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Forbes
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Notre Dame Transfer Steve Angeli Wins Syracuse Quarterback Job
If not for backup quarterback Steve Angeli, Notre Dame may have never played for a national title last season. Angeli led the Fighting Irish on a crucial drive late in the first half of their College Football Playoff semifinal victory over Penn State, displaying skills that portended a potential starting job this fall. Angeli will indeed start a season opener for the first time in his career, but not at Notre Dame. Instead, Angeli will be the starter for Syracuse, the school he transferred to in April after he was the odd man out in Notre Dame's quarterback competition. Syracuse made the news official on Monday, declaring that Angeli had beaten out Rickie Collins, an LSU transfer. Angeli will start when the Orange face No. 24 Tennessee in Atlanta on Aug. 30. The Volunteers will start Joey Aguilar, a transfer who completed 60.1% of his passes for 6,760 yards and 56 touchdowns as Appalachian State's starter the past two seasons. Angeli committed to Notre Dame in March 2021 when Brian Kelly was the head coach. He signed with the program in December 2021 shortly after Kelly left for LSU and Marcus Freeman replaced Kelly. Angeli redshirted his freshman season, then played in eight games in 2023, including making his first (and only) career start in the Sun Bowl when he completed 15 of 19 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns and led the Fighting Irish to a 40-8 victory over Oregon State. Last season, Angeli served as the backup to Riley Leonard, a Duke transfer. Angeli played sparingly in 11 games but made an impact in the CFP semifinal against Penn State. When Leonard went into the concussion protocol late in the first half, Angeli entered and completed 6 of 7 passes for 44 yards on the final drive of the half, leading to Mitch Jeter's field goal that cut Notre Dame's deficit to 10-3. The Fighting Irish ended up winning 27-24 to advance to the national title game, where they lost to Ohio State. Despite being the most experienced quarterback on the roster in the spring, Angeli knew his days were numbered when Freeman chose to narrow the competition to then-freshman CJ Carr and then-sophomore Kenny Minchey. Carr, a top recruit in the high school class of 2024, has yet to throw a pass in college, while Minchey has only attempted three passes in two seasons. Freeman still hasn't announced a starter, telling reporters on Sunday that Carr and Minchey have 'both been playing really, really well' and noting that he will make a decision soon. Notre Dame is No. 6 in the preseason Associated Press poll and visits No. 10 Miami in the season opener on Aug. 31. Angeli, who graduated from Notre Dame, will return to the school when Syracuse plays at Notre Dame Stadium on Nov. 22. Even when Angeli transferred to Syracuse, he was not guaranteed the starting position, as Collins had been with the Orange since December after transferring from LSU. Collins, who grew up near LSU's campus in Baton Rouge, only appeared in four games over two seasons with the Tigers. Still, Syracuse named Collins the starter in early April before Angeli committed. Now, it is Angeli's turn to lead the Orange, which is coming off a 10-3 season in which quarterback Kyle McCord threw for 4,779 yards (the most in the Football Championship Subdivision) and 34 touchdowns. Syracuse faces a difficult schedule, including playing Atlantic Coast Conference foes Clemson (No. 4 in the preseason AP poll), SMU (No. 16), Miami (No. 10) and Notre Dame on the road. Angeli may face some obstacles along the way, but he is in an enviable position he's never been in before, seizing an opportunity and starting for a major program.
