Syracuse QB Rickie Collins intends to enter transfer portal
In one season with the Orange, Collins moved in and out of the starting spot multiple times, finishing with six touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Leonardo Eriman | Senior Staff Photographer
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Syracuse quarterback Rickie Collins intends to enter the transfer portal, CBS Sports reported Thursday. In one season with the Orange, Collins moved in and out of the starting spot multiple times, finishing with six touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Collins transferred in from LSU in the winter transfer portal as the apparent successor to Kyle McCord. With the Tigers, Collins learned under quarterbacks Jayden Daniels and Garrett Nussmeier. He served as Nussmeier’s third string in 2024 and moved on to SU over Appalachian State, reconnecting with former LSU teammate and Syracuse safety Duce Chestnut.
He separated himself early in the spring quarterback competition, beating out Jakhari Williams for the starting spot. Syracuse head coach Fran Brown named Collins the starter before the spring game, but a hand injury sidelined Collins, and a few days later, top wide receiver Trebor Peña transferred after concerns over Collins’ ability.
Brown brought in Steve Angeli from Notre Dame in the spring transfer portal, opening up the quarterback competition across the summer and into fall camp. After what was said to be a tight battle in training camp, Angeli won the starting job, moving Collins to a backup role. Collins served as the backup across the first four games as Angeli led the nation in passing.
He slotted into the Colgate game with the score out of reach and showed some ups and downs. Then, on the road against Clemson, Angeli tore his Achilles, thrusting Collins into action to close the game. Collins did just that, securing the victory. But as he moved into a starting role, Collins quickly proved he couldn’t be a starter at the Power Four level.
The Orange failed to score over 20 points in his first four starts as Collins tallied seven interceptions. With SU’s season spiraling, Brown benched Collins in favor of true freshman walk-on Joe Filardi against North Carolina and Bill Belichick. Filardi’s play was so bad that Brown admitted postgame that he thought of putting Collins back in during the final minutes. Though Brown didn’t, instead reinserting Collins as the starter against Miami.
Against the Hurricanes, Collins threw two interceptions and zero touchdowns, prompting Brown to put Filardi in at the end. Filardi then started at Notre Dame with Collins listed as the third string, and in the season finale against Boston College, he didn’t play either.
Collins joins Jakhari Williams and Luke Carney as SU quarterbacks to announce their plans to enter the transfer portal at Syracuse this cycle. Angeli is expected to be the starter when he returns from injury, and with Collins on the way out, SU will be shopping for a viable backup in the transfer portal.
