Rickie Collins developed in a QB factory at LSU. He’s finding his way at Syracuse.
Rickie Collins elected to stay home for college at LSU. After two years, he transferred to Syracuse, where he’s set to take over at QB. Lars Jendruschewitz | Senior Staff Photographer
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Rickie Collins’ Syracuse football career began in 2023 on a basketball court in Baton Rouge.
Before his freshman campaign at LSU, Collins connected with upperclassman Duce Chestnut away from the football facility. Playing one-on-one, Collins and Chestnut both proclaimed themselves as the victor. When the two teamed up, Chestnut compared them to NBA stars Russell Westbrook and James Harden in their primes.
So over a year later, with Chestnut at Syracuse and the Orange needing to replace Kyle McCord following the 2024 season, Chestnut looked to his former backcourt partner.
“As soon as I heard he was entering the (transfer) portal, I hit up Fran (Brown) the very next moment, and was like, ‘We need to go get him,’” Chestnut said.
While forming a bond with Chestnut at LSU, Collins also developed in a quarterback factory. The Baton Rouge native initially elected to stay home for college, learning under Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels and top 2026 NFL Draft prospect Garrett Nussmeier. Collins then jumped into the transfer portal after his sophomore campaign in December.
He chose the Orange and was named the starter entering fall camp. Though he lost the starting role to Notre Dame transfer Steve Angeli to begin the year, Collins will be thrust into the spotlight as Syracuse’s starting quarterback for the foreseeable future after Angeli suffered a torn Achilles in SU’s win over Clemson.
Collins described getting the start as bittersweet after Angeli’s injury. Nevertheless, he has the keys to the Orange’s kingdom.
“It’s been a long road. It’s something I prayed for,” Collins said of earning the starting role.
As Collins navigated the transfer portal, his mother, Precious Collins, said they didn’t want location to affect his decision. After spending the first 20 years of his life in Baton Rouge, Collins made his move.
Precious saw her son visibly nervous when they went on his official visit to Syracuse in December. How would I fit in with the team? What will it be like being away from home?
Then Collins saw Chestnut. Precious remembers Chestnut approaching Collins and dapping him up. Her son’s face lit up. She realized he’d be alright.
It wasn’t Collins’ first time experiencing a recruiting process. He was the No. 15 quarterback in the 2023 class and the ninth-best player in Louisiana. But he initially committed to Purdue in October of his junior campaign.
Later in his junior year, the hometown Tigers began to heavily pursue Collins. LSU’s campus is 10 minutes from his home. He had already built a fan base through his stardom at Woodlawn High School, where he was coached by former LSU quarterback Marcus Randall. Tigers’ head coach Brian Kelly and then-quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan even came to Woodlawn to meet Collins.
It all made too much sense. Collins flipped to LSU.
“In Baton Rouge, everybody wants to be the hometown hero and go play for LSU,” said Roy Brackins III, Collins’ former teammate at Woodlawn and one of his best friends. “It was a no-brainer.”
Rickie Collins (left) poses with Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels (right) ahead of the 2024 Relia Quest Bowl. Daniels, in his fifth college season, became a mentor for the freshman Collins before moving on to the Washington Commanders. Courtesy of Joe Mestas
Once Collins enrolled with the Tigers, he was enthralled in an echo chamber of elite quarterbacks. A mural in LSU’s quarterback room displays the university’s top signal callers. Bert Jones. Joe Burrow. Daniels was added after his historic season. LSU 2024 backup AJ Swann said the wall sets the standard for the unit, constantly pushing them to uphold it.
Daniels was the elder statesman, taking Collins — the youngest of five quarterbacks — under his wing. Chestnut said Collins was “on Daniels’ hip” daily. Precious added that Collins spent most Sundays during the 2023 season watching NFL games at Daniels’ place. She also formed a friendship with Daniels’ mother, Regina Jackson.
While mentoring Collins, Daniels became the best quarterback in the country. He was selected No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders, where he won the Offensive Rookie of the Year and led Washington to the NFC Championship game.
“He taught me a lot about how to carry myself, how to be a pro,” Collins said. “It’s his demeanor, how mature he was and how he went about his business.”
The two remain close, though they don’t have much time to hang out in person anymore. Collins has joined Daniels in California multiple times for offseason workouts. Collins’ quarterbacks coach, Wyatt Davis, sees similarities in their play styles, both pocket passers with the ability to scramble when plays break down. Though their bond stretches beyond the field.
