As Syracuse's QB struggles continue, where should they turn next?

September seems like a really long time ago. Back then, there was hope that Syracuse would continue building on its stellar 10-win season. A 3-1 start highlighted by a win in Death Valley seemed to indicate the season was heading in the right direction.

As it turned out, that would be the end of anything remotely positive to occur in 2025 for the Orange. Steve Angeli suffered a torn Achilles against Clemson. Rickie Collins, who had battled with Angeli for the starting job during the summer, stepped in. While he was not as polished a passer, Collins led scoring drives and closed out the win over the Tigers’ talented defense.

The season went off the rails after that. Syracuse plays Notre Dame after losing six straight, with each loss coming by at least 13 points. What’s more, the Orange has failed to eclipse 18 points in that span. I wrote that perhaps it was time to consider starting freshman quarterback Luke Carney following the loss to SMU, with an eye on a home date with UNC on Halloween as the preferred time to break in the young passer.

A quarterback shuffle

Instead, Fran Brown threw us a massive curveball by starting a different freshman, Joseph Filardi. The walk-on quarterback arrived at Syracuse as a lacrosse recruit, but he also played quarterback in high school. What transpired was a dismal outing after Filardi completed just 4 of his 18 passes for 39 yards. Carney ended up seeing some action late in the game, but did not attempt a pass.

The debacle resulted in Collins’ return to the starting role against Miami. However, a dismal performance led to him being yanked in the fourth quarter in favor of Filardi. The freshman led Syracuse’s only touchdown drive of the afternoon, completing all three of his attempts for 39 yards and a score.

Syracuse’s season has largely failed due to the Orange’s inability to find a suitable replacement for Angeli. In an article published on Wednesday, ESPN rated Collins as the 66th quarterback out of the 68 "Power 4" schools. There are other issues plaguing the squad as well. A porous offensive line, an inconsistent run game and a defense that cannot defend the pass have all contributed to a rough campaign, but those issues were exacerbated by a steep decline in quarterback play.

The key question

That brings us to the latest conundrum: who should Brown start for the final two games? It is unlikely the team will go back to Collins. It would seem Filardi is the logical choice, but perhaps the staff would like to get a look at Carney or redshirt freshman Jakhari Williams.

While these final two games do not really count for much, SU has no chance of reaching a bowl game, but they could go a long way in identifying who will back up Angeli in 2026. There is a possibility that player is not on the roster right now, but Brown and his staff should give every quarterback a chance to prove they deserve to be in the conversation. It is hard to imagine the offense could get much worse than how it has looked over the past two games. What’s the harm in giving Carney or Williams a shot to impress?

If neither of them gets an opportunity, that should probably tell us everything we need to know about how Brown and his staff view those two players. It’s not a guarantee that it would spell the end of their time with the program, but in the era of the transfer portal, it feels likely they would each take the hint. Collins likely will be on his way out as well.

While these final two games will not be enough to salvage Syracuse’s season, although upsetting Notre Dame and beating a rival in Boston College would definitely change the energy around the team, there is still plenty for the Orange to play for as they close out the 2025 campaign.

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