Marcus Freeman looks to close the gap between a near-championship season and a whole championship season. But heading into the spring, a common and challenging problem started to get in the way. After a stunning season finish, the Irish faced a flurry of departures in the winter portal. The blow also continues in the ongoing spring portal, with 11 players signing off the board. They closed their spring practice a bit early due to the ongoing transfers. Freeman got a good hold on his Walk-Ons, but that can only yield results if the team remains stable for a while longer. But do you see what seems to be the linchpin of their entire spring portal woes? The three-year-old veteran of the program is gaining ground! Steve Angeli, the unsung Irish hero, finds a new home.

Steve Anglie’s departure put a bitter taste in the mouth this off-season. While the move was shocking, it was far from a surprise. Freeman has clarified that the QB competition will stick to two quarterbacks at South Bend, CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey. Carr showcased the flashes of brilliance during the initial week of spring practices. Minchey seems top-tier as a passer with extraordinary game-management skills. Freeman definitely has grounds to keep both of them on watch. But then, Angelli, after a three-year push as the backup, couldn’t settle for a bare minimum (being a third wheel). But the question persisted: Which team will allow him to capitalize? And after a week or so. Congrats! Syracuse will have a unique quarterback on their roster.

Guess who got a thumbs up to cheer the kid up! None but his former school senior, Riley Leonard, and the foregoing crown jewel of the Orange, Kyle McCord. Leonard reshared the poster (shared by the Orange’s official page) on his Instagram handle with a caption, ‘Your time 18.’ On the other hand, McCord, 22, wholeheartedly passes the torch to his potential successor with a one-word greeting. ‘Congrats,’ he wrote over the comments on Angeli’s IG post. What a beautiful yet contradictory overlap of events!

Angeli served primarily as a backup during his three-year Irish stint. He didn’t get a lot of chances to turn heads. But with limited opportunities, what he did will remain priceless. Remember the ecstatic ethos after he led the Irish to a game-changing field goal right after the first half during the CFP Semifinal against Penn State.

Leonard went down with an injury, and the next go-to guy understood his assignment pretty well. There are tons of Steve-Angeli highlights in the Irish chronicle that might not go to history but can give you goosebumps for sure. Angeli completed six of seven passes for 44 yards against the Nittany Lions and finished the season 24 of 36 (66.7%) for 268 yards and three touchdowns on the year. However, keeping aside the past glory, let’s dig deeper into Syracuse and Coach Brown’s significant recruitment win over the other suitors.

Steve Angeli had deeper ties with Syracuse 

There is no rocket science behind the move. It wasn’t NIL money. So what did push Angelli toward the Orange? The connections stretch beyond the football parameters. Angeli played his high school ball at Bergen Catholic in New Jersey, where he spent a significant time with the current Syracuse QB coach, Nunzio Campanile, and developed a bond. Nunzio head-coached the kid for a few years.

Brown is a Camden native with extensive coaching experience at Rutgers and Temple. The Northeast coaching ties are evident. Although the connection with McCord, who has known Brown since middle school and played youth football with the son of offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon, is more direct, it’s still significant. This is Syracuse’s secret weapon in the portal.

The Orange was also playing Patrick on Philadelphia and New Jersey prospects who already have relationships with the coaching staff. Their cultural connection made it quite easy for the talents to co-adjust. Angeli snubbed Syracuse while choosing Notre Dame three years back; now, he is in a good spot to realize how far they have come. But can he get what remains an unfinished dream at South Bend? The starting job under the center! The starting job under the center remains uncertain because Rickie Collins has already gained traction in the spring game.