Former Notre Dame quarterback Steve Angeli commits to Syracuse

Steve Angeli never had his Senior Day at Notre Dame, leaving the program after three seasons. He’ll be in South Bend for Senior Day in 2025, wearing a different-colored jersey.

Angeli committed to Syracuse on Wednesday. He’ll face the Irish on Nov. 22 at Notre Dame Stadium. He’ll have two years of eligibility remaining, and if he uses both with the Orange, he’ll play against the Irish twice.

Angeli, who entered the portal this past Thursday as a graduate transfer, visited Syracuse on Monday and committed shortly thereafter. He completed 58-of-80 passes for 772 yards, 10 touchdowns and just 1 interception at Notre Dame in 21 games (1 start).

Syracuse appears to be a program on the rise under second-year head coach Fran Brown. The Orange are went 9-3 in 2024, led by Ohio State transfer quarterback Kyle McCord. McCord threw for 4,779 yards and 34 touchdowns in his lone season at Syracuse, and he’s expected to be selected in this weekend’s NFL Draft.

Additionally, Angeli has ties to Syracuse’s coaching staff. Offensive associate head coach/quarterbacks coach Nunzio Campanile‘s brother, Vito Campanile, was Angeli’s head coach at Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic.

The Orange recently named LSU transfer quarterback Rickie Collins their starter, but that situation seems to be fluid if Brown is taking a look at Angeli. Notably, No. 1 wide receiver Trebor Pena entered the transfer portal in part because he didn’t trust Collins.

“He was worrying about things that players don’t worry about,” Brown said on “Orange Nation.” “‘How do you know Rickie’s gonna be good? He’s super talented, but would he be good next year and not this year?’ When they start trying to do your job and thinking too much, you gotta go.” 

After sitting for three years at Notre Dame, Angeli is looking for an opportunity to start. He’ll likely compete with Collins for the top job at Syracuse in fall camp.

Angeli only started one game for the Irish, a 40-8 victory in the Sun Bowl in which he went 15-of-19 for 232 yards and 3 touchdowns. However, his name has a permanent place in Notre Dame history for his relief appearance on Jan. 9, during the Orange Bowl (and national semifinal) against Penn State.

Notre Dame trailed 10-0 when starting quarterback Riley Leonard went down with an apparent head injury after his helmet slammed against the Hard Rock Stadium turf. Angeli entered the game — on which Penn State had a chokehold at that point — and went 6-of-7 for 44 yards as he drove the Irish into field-goal range at the end of the first half.

Those 3 points, after kicker Mitch Jeter‘s 41-yard field goal went in as time expired, gave the Irish confidence and a one-score deficit going into halftime. Leonard returned and led Notre Dame