By Mark Pszonak
Usually when there isn’t a returning starter or impressive portal addition, the announcement of a starting quarterback is delayed until the days, if not hours, before the season-opener. Syracuse head coach Fran Brown will likely be taking a different approach.
Fran Brown says Syracuse Football will have its QB 1 picked soon.
"I ain't got time to play mind games with my team…we're going to pick a Quarterback, run with it…and he's going to be the guy until he tells us he's not," he said. pic.twitter.com/Of7hhLsQZK
— Samantha Croston (@SamCroston1) March 22, 2025
Kyle McCord turned out to be an amazing story for the Orange last season, but the transfer from Ohio State is now preparing for his NFL career. As spring practice began a few days ago in upstate New York, the assumption by most was that the quarterback battle between returning players Jakhari Williams and Michael Johnson Jr. and new transfer Rickie Collins (LSU) would linger through the summer months.
Now that Coach Brown has debunked that theory, it is time to take a closer look at the three candidates. Williams, 6-foot-2 and 203-pounds, is a redshirt freshman from Georgia who did not see the field in 2024. Johnson, 6-foot-3 and 213-pounds, is a redshirt senior who began his collegiate career at Penn State before transferring to Florida Atlantic and then Syracuse prior to the 2024 season. During his one season with the Orange, he served as the primary backup to McCord, but he only completed 2 of 3 passes for 19 yards during his one game of action. Collins, 6-foot-2 and 205-pounds, is a redshirt sophomore who played in four games during his two seasons in Baton Rouge. He has completed all seven of his attempts for 38 yards, while rushing for 37 yards on seven carries.
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While none of the three have a resume that screams “starter”, the opinions coming out of Syracuse is that this competition is already a done deal. Collins was brought in to start. And if Garrett Nussmeier had declared for the NFL Draft, it was likely that he would be the starter at LSU in 2025. Plus, in order to get him to Syracuse, the NIL amount he is rumored to be receiving is not given to a player who sits on the bench. Everything points to the Rickie Collins era starting at Syracuse in 2025, and according to Coach Brown, everyone will know about this decision sooner than later.
