Spring practice gives 1st glimpse at LSU transfer QB Rickie Collins
Rickie Collins Jr. transferred to Syracuse from LSU in the offseason, possibly setting him up to take the starting quarterback job in 2025. Leonardo Eriman | Asst. Video Editor
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Inside the Ensley Athletic Center, Syracuse quarterback Rickie Collins sported a clear visor, a curly afro and a tattoo on his left shin saying “Louisianimal.” Meanwhile, NFL Draft prospect Kyle McCord stood on the sidelines wearing a hoodie, sweatpants and sneakers, posing with recruits for photographs.
McCord’s time with the Orange was up. A new sheriff was in town.
SU’s first spring season practices on Friday and Saturday provided a glimpse into the future. Following two seasons at LSU, Collins transferred to Syracuse with three years of eligibility remaining.
A competition remains open through the spring with redshirt senior Michael Johnson Jr. and redshirt freshman Jakhari Williams returning for second years with the Orange. But SU head coach Fran Brown said Friday he’s not waiting to pick a quarterback, making the next few weeks extra important toward Collins quickly establishing his role as QB1.
“We all know what’s at stake this spring,” Collins said Friday. “We all know what we want. We all want to be the guy.”
Saturday’s practice began with all indications pointing toward Collins sitting in the driver’s seat. As Syracuse wrapped its pre-practice stretching to break into position group drills, the three-star transfer rallied the team.
Still, throughout the limited individual drills viewable to media, Collins worked out of the second-string spot. Johnson took most reps with presumed starting running back Yasin Willis, while Collins paired with sophomore Jaden Hart. Johnson returns to the room after nabbing the primary backup role in 2024, appearing in just one game. Williams is also in the mix alongside freshman early enrollees Luke Carney and Rich Belin. Since transferring in late December, Collins knew a starting role wouldn’t be gifted to him.
“(Brown) made it very clear that I was coming here to compete,” Collins said. “I wasn’t promised anything. I had to come in and work, just how everyone is working.”
Transfer QB Rickie Collins Jr. (@RickieJCollins1 ) is putting in the reps as Syracuse gears up for the start of 2025 Spring Ball. @DOsports pic.twitter.com/VC50aN4cPz
— Leonardo Eriman (@ErimanLeo) March 22, 2025
Entering spring last season, McCord was the clear-cut starting quarterback following a starting stint at Ohio State. Collins’ inexperience creates a competition where no quarterback on the roster has passed for a touchdown in college. The uncertainty now forces everyone to adjust. SU’s 2024 receptions leader Trebor Peña said Friday it’s important to build a connection with all the quarterbacks at this point in the offseason.
Collins was seen Friday communicating with Peña on inside crossing routes, attempting to perfect their connection. He also spread the ball to Emanuel Ross, Ja’Meer Thomas and Nate Edwards, using his legs at times to run the option with Willis and Hart.
Brown was simple in explaining what he wants in a quarterback: throw the ball to players on their team, help the Orange get points and finish with more points than the opposition. Though, when pinpointing what a starter looks like during spring practice, he wants someone to simply take it. Brown mentioned studying the simplest forms of body language, like when a quarterback throws an interception. How will he respond?
The attributes were impossible to examine during Collins’ time with the Tigers. He attempted just seven passes across two seasons, sitting beyond future NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels and then 2025 Heisman Trophy favorite Garrett Nussmeier.
To understand Collins, Brown met with him for two days straight. He spoke with Collins’ mother, family and other supporters in Baton Rouge, diving into what he would bring to SU’s program. With McCord’s recent success and Collins’ unproven yet talented skillset, both sides knew they’d found a match.
“I knew he would fit here,” Brown said. “I think this would be the perfect fit for him to come and show who he is.”
“I kind of knew where I was going when I entered the portal,” Collins added. “Watching those guys and watching what (McCord) did the past year, it gave me extra motivation to make this the place.”
Different from McCord, Collins will likely run more often, using his legs to extend and finish plays on the ground. Collins hinted at the possibility of more quarterback runs, though he noted offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon has been calling similar plays to what they ran through McCord so far. Similar to what McCord showed last season, Collins said he sees himself as a natural leader, allowing people to gravitate toward him.
In SU’s second practice, Collins showed poise in individual drills on the outside field with quarterbacks coach Nunzio Campanile. He worked through progressions, looking off an assistant coach posing as an inside linebacker and delivering a sharp spiral through the middle.
At least in his first season at Syracuse, Collins likely won’t be able to replicate McCord’s single-season success. McCord burst onto the scene with the Orange by leading the nation in passing attempts (592), completions (391) and yards (4,779). He’s now slated to be a Day 2 pick in the NFL Draft in just over a month, becoming the first SU signal caller to be selected since Ryan Nassib in 2012.
Yet the key to flourishing for Collins might lie in not being McCord. Collins said the two have talked multiple times since joining the Orange, and McCord gave advice on how to go about his business at Syracuse. But Collins is his own person with his own skillset.
He became a four-star recruit and the No. 9 player out of Louisiana in the 2023 class with his pure athleticism and sharp pocket presence. If not for Nussmeier foregoing the NFL Draft and using his fifth season, Collins would be next in line at LSU, a quarterback factory that’s produced multiple stars. Now, he’s the apparent heir for the nation’s leading passer anyway.
“I want you to not worry about Kyle McCord,” Brown said of his next starting quarterback. “I don’t care about that. (McCord) is gone now. He’s about to get drafted extremely high and go dominate somewhere else. I want to see you come in here and do it your way.”
