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Syracuse names starting QB well in advance of Week 1 matchup with Tennessee
By Mark Kern
Published:
Syracuse was 1 of the most surprising teams during the 2024 season, as the Orange finished the year at 10-3. The Orange had a monster win late in the regular season against Miami, a game that eliminated the Hurricanes from the CFP race.
One of the biggest reasons was the year that quarterback Kyle McCord, as the Ohio State transfer threw for 4,779 yards and 34 touchdowns. He has graduated and could hear his name in the 2025 NFL Draft. With that loss, there was a huge question mark at the position.
It has been a highly contested battle during the spring practices, but coach Fran Brown announced that Rickie Collins will be the Week 1 starter against the Tennessee Volunteers.
Collins transferred in from LSU last December, and he had to beat out redshirt freshman Jakhari Williams and early enrollee Luke Carney for the position. The coaches told the media it was a very good competition, but they went with the transfer in the end.
Starting his career at LSU, he appeared in 4 games last season, throwing for 35 yards. According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, he was a 4-star player in the Class of 2023.
With expectations higher after last season’s success, Brown is looking to see if Collins can have a similar impact that McCord did last season.
