Tag: Rickie Collins

Report: LSU quarterback Rickie Collins lands at ACC school

Former LSU football quarterback Rickie Collins found a new home after entering the transfer portal

Per a report, Former LSU quarterback [autotag]Rickie Collins[/autotag] has zeroed in on a new school after entering the transfer portal earlier this month.

Collins is transferring to Syracuse, according to a report from Syracuse.com’s Brent Axe on Wednesday.

Through two seasons with the Tigers, Collins totaled four appearances with seven passes for 38 yards while also adding 18 yards on the ground. In his true freshman season, he sat behind Heisman winner Jayden Daniels and backup Garrett Nussmeier. Collins retained the same role on the depth chart in 2024 as Vanderbilt transfer AJ Swann was the backup.

A Baton Rouge, LA native, Collins played high school football at Woodlawn. He flipped to his home state school after originally choosing Purdue. He was the No. 13 prospect in Louisiana and No. 17 at the quarterback position, drawing a four-star ranking from On3’s Industry Rankings.

The dual-threat quarterback would join a Syracuse team that went 9-3 in its first season under head coach Fran Brown. Former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord joined the Orange and finished tenth in the 2024 Heisman voting. It seems that Collins is looking to follow McCord’s lead as the latter sets his sights on the 2025 NFL Draft.

Collins’ chances of seeing the field consistently in Baton Rouge were slim, especially after Nussmeier announced his return for a final year. However, his physical attributes and dual-threat game will make him competitive at Syracuse.

LSU quarterback Rickie Collins enters transfer portal

LSU is losing a quarterback to the transfer portal

LSU football took its first transfer portal loss of the season on Sunday with backup quarterback [autotag]Rickie Collins[/autotag] jumping in.

The news was first reported by Hayes Fawcett of On3Sports.

Collins was a four-star prospect in the class of 2023. He has three years of eligibility remaining after redshirting last fall.

Collins entered the year in a battle for QB2 with Vanderbilt transfer AJ Swann. He saw limited action in his time with LSU, attempting just seven passes to go along with seven carries. Collins posted 37 yards through the air and 38 on the ground.

When Garrett Nussmeier went down with a shoulder injury vs. Oklahoma, it was Swann entering in relief, not Collins.

Some LSU fans may take this as a sign that Nussmeier plans to return. If Nussmeier declared for the draft, Collins would be in the thick of a quarterback battle, especially with Bryce Underwood flipping to Michigan.

Collins won’t be the first Tiger to transfer out of Baton Rouge. In the modern era, there’s sure to be a handful every year.

LSU’s Colin Hurley among Phil Steele’s top 25 preseason quarterbacks

Colin Hurley reclassified from the 2025 class, but the young passer could develop into one of the nation’s best.

LSU could have one of the nation’s top quarterbacks once again this season as [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] is set to take over for Heisman winner [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] after three years of waiting and some impressive flashes in a backup role.

But beyond Nussmeier, the quarterback room is still solid. The Tigers added transfer [autotag]AJ Swann[/autotag] to a room that already included redshirt freshman [autotag]Rickie Collins[/autotag], and in the 2024 recruiting class, it signed four-star quarterback [autotag]Colin Hurley[/autotag].

It will probably be some time before Hurley makes an impact on the field. The Jacksonville, Florida, signal-caller reclassified from the 2025 class and was just 16 years old when he enrolled at LSU in January. But the talent is there with Hurley, who was considered among the top 2025 passers before he reclassified.

Phil Steele named Hurley one of his top 25 freshman quarterbacks in the country.

Hurley’s ranking took a bit of a hit when he reclassified, and he ultimately finished as the No. 356 player and No. 25 quarterback in the 247Sports composite rankings.

He is almost certainly heading for a redshirt season in Year 1, but with some development, he has the chance to be the next great LSU quarterback.

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Where does LSU’s quarterback room rank nationally entering 2024?

LSU is losing a Heisman-winner at quarterback, but Garrett Nussmeier seems ready to take the mantle.

LSU enters the 2024 season — the third under coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] — with quite a few questions.

However, one of the most pressing has to do with the game’s most important position. Heisman-winning quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] is out, and [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] is set to take over the starting job after seeing sporadic action in his first three seasons.

In addition to Nussmeier, the Tigers have Vanderbilt transfer [autotag]AJ Swann[/autotag], redshirt freshman former four-star recruit [autotag]Rickie Collins[/autotag] and [autotag]Colin Hurley[/autotag], a true freshman early enrollee who reclassified from 2025 to 2024.

