Syracuse was forced to deal with an unfortunate injury, one that will keep QB Steve Angeli out for the remainder of the season. Despite the Orange’s victory over Clemson, 34-21, not all was fine and dandy. In the end, Syracuse is forced to move forward with their backup quarterback. Carrying a 3-1 record into Week 5, he’ll have a little wiggle room after the Orange picked up their first conference win.
Rickie Collins Expected to be Named Syracuse’s QB1
Seeing as Rickie Collins came in when Angeli went down with an injury, it’s safe to assume the sophomore is the next man up. Collins and Angeli are the only players to throw a pass for Syracuse this season, so it would take quite a week in training camp for any of the team’s three remaining freshmen to pass him up.
Angeli was dealing with an Achilles injury before going down. The 6’3” 212-pound junior spent his last two seasons with Notre Dame, but now had an opportunity to prove himself as a starter. His 2025 numbers will sit at 98/156 for 1,136 yards with 10 touchdowns and just two interceptions. He did not have positive rushing yardage, though he did have a rushing touchdown.
Syracuse starting QB Steve Angeli is set to miss the rest of the season due to an Achilles injury he suffered yesterday vs. Clemson, sources tell @CBSSports.
Unfortunate development. Threw for 244 yards and two TDs before getting hurt. pic.twitter.com/AC8EMWM8yd
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) September 21, 2025
Through four games, Angeli had 11 combined touchdowns, more than he had in his first two seasons. The Westfield, NJ native was 18/31 for 244 yards with a pair of touchdowns when he went down against Clemson. It’s worth noting that the team was monitoring his knee heading into the game.
Read More: Is Steve Angeli Playing With an Injury? The Latest on Syracuse QB’s Knee Trouble vs. Clemson
Collins, who threw an interception against Colgate the week prior, didn’t make the same mistake against Clemson. He hasn’t thrown more than eight passes in a game this season. The LSU transfer threw just seven combined passes in his first two years with the Tigers. Now, he weighs the world on his shoulders as he’s set to lead the charge.
Seeing as he was born in Baton Rouge, LA, it makes sense for Collins to have attended LSU. With those two years behind him, Collins was able to learn from Brian Kelly and back up the likes of Jayden Daniels and Garrett Nussmeier. He’ll be tested against key opponents such as No. 16 Georgia Tech, No. 2 Miami, and No. 22 Notre Dame.
Angeli will have the opportunity to return to Syracuse for his senior season. Depending on how Collins performs for the rest of 2025, he may have to re-earn his QB1 job. Only time will tell as Collins will make his first start next week against 2-2 Duke.
