Fran Brown’s Assistant Is Dragging Syracuse QB Saga for Personal Reasons, but Clear-Cut Leader Emerges

If you thought the quarterback job at Syracuse was settled, you might be wrong. Head coach Fran Brown named LSU transfer Rickie Collins as his starter back in April, and fans thought they had their guy. But then Notre Dame’s Steve Angeli entered the portal, and suddenly Fran had to rip open the QB competition again. Collins, the presumed starter, is now stuck in limbo.

This isn’t just about two talented players dueling for reps. The plot thickened when Angeli landed in Syracuse, bringing with him a deep family coaching connection. That’s where Syracuse QB coach Nunzio Campanile enters the picture. Now comes the twist: Angeli’s transfer isn’t merely strategic. He chose SU in part because of his bond with Nunzio Campanile, a relationship stretching back to high school. But that puts Fran Brown in a tough spot. He had committed to Collins, yet now has to explain to both Collins and Angeli where things stand, with serious family ties entangled.

As Javon Edmonds put it: “I think if you’re making a decision for the future of your program, you start with Rickie Collins… it’s just the breaking the news to Steve Angeli, right? I mean, that guy’s been around the Campanile family his whole life. That’s kind of the reason he’s at Syracuse. So, how do you break that news to him?” He added: “But I think right now, Ricky’s got the leg up. I wouldn’t be shocked if we see both of them playing throughout the first three weeks… it might be a two‑quarterback thing.”

This competition has all the makings of college football controversy. Collins has experience and momentum. But Angeli brings pedigree and personal loyalty. Nunzio Campanile clearly pushed for his former high school quarterback, and now Fran Brown has to deliver the difficult news that the starting gig might still be shared. Angeli reportedly talks freely with Nunzio, and that connection adds weight to his case. Meanwhile, Collins was originally pegged as QB1 based on leadership, mobility, and performance in training camp. Their internal alignment now matters almost as much as what happens on the field.

With just a few weeks before that Week 1 opener against Tennessee in Atlanta, Syracuse fans are in suspense. Will Fran Brown play both in the early games? Will Collins still emerge as the one? Or does Angeli’s family-backed arrival change the roadmap entirely? Either way, Rickie Collins’s path is clouded with questions, and Fran Brown’s next move could define the season. That brings us to the moment Fran Brown made his intentions clear for Angeli.

Fran Brown was already sold on Angeli long before he hit the portal

Fran Brown didn’t just stumble into Steve Angeli. He had his eye on the former Notre Dame QB well before Syracuse even entered the picture. Watching Angeli’s breakout performance in the Sun Bowl, Brown was desperate to get Angeli in. “My mind was like, ‘If he ever hits the portal, I’m on him,’” Brown admitted at ACC Media Days. “I was watching him every day. It happened that Rickie [Collins Jr.] got hurt … everything just fell together.”

And while that pursuit brought serious heat to the QB room, Collins didn’t flinch. He could’ve easily let the change of plans shake his confidence, but his response was all class. “There’s no reason for me to leave,” he told Syracuse.com. “Just stay with the team and trust Coach Brown and trust that he trusts me, and keep working.” That’s exactly the kind of presence a locker room needs, and a major reason fans still believe he’ll come out on top.

With Tennessee just around the corner, the Orange are facing the most anticipated QB reveal in years. “The competition” is no longer a formality. It’s the heart of the offseason storyline. Whoever will be the QB1, the goal should be the same: taking the team to the top and nothing less than the playoff conversation.