SU names Steve Angeli starting QB before opener vs. No. 24 Tennessee
After a battle with Rickie Collins for the starting job throughout much of the summer, Syracuse named Notre Dame transfer Steve Angeli as its Week 1 starting quarterback Monday. Angelina Grevi | Staff Photographer
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Syracuse football will start Notre Dame transfer quarterback Steve Angeli to begin its 2025 season, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Monday, ending its quarterback competition between Angeli and LSU transfer Rickie Collins.
Last week, SU head coach Fran Brown said the quarterback battle was leaning “51-49” in Collins’ favor, and that it was his job to lose. But Brown is instead opting for the slightly more experienced Angeli, who tossed for 772 yards and 10 touchdowns over sporadic appearances at ND from 2023-24. Collins totaled seven pass attempts at LSU over the same span.
The Orange held their second scrimmage of fall training camp on Saturday, a major step to decide Angeli and Collins’ quarterback battle. Before the scrimmage, Brown expressed confidence in both signal-callers’ ability to command the offense.
“I thought they were doing a (really) good job. Just hoping Rickie takes another huge step this week. It’s gonna mean a lot to us. Pushing for that,” Brown said on Aug. 11. “And Steve’s done a great job also. So hoping that Steve takes another huge step this week.”
Angeli will be under center for Syracuse when it opens its 2025 campaign in Atlanta on Aug. 30 against No. 24 Tennessee. He’s tasked with following the act of former Orange quarterback Kyle McCord, who set the Atlantic Coast Conference single-season passing yards record (4,779) in 2024 after transferring to SU from Ohio State.
Angeli gained prominence in last season’s College Football Playoff Semifinals after coming off the bench to lead a crucial ND scoring drive. Subbing in for a briefly-injured Riley Leonard, Angeli completed 6-of-7 passes for 44 yards to set up a field goal, which proved to be the difference in Notre Dame’s 27-24 win over Penn State to advance to the national title game.
Considering how close Syracuse’s quarterback competition was, it’s safe to say Collins will see the field in some form. Collins hasn’t tallied an incompletion in his seven career attempts over two seasons, but the junior transfer elicits a major threat with his legs, something the Orange could use alongside a pro-style quarterback in Angeli.
The Orange open their season against the Volunteers next Saturday at noon in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It’s Syracuse’s first time facing Tennessee since 2001.
