national championship encounter, where the Fighting Irish lost to Ohio State. Nixon, meanwhile, says that Collins is "really talented," adding that both quarterbacks are "really smart."
Senior defensive lineman Denis Jaquez Jr. had some eye-opening quotes: "Both those guys are elite. It's really like a one-two punch. I don't know how Coach Fran is going to pick. They're both so talented and I'm just excited whichever guy Coach Fran goes with. I'm confident in each."
I agree with Jaquez in that both Angeli and Collins hold a ton of promise. Each was a four-star prep prospect, and both players were also top-25 quarterbacks coming out of the transfer portal this past off-season.
Sophomore Yasin Willis, who will likely be the Orange's starting running back in 2025, said: "It's fun to watch it, because the boys, they really competing with each other. Like they're banging out for the spot. So you know, it's good to see you got two leaders on the team. So if one go out, then you got another one that you can trust."