Well, the 2025 season opened on a high note for Fran Brown and Syracuse Orange. After all, they were all set to take up Deion Sanders’ open challenge for the spring games. “We will come to Boulder for 3 days.” That’s how, with conviction, Brown and Co. has been gearing up for the spring face-off with the Colorado Buffaloes. However, in the meantime, the spring window ushered some shake-ups as well. Brown had to let go of their 301 lb star, offensive lineman, who chose to swap wagons diving into the portal. As the O-line suffered a huge blow, the Orange gang has been lucky to find their starting quarterback. And guess what? The new signal-caller has already wooed Kyle McCord.

Now that’s some heartbreaking news. Brown will part ways with David Wohlabaugh Jr., who started three games on the offensive line in 2024. This time last year, the offensive lineman was still recovering from the broken fibula he suffered in his second game for Syracuse against Western Michigan in the 2023 season. The injury got serious, affecting the surrounding ligaments, and Wohlabaugh Jr. had to undergo surgery. Back in 2023, he made two starts, saw 108 offensive snaps, and allowed zero sacks. The next season, he appeared in nine games with three starts. Brown’s OL came up with 258 offensive snaps, all but two at left tackle, allowing two sacks on 174 dropbacks. This marked one of Syracuse’s highest-graded pass blockers. But Syracuse’s happy moments have been short-lived.

On April 7, Brown faced the media after their spring practice. That’s when the head coach confirmed that Wohlabaugh Jr. will be entering the transfer portal. The reason? Well, that is not what the fans guessed; that is the playing time issue. Then? He is looking for a change of scenery. Now, while the Orange fans tap into a bad mood, here comes the good news. The former LSU Tigers’ quarterback Rickie Collins jumped into the portal last December. As he searched for a new home, he found one in Brown’s program where he would be the starting quarterback. Now that has been surely a steal deal. 

After all, the Louisiana native was a four-star prospect out of high school after lighting it up at Baton Rouge (La.) Woodlawn High. In the list of top 20 quarterbacks in the country, Collins found himself. And Brown is on cloud nine, having successfully landed the quarterback and handed him the starter’s role for the 2025 season. “The players are behind him. Everybody is behind him, so it seems like he’s going to be our quarterback. I’m very excited and happy about it. He puts the work in daily learning how to lead.” Already, the ceiling is quite high for Brown’s new starting quarterback. 

Syracuse’s former quarterback McCord has committed to the 2025 NFL Draft. But walking into the pro league, he did gift a great season in 2024. He had racked up 391 of 592 yards, along with 34 touchdowns. That’s how Collin’s half work is already done, as the quarterback had received a clean chit from Brown’s former quarterback.    

Fran Brown is blessed with the best in the QB room 

Already, McCord has picked up the hype in the NFL. Going by the projections, he is likely to end up with the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2024, McCord transferred to Syracuse after Ohio State handed the offense over to Will Howard. So, the bond with Brown’s squad has not been for long. However, even then, the QB is sincere about seeking an update on Syracuse’s QB situation. On that note, when Collins’ name came up as his prospective successor, he could not help himself from sharing his take. 

As Brown shared during the press conference, “We just talked Sunday about him, and Kyle said ‘he’s sharp… he really understands the game. You can tell he was paying attention at LSU.'” Now, all this praise game is not new for Collins. A season ago, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels discussed his relationship with Collins and sounded confident about the latter’s future.

“Rickie Collins? I treat him like my little brother. Just seeing him be able to grow day in and day out. Coming in as a true freshman. Trying to just learn how to live on his own, even though he’s from Baton Rouge, but it’s different living on your own. Just how to maneuver and how to treat things professionally? (It’s) how tight we are,” said Jayden Daniels. Now, other than Rickie Collins, Fran Brown’s program has a set of newcomers to watch this spring. That’s linebacker Antoine Deslauriers and wide receiver Darius Johnson, among others, who are likely to turn heads. That’s how the spring season suits Fran Brown and co. well.