NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
Fran Brown has named the new quarterback for the Syracuse Orange and that QB will be Rickie Collins, the former LSU transfer. The 6’2, 205 lb, red-shirt sophomore will take over for the Orange after a record-setting year by Kyle McCord. Syracuse will have an uphill battle to replace a lot of star power from the previous season and a tougher schedule. Will Collins step into that role after limited on-field experience at the college level?
Unless you’re a die-hard college football guy, you’re probably a casual Syracuse fan who’s wondering what they’re getting out of their newly appointed starting QB. Right off the bat, just from the limited highlights, he a 4-star prospect recruited to LSU which should gain favor from Cuse fans. LSU is known to have success with quarterbacks not only at the college level, but Jayden Daniels and Joe Burrow have shown up big at the NFL level so someone saw his potential to bring him in.
So how did he end up at Syracuse? Well when you have the star power of a school such as LSU, there’s a chance they’ll bring in more than one top recruit, meaning there will always be a QB competition. If you’re the backup who doesn’t see the development with the school’s top stars, there’s a good chance you make a play for another program via the transfer portal to earn a starting spot. Everyone with NFL dreams wants to get their play on tape as soon as possible to start building their highlight reel. A lost QB battle doesn’t always equal bad QB play. Kyle McCord proved that a transfer can succeed after entering the portal and SU hopes Rickie Collins will have similar success.
So what exactly does he bring to the table? Right off the bat, after watching some highlights, it looks like Collins brings his best work out of the shotgun formation. He’s got the speed to move around behind the line of scrimmage and the accuracy to put the ball into tight windows. He’s got the athletic ability to make plays and keep the drive going but he’ll need some polish as well.
Syracuse plays a fast offense so he’ll need to be able to read defenses and get rid of the ball quickly. Timing will be the biggest challenge going into his first year as QB for Syracuse. Not from a skill set standpoint, but the Orange lost enough starters such as running back LeQuint Allen, TE Orande Gadsden II, WR Jackson Meeks, and QB Kyle McCord. This offense will be built around chemistry.
With Fran Brown at the helm, detail, and accountability are tentpoles of his coaching style. With limited play at the college level, Collins will be learning on the fly from in-game experience. If he can keep his composure and a sense of poise about him, he’ll grow into the starting role very quickly. The Orange didn’t play mistake-free football last year, but they were able to overcome by keeping their head in the game. Collins will have to show his mental toughness and ability to shake it off as this unit grows.
Syracuse will play their spring game on Saturday, April 12th at 3 pm.
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