Forbes
a day ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Notre Dame And Ohio State Still Have Quarterback Competitions
After facing each other in the College Football Playoff national title game in January, Ohio State and Notre Dame enter this season among the favorites to play again for the championship. Still, they both have difficult tests in Week 1. And they both have not yet named a starting quarterback, a position that could make or break whether they live up to expectations. The Buckeyes, the reigning national champions, are No. 3 in the Associated Press preseason poll and host No. 1 Texas on Aug. 30 in the season opener. A day later, No. 6 Notre Dame visits No. 10 Miami in another highly anticipated matchup. Ohio State coach Ryan Day has narrowed the starting quarterback competition to sophomore Julian Sayin and junior Lincoln Kienholz, neither of whom have much experience. They spent last season backing up Will Howard, a transfer from Kansas State who helped Ohio State win its first national title in 10 years by completing 17 of 21 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns and running 16 times for 57 yards. Sayin, who turned 20 last month, was the top quarterback in the high school class of 2024, according to the 247Sports Composite. He was ranked ahead of DJ Lagway and Dylan Raiola, who started at Florida and Nebraska last season, respectively. Sayin, who grew up in Carlsbad, Calif., signed with Alabama in December 2023 and enrolled in classes but transferred to Ohio State the next month after Alabama coach Nick Saban retired. Sayin played in just four games last season, completing 5 of 12 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown. Kienholz, meanwhile, is only the second player from South Dakota who signed with Ohio State. He won three consecutive state titles at T.F. Riggs High School and was the No. 15 quarterback in the high school class of 2023, per the 247Sports Composite. As a freshman, Kienholz appeared in two regular season games and in the Cotton Bowl, completing a combined 10 of 22 passes for 111 yards. But last season, he didn't attempt any passes. Whoever wins the starting job will be throwing to the top receiver in college football in Jeremiah Smith, a 6-foot-3, 223 pound sophomore who caught 76 passes for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, setting Ohio State freshman records in each category. Carnell Tate, the No. 3 receiver last season, is also back. Tate, a junior, had 52 catches for 733 yards and 4 touchdowns a year ago. Notre Dame is in a similar spot with sophomore CJ Carr and junior Kenny Minchey battling it out for the starting job. CJ Carr, the grandson of former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, was the No. 6 quarterback in the high school class of 2024 behind Sayin, Lagway, Raiola, current South Carolina backup Air Noland and current Mississippi State backup Luke Kromenhoek. Carr redshirted last season after sustaining an elbow injury in September, but he played well in the team's annual Blue-Gold Game scrimmage in April, completing 14 of 19 passes for 170 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. After Steve Angeli, who was the backup to Riley Leonard last season, transferred to Syracuse in the spring, it was assumed Carr would be the favorite to start this fall. Still, the Fighting Irish are considering giving the starting job to Minchey, who was the No. 14 quarterback in the high school class of 2023, one spot ahead of Kienholz. Minchey appeared in three games as a freshman and one game as a sophomore last season. He has only attempted three passes in college, completing all of them for 16 yards. After a scrimmage Sunday, Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman told reporters that he still had to watch the tape of how the quarterbacks performed before naming a starter for the Miami game. 'We've got to make a decision here soon,' Freeman said. 'I don't know when we'll make it. I don't want to put a timeline on it. But they've both been playing really, really well. You've got two guys that have been battling all camp, and today was no different…Both of those two have really elevated their play.' If the Fighting Irish can rely on their quarterback this season, they should be in good shape. They have arguably the nation's best running back combination in juniors Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, as well as an experienced offensive line, a talented tight end in Eli Raridon and an improved receiving group that includes returners Jaden Greathouse and Jordan Faison and transfers Malachi Fields (Virginia) and Will Pauling (Wisconsin). And on defense, Notre Dame has several starters returning, including preseason All-American Leonard Moore at cornerback plus cornerback Christian Gray, safety Adon Shuler and linebackers Jaylen Sneed and Drayk Bowen. Even with all of that talent plus a top-tier coach in Freeman, the Fighting Irish are facing a tougher regular season schedule than a year ago. After losing to lowly Northern Illinois in the second game, Notre Dame won its final 10 regular season games against a weak slate of teams before winning three in a row in the postseason against Indiana, Georgia and Penn State. This season, the Fighting Irish open with Miami on the road, then get a week off before playing No. 19 Texas A&M at Notre Dame Stadium on Sept. 13. They also play at Arkansas on Sept. 27, followed a week later by hosting No. 25 Boise State, and face USC at home on Oct. 18 and Pittsburgh on the road on Nov. 15. The Fighting Irish relied last season on Leonard, a veteran who had started for two seasons at Duke before transferring to Notre Dame. Leonard completed 66.7% of his passes for 2,861 yards and 21 touchdowns and ran for 906 yards and 17 touchdowns. They won't have the same experience at quarterback this season, making the position much more of a question mark and leading to a thorough evaluation before committing fully to either Carr or Minchey. Freeman, for his part, said on Sunday that he has the best staff in the country and always relies on offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock and others for their input and feedback. Still, there is no doubt who has the final say on who will start at quarterback at Miami. 'At the end of the day, I have to make a decision,' Freeman said. 'It will be my decision. I'm not passing this along on anybody else.'
