Syracuse has finally named its starting quarterback for the Aflac Kickoff against Tennessee on August 30th, ultimately naming former Notre Dame quarterback Steve Angeli. The battle between Angeli and former LSU quarterback Rickie Collins has made for a difficult and competitive offseason for both of them. From May up until August, it has been back and forth, making it hard for Coach Fran Brown and the entire staff to name a starter. Now, the most important position on the field is set, so what does Angeli bring to the team?
Syracuse’s Official Starting Quarterback
An Experienced Leader and Quick Learner
Angeli’s top trait as a quarterback is his mindset. How he prepares and presents himself on the field makes him a true leader in the backfield. Last January, he was thrown into action against Penn State in the Orange Bowl with no starts on the season. Down ten points nearing the end of the half, Angeli stepped in for an injured Riley Leanord and flipped the momentum of the game. Notre Dame ended the drive with a crucial field goal, their first points of the game.
Fast forward to May, Angeli transferred to Syracuse after spring practices. Angeli is by far the most experienced quarterback on the team. In his collegiate career, he has thrown for over 700 yards and ten touchdowns. Brown, now in his second year with the Orange, decided to bring Angeli onboard reflecting back on Angeli’s Orange Bowl performance, “To have a guy just be able to come in with so much poise, so much leadership, seeing the team be behind him, him being able to take them down the field and score.”
Now just over one week away from kickoff in Atlanta, Angeli has secured the spot due to his consistency, confidence, and leadership.
Close to Home and Close Relationships
On top of his college football experience, Angeli has many connections to the staff through high school. From New Jersey, Angeli played for Bergen Catholic and Coach Vito Campanile, the brother of current Syracuse quarterback coach Nunizo Campanile. Nunzio Campanile, the former interim head coach for Syracuse when Coach Dino Babers was fired, helped recruit Angeli back in 2021. Ultimately, Angeli chose Notre Dame but is now back with the Campanile family.
Along with coaches, Angeli has faced off with some of his new teammates, as most of the Orange’s roster is from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Maryland. He joins running back Yasin Willis, receiver Emanuel Ross, and many other players, coming from New Jersey.
Starting in a Neutral Setting
Angeli made the most sense based on Syracuse’s schedule. Starting with a neutral site game would’ve been difficult for Collins since he has no neutral site experience. Angeli is the only quarterback on the team to have any bowl game experience. He has played in three bowl games and one regular-season neutral-site game. Angeli, in those four games, has thrown 317 passing yards, 200 of those being in his lone start against Oregon State in the 2023 Sun Bowl.
Replicating Last Season’s Passing Stats
It’s unlikely that Angeli is able to match McCord’s nation-leading 4,779 passing yards last season, but Angeli is a better runner than McCord, giving the Orange a new element to the offense. Previously mentioned in a past article, Angeli spoke with McCord before coming to Syracuse, which played a big part in his recruitment.
It won’t be easy for Angeli to face a top 25 team in hostile water, but time will tell. Later this week, the full 2025 Syracuse preview will be out, so stay tuned for that.
Main Image: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The post Breaking News, Syracuse Names their Quarterback appeared first on Last Word on College Football.