LSU quarterback Rickie Collins Jr. plans to transfer to Syracuse, a source familiar with the situation confirmed to syracuse.com on Wednesday.
Collins, who visited Syracuse last week, is a promising, athletic quarterback who spent the last two seasons at LSU, a powerhouse in the SEC. In 2023, he was in the same quarterback room as Jayden Daniels, who won the Heisman Trophy before being selected as the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft and becoming a leading candidate for NFL Rookie of the Year with the Washington Commanders.
Collins served as a backup to Garrett Nussmeier this past season. A dual-threat quarterback, he has appeared in only four games across two seasons and thrown just seven passes. A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Collins chose to play for LSU out of high school, where he was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2023 and an Elite 11 finalist during his time at Woodlawn High School.
He will have three years of eligibility remaining.
Syracuse was looking to strengthen its quarterback room, which includes seventh-year senior Michael Johnson Jr. and redshirt freshman Jakhari Williams. Incoming freshmen Luke Carney and Rich Belin are also expected to join the program in 2025.
Collins was among several quarterback transfer targets being pursued by head coach Fran Brown and his staff. Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter and Virginia quarterback Anthony Colandrea both visited Syracuse over the weekend, though Salter committed to Colorado on Wednesday.
Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 205 pounds, Collins would join a Syracuse program that struck gold in last year’s transfer portal with the addition of Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord. McCord, who had starting experience in the Big Ten, led the nation in passing yards and set several Syracuse single-season records, including yards (4,326), completions, and touchdown passes (29) during the regular season.
Syracuse will conclude its 2024 season in the Holiday Bowl against Washington State on December 27 in San Diego.