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
No. 8 Alabama names Ty Simpson its starting QB for the season, which begins at FSU
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — No. 8 Alabama has named Ty Simpson its starting quarterback heading into the team's season opener at Florida State. Coach Kalen DeBoer told Simpson along with fellow QBs Austin Mack and Keelon Russell before sharing the news with the team Monday. DeBoer and Simpson later spoke with Yea Alabama, a membership site that provides funding to the school's student-athletes. 'They went through the X's and O's of why I would be the starter and said they were really proud of the QB room for how tight-knit we were,' Simpson said. Simpson, a fourth-year junior from Martin, Tennessee, spent the last three years waiting for his shot. He backed up Bryce Young in 2022 and then Jalen Milroe the last two seasons. 'My journey is like no other,' Simpson said. 'And I think it meant a lot to the guys as well, knowing that I've had opportunities to leave and I didn't because I want to be here, and I want to be with my guys. 'Not only is it hard, sitting and waiting in this new era of college football, but you are sitting and waiting at the best, most competitive college football program in the nation. So I'm very excited for the opportunity I've been given.' Simpson has completed 29 of 50 passes for 381 yards, with no touchdowns and no interceptions in 16 games. 'That's what's great and why I love rooting for Ty is just the journey he's been on and the way he's been loyal to Alabama, loyal to his teammates,' DeBoer said. 'He continued to stay and keep fighting and do it in a way where he never lowered his level of character and always kept being a great teammate, first and foremost. So it makes it really easy, from a teammate standpoint, to root for him." Simpson's first career start will come Aug. 30 in Tallahassee, Florida, against the Seminoles, who are trying to regroup after losing 11 of their last 13 games. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and
Washington Post
7 days ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
No. 8 Alabama names Ty Simpson its starting QB for the season, which begins at FSU
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — No. 8 Alabama has named Ty Simpson its starting quarterback heading into the team's season opener at Florida State. Coach Kalen DeBoer told Simpson along with fellow QBs Austin Mack and Keelon Russell before sharing the news with the team Monday. DeBoer and Simpson later spoke with Yea Alabama, a membership site that provides funding to the school's student-athletes. 'They went through the X's and O's of why I would be the starter and said they were really proud of the QB room for how tight-knit we were,' Simpson said. Simpson, a fourth-year junior from Martin, Tennessee, spent the last three years waiting for his shot. He backed up Bryce Young in 2022 and then Jalen Milroe the last two seasons. 'My journey is like no other,' Simpson said. 'And I think it meant a lot to the guys as well, knowing that I've had opportunities to leave and I didn't because I want to be here, and I want to be with my guys. 'Not only is it hard, sitting and waiting in this new era of college football, but you are sitting and waiting at the best, most competitive college football program in the nation. So I'm very excited for the opportunity I've been given.' Simpson has completed 29 of 50 passes for 381 yards, with no touchdowns and no interceptions in 16 games. 'That's what's great and why I love rooting for Ty is just the journey he's been on and the way he's been loyal to Alabama, loyal to his teammates,' DeBoer said. 'He continued to stay and keep fighting and do it in a way where he never lowered his level of character and always kept being a great teammate, first and foremost. So it makes it really easy, from a teammate standpoint, to root for him.' Simpson's first career start will come Aug. 30 in Tallahassee, Florida, against the Seminoles, who are trying to regroup after losing 11 of their last 13 games. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: and
Associated Press
7 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
No. 8 Alabama names Ty Simpson its starting QB for the season, which begins at FSU
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — No. 8 Alabama has named Ty Simpson its starting quarterback heading into the team's season opener at Florida State. Coach Kalen DeBoer told Simpson along with fellow QBs Austin Mack and Keelon Russell before sharing the news with the team Monday. DeBoer and Simpson later spoke with Yea Alabama, a membership site that provides funding to the school's student-athletes. 'They went through the X's and O's of why I would be the starter and said they were really proud of the QB room for how tight-knit we were,' Simpson said. Simpson, a fourth-year junior from Martin, Tennessee, spent the last three years waiting for his shot. He backed up Bryce Young in 2022 and then Jalen Milroe the last two seasons. 'My journey is like no other,' Simpson said. 'And I think it meant a lot to the guys as well, knowing that I've had opportunities to leave and I didn't because I want to be here, and I want to be with my guys. 'Not only is it hard, sitting and waiting in this new era of college football, but you are sitting and waiting at the best, most competitive college football program in the nation. So I'm very excited for the opportunity I've been given.' Simpson has completed 29 of 50 passes for 381 yards, with no touchdowns and no interceptions in 16 games. 'That's what's great and why I love rooting for Ty is just the journey he's been on and the way he's been loyal to Alabama, loyal to his teammates,' DeBoer said. 'He continued to stay and keep fighting and do it in a way where he never lowered his level of character and always kept being a great teammate, first and foremost. So it makes it really easy, from a teammate standpoint, to root for him.' Simpson's first career start will come Aug. 30 in Tallahassee, Florida, against the Seminoles, who are trying to regroup after losing 11 of their last 13 games. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and