While that group isn’t the most experienced in the country, it does feature quite a bit of talent. In his rankings of college football quarterback rooms in 2024, On3’s Jesse Simonton slotted the Tigers eighth.

LSU lost Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels, but the Tigers have kept Garrett Nussmeier around for a reason and the country will see why this fall. Just in case, Brian Kelly added some interesting insurance to the QB room as well, grabbing Vandy transfer AJ Swann (27 touchdowns, nine picks in his career).

Replacing a player of Daniels’ caliber won’t be easy, but it’s hard to see quarterback as a major concern despite the fact that it will likely be rolling with a signal-caller who has made just one career start, which came in the ReliaQuest Bowl at the end of the 2023 season.

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How many freshmen received redshirts in 2023?

LSU signed 26 high school recruits in the 2023 class. How many of them were able to retain their redshirts?

Out of the 26 high school recruits who signed with the LSU Tigers in the 2023 recruiting class, how many of them were able to retain their redshirts so they could possibly play an extra year?

The answer is 13 players. Nine on the offensive side of the ball four players on defense. A lot of these guys saw action in multiple games this season and most of them will see action in the bowl game as it does not count towards losing your redshirt.

Here are the 13 players who will receive a redshirt and be classified as redshirt freshmen for the 2024 season.

LSU officially announces three transfers additions

LSU officially announced the addition of three transfers to the team for the 2024 season on Friday.

LSU Football just officially announced the addition of three transfers to the team for the 2024 season. The Tigers announced the addition of [autotag]Jardin Gilbert[/autotag], a safety from Texas A&M, [autotag]AJ Swann[/autotag], a quarterback from Vanderbilt and [autotag]Zavion Thomas[/autotag], a wide receiver from Mississippi State.

Gilbert played in 25 games over three years for the Aggies as he made 79 tackles, two tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks and two interceptions. Gilbert is from White Castle, Louisiana, so he is returning to the boot to play his final year of college football.

Swann played in 15 games for the Vanderbilt Commodores and threw for 2,731 yards. 22 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Swann will bring a lot of experience to a talented quarterback room. He will join [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], [autotag]Rickie Collins[/autotag] and [autotag]Colin Hurley[/autotag] in pursuit of the starting quarterback job.

Thomas is another Louisiana man who had left the state to play at another SEC school but he is now returning home. In 22 games, Thomas caught 42 passes for 507 yards and one touchdown. He made plays on special teams as well as he returned 10 kickoffs for 297 yards and a touchdown and 29 punts for 365 yards and a touchdown.

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BREAKING: LSU lands a quarterback in the transfer portal

Garrett Nussmeier will have some new competition in the quarterback room in 2024.

[autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] will have some new competition in the quarterback room in 2024.

With [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] leaving Baton Rouge for the NFL, there is an opening at the quarterback spot for LSU. Nusmeier is presumed to be the next man in line for the spot but things may have just changed.

LSU landed former Vanderbilt quarterback [autotag]AJ Swann[/autotag] from the transfer portal on Monday. Swann is a sophomore from White, Georgia, where he played for Cherokee High School. Swann has appeared in 15 games over the past two seasons. He made 12 starts for the Commodores and threw for 2,731 yards, 22 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.

His career completion percentage is 56% but take those numbers with a grain of salt given his team and the caliber of competition.

Going from the worst team in the SEC year-after-year to one of the best teams in the SEC could elevate his game, but he will have to beat out Nussmeier, [autotag]Rickie Collins[/autotag] and incoming four-star 2024 recruit [autotag]Colin Hurley[/autotag] for the starting job.

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LSU QB coach Joe Sloan named to 247Sports All-Assistant Team

Jayden Daniels took a massive leap in his second season under Joe Sloan’s tutelage.

This fall, LSU turned in an offensive season so prolific that it rivaled the 2019 unit led by [autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag]. For that, offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag] was named a finalist for the Broyles Award.

But he’s not the only offensive assistant for the Tigers that’s drawing some postseason recognition. After his work with [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] — who transferred in from Arizona State and won the Heisman Trophy in 2023 — the last two seasons, quarterbacks coach [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] was named to the 247Sports All-Assistant Team.

Sloan has deep ties to the state having spent the nine seasons on staff at Louisiana Tech in various roles before joining LSU, most recently as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Here’s what 247Sports said about Sloan.

