Three reasons Syracuse football fans should believe in new starting QB Rickie Collins

Following a historic win over Clemson and with a sold-out home game coming up, it’s a little discouraging to see the hopes and aspirations for the Syracuse football team somewhat modest at the moment. Obviously, the reason for that is the season-ending injury to quarterback Steve Angeli. But Angeli’s injury doesn’t mean the season is over or expectations have to change.

Rickie Collins is ready to step in for Angeli as Syracuse’s starting quarterback. Granted, Collins didn’t make the strongest first impression for Orange fans against Colgate two weeks ago. But it’s important to keep in mind that if Angeli hadn’t left Notre Dame in the spring transfer portal, Collins would have been the starter this season. Other than that, here are three reasons why Syracuse fans should believe that Collins can lead the Orange to a successful season.

His Pedigree

There’s no doubt that Collins lacks experience at the college level. Even after his cameos against Colgate and Clemson, he has just 21 career pass attempts. But his background suggests that he’ll be ready now that he’s getting his chance to start. After all, Collins was once a four-star recruit and among the top high school quarterbacks in the country.

At LSU, he spent two seasons on the sidelines watching Jayden Daniels, the reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Garrett Nussmeier, a future NFL quarterback who is leading a top-five team. Collins also spent a little bit of time around Kyle McCord in the lead-up to last year’s Holiday Bowl win. He’s had plenty of time to watch great college quarterbacks and learn from what they do, including his time this season as Angeli’s backup. That time spent watching and learning should help to reduce Collins’ learning curve once he steps onto the field as the starter.

Rickie Can Run

One thing that Collins brings to the table that Syracuse wasn’t getting from Angeli is the ability to use his legs. In fairness, Angeli had a few nice runs to gain yards and moved around well in the pocket before getting hurt against Clemson. But Collins is a bona fide athlete who is a genuine threat to use his legs at any time.

Syracuse fans got a taste of that in the Colgate game. Before throwing his first career touchdown pass, Collins showed his running skills and shake-and-bake ability on a 15-yard scramble. Whether offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon will call more designed runs for Collins remains to be seen, especially since Syracuse doesn’t want to dig any deeper on the quarterback depth chart. However, there is no question that Collins will be a bigger threat to run when plays break down than Angeli was, giving the Orange offense a new dimension.

The Syracuse Wide Receivers

Admittedly, this reason to believe in Collins isn’t directly related to the sophomore quarterback. However, it’s still a reason to believe that Collins can succeed. Both Darrell Gill and Justus Ross-Simmons have made highlight-reel grabs this season, catching anything thrown close to them. Meanwhile, Dan Villari leads the team in receptions, serving as one of Syracuse’s unsung heroes this season, while Johntay Cook was the team’s leading receiver against Clemson.

Given the play of the Syracuse receivers early in the season, there is no doubt that Collins has plenty of help around him. Don’t sleep on the running back tandem of Yasin Willis and Will Nixon. The Syracuse offense can lean on them a little more, especially with the way the offensive line asserted itself against Clemson. Even if Angeli leaves big shoes to fill, Collins won’t be asked to put the team on his shoulders. With a strong supporting cast around him, Syracuse’s new starting quarterback will be set up for success right away.