Syracuse QB room breakdown: Steve Angeli's return & transfer portal additions

The Orange are looking forward to seeing Steve Angeli back under center after fully recovering from last season's season-ending injury.

Aug 30, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Steve Angeli (9) reacts during a timeout against the Tennessee Volunteers in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In 2025, Syracuse's offense was rolling with quarterback Steve Angeli under center. Through the first 3.5 games of the season, Angeli appeared to be picking up where his predecessor, Kyle McCord, left off.

In the first four games of the 2025 season, Angeli threw for 1,317 yards, 10 touchdowns, and just 2 interceptions, leading the Orange to a 3-1 record. But he suffered an Achilles tear in the second half of its road win against Clemson.

Syracuse cycled through three quarterbacks after Angeli. LSU transfer Rickie Collins and freshman Luke Carney each had turns running the offense with limited sucess. Collins transferred to Kennesaw State, while Carney is now at Houston. At one point, the Orange turned to Joseph Filardi, a lacrosse player who was a walk-on with the football team.

None of them could replicated Angeli's success, and Syracuse went on to lose eight straight games, not scoring in the 20s the rest of the season.

Offseason Changes

Syracuse is anxiously awaiting the return of Angeli under center, and head Fran Brown has made severl other changes around him.

While offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon returns, Syracuse has hired a new quarterbacks coach, Sean Ryan. Ryan has 30 years of coaching experience, with more than half of that time being spent in the NFL.

The Orange has also added a group of quarterbacks behind Angeli that should lead to less of a drop off should Angeli not be available to play.

New portal additions

Through the portal, Brown acquired Kennesaw State’s Amari Odom, Georgetown's Danny Lauter, and UTEP’s Malachi Nelson.

Odom was named to the All-Conference USA First Team after racking up 2,594 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also rushed for 347 yards and seven touchdowns. Odom figures to be the primary backup to Angeli after leaving a starting position to compete for a role with a Power 4 program.

Nelson has had a windy career after being named the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2022 cycle. He was used sparingly in his first two stops at UCS and Boise State before earning (and then losing) the starting job at UTEP. With the Miners, he finished with 1,163 yards and eight touchdowns against nine interceptions.

Lauter also adds depth to the quarterback room through three seasons with the Hoyas. He played most in the 2024 season, throwing for 1,852 yards and 11 touchdowns (10 interceptions).

Filardi rounds out the quarterback room after appearing in four games, throwing for 226 yards and a touchdown.

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