“That is my little brother,” Daniels wrote in a statement to The Daily Orange. “Our relationship is a little brother, big brother and I’m rooting for him.”
Once Daniels moved on to the NFL, Nussmeier became LSU’s starter, and the Tigers added Swann from Vanderbilt to bolster the room. Nussmeier’s precision in the pocket earned him the job, giving Collins a different style to learn from.
The LSU quarterback climbed draft boards after his first season as a starter but decided to use his fifth year of eligibility rather than turn to the NFL. As Nussmeier weighed his options, Swann said the three quarterbacks stayed in contact. Both Swann and Collins, who had planned to make their decision based on Nussmeier’s, entered the transfer portal after he chose to stay put.
Joe Zhao | Senior Staff Photographer
Precious said Collins spoke with Appalachian State, while Davis knows of two other Atlantic Coast Conference schools that were in the mix. But Collins had his eyes set on Syracuse.
In December, Brown met with Collins for two days straight. He then talked with Collins over the phone, along with Precious and others from Baton Rouge. Brown felt Collins could fit into SU’s culture, but made it clear he had to compete and nothing was promised, Collins said.
As Collins and his family mulled over a life-altering decision, they turned to their faith. Precious said she asked God for a sign. A few days later, she was shopping at Target in Baton Rouge when she noticed something peculiar in the sports section. There were the usuals. The New Orleans Saints. LSU. Southern University at New Orleans. But at the end of the rack sat a pile of navy Syracuse shirts.
“I sent the picture to Rickie, and I’m like, ‘This might be God,’” Precious said.
Collins benefited from attending college in his hometown. Swann said Collins bonded with other players from Louisiana in the locker room. George Hamsley, who was an LSU quarterback in 2023, added that Collins knew all the good food spots around town and had family throughout Tiger Stadium on game days.
Precious estimated that Collins came home “almost every day.” If he was feeling down, his family became an easy outlet to fall back on. He even boiled crawfish at home from time to time, a Louisiana staple.
He’s a long way from Baton Rouge now. Nearly 1,500 miles. Yet he still carries his hometown with him. In spring 2023, when he enrolled early with the Tigers, Collins got the word “Louisianimal” tattooed along his left shin.
“I pride myself on showing and constantly representing where I’m from and putting on for the boot,” Collins said. “That’s who I am, and I was born and raised. Obviously, I loved it so much I stayed for two more years. So (I) just try to carry those traditions, that swagger, that confidence with me wherever I go in the world.”
Rickie Collins warms up before Syracuse’s season opener versus Tennessee. After Steve Angeli tore his Achilles in SU’s win over Clemson, Collins will take over as the Orange’s new starting quarterback. Leonardo Eriman | Photo Editor
Collins is figuring out life by himself. He’s now focusing on the basics: buying groceries and cleaning his house. While simple tasks, they’ve helped him mature.
“I’m more on my own now,” Collins said. “It’s giving more of a professional feel, carrying myself the right way. Taking care of myself the right way.”
He was treated like a professional on the football field, too. Collins was named SU’s starting quarterback in the spring but raised question marks after not playing in the spring game due to a right-hand injury. Then, top Syracuse wide receiver Trebor Peña transferred to Penn State after expressing concerns about playing with a first-time starter.
The Orange brought in Angeli from Notre Dame, creating an open competition in fall camp. At Syracuse’s annual pre-camp burning of the shoe, Collins tossed in his cleats from when he injured his hand in practice. The ritual represents clearing the past and starting fresh.
Collins had the upper hand with time but ultimately lost the competition to Angeli. Instead of transferring or sulking, Collins kept working and supported Angeli. He’s gradually earned his time to shine.
Collins’ first game action for SU came against Colgate, where he began noticeably shaky and threw an interception on his first drive. But he settled in and threw a touchdown soon after.
Then, against Clemson in Death Valley, Angeli went down near the end of the third quarter and couldn’t put weight on his left leg. Collins said it hurt to see Angeli in pain, as the two had grown close.
Still, he needed to close the game. After an incompletion, Collins delivered a pass to Justus Ross-Simmons for a touchdown. The score put the Orange up by 20 and helped seal the road victory.
Collins is too busy to be shooting hoops with Chestnut at this point. He has much more important things on his plate. In Brown’s second season, the Orange are raising their national status each week. Collins is suddenly at the forefront.