You know you’re having a good year when your quarterback wins the Heisman Trophy. Sloan took a great quarterback and developed Jayden Daniels into an elite player over the last two seasons.

The results this fall were jaw-dropping. The second-year transfer from Arizona State transfer threw 40 touchdowns against only four interceptions, and he rushed for 1,134 yards, the best mark by a quarterback. His efforts combined for 4,946 yards and 50 touchdowns — and he led the nation with an FBS-record 11.7 yards per pass attempt.

LSU had the nation’s fourth-best passing offense at 334.3 yards per game and no team averaged more yards through the air than the Tigers (11 yards per attempt) thanks to the efforts of Daniels.

After a solid first season in Baton Rouge, Daniels took a massive leap in Year 2 under Sloan’s tutelage. With Daniels heading to the NFL, potentially as a top-10 draft pick, Sloan’s stock is likely only to rise.

The Tigers don’t necessarily have a clear starter in 2024. [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] is the most game-tested passer on the roster, but he’s yet to start a game. [autotag]Rickie Collins[/autotag] only saw minimal action this fall in a redshirt year as a true freshman, and incoming quarterback [autotag]Colin Hurley[/autotag] likely won’t be ready to start in the SEC after reclassifying from the 2025 class.

LSU is likely to add a transfer quarterback and is currently pursuing several targets. Regardless of how the depth chart ultimately breaks down, it’s hard not to trust the coach leading the quarterback room at the moment if you’re an LSU fan.

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LSU visits NC State transfer quarterback MJ Morris

Quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan reportedly made the trip to Raleigh on Wednesday night to meet with the transfer target.

While LSU seems to be confident in backup quarterback [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] taking over the starting role for [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] in 2024, the Tigers are looking at an inexperienced depth chart at the position next season.

Coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] has not ruled out the team adding a transfer quarterback this offseason, and it seems the primary target is former NC State player [autotag]MJ Morris[/autotag].

The Tigers had reportedly already been in contact with Morris, and on Wednesday night, quarterbacks coach [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] made the trip up to Raleigh to visit Morris at his apartment, according to a report from On3’s Pete Nakos.

Morris has appeared in nine games in two seasons for the Wolfpack, throwing for 1,367 yards, 14 touchdowns and six interceptions. He started at NC State this season, but after playing in four games, he opted to sit the rest of the year and preserve his redshirt season.

He will have three remaining years of eligibility.

As things currently stand, LSU’s quarterback room in 2024 comprises of Nussmeier — who has appeared in 17 games while attempting 174 passes in three seasons but has never made a start — as well as redshirt freshman [autotag]Rickie Collins[/autotag] and 2024 commit [autotag]Colin Hurley[/autotag], who is likely heading for a redshirt season as a true freshman after reclassifying from 2025.

While Nussmeier is likely to get his chance to lead this team after staying at LSU through Daniels’ tenure, it’s not surprising that LSU is looking to add another player with experience at the position.

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Brian Kelly not ruling out adding a transfer portal quarterback at LSU this offseason

While Garrett Nussmeier is likely to return, LSU could seek out a more experienced option in the transfer portal.

With star [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] set to move on following the 2023 season, LSU has a quarterback situation to figure out in 2024.

It will likely return [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], who has some experience and will be a redshirt junior, as well as redshirt freshman [autotag]Rickie Collins[/autotag] and incoming true freshman [autotag]Colin Hurley[/autotag].

While that group has talent, it does lack experience. There’s been some speculation LSU could look at adding a transfer quarterback, and it has reportedly been in contact with at least one in former NC State signal-caller [autotag]MJ Morris[/autotag].

When addressing the media on Tuesday, coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] didn’t rule out the possibility.

“This is a world that we live in that has to be handled with transparency,” Kelly said. “If not, you’re going to find yourself without the right personnel. So if we were to ever do anything in the transfer portal relative to a quarterback, we’re talking to everybody in that room. We’re talking to recruits, we’re talking to everybody. It is about transparency, it’s about honesty and it’s about saying if we’re doing that, here’s why we’re doing it. And then making a decision and doing it.

“The most important thing here is what’s in the best interest of LSU’s football program. Not what’s in the best interest of a singular person. So everything we do in the portal is going to be to that end… This is not personal.”

Nussmeier could have certainly transferred last offseason with the opportunity to start, so his decision to stay at LSU is likely playing a factor in that decision. Still, the Tigers would enter 2024 with quite a few questions at the game’s most important position if they don’t seek out an experienced portal option.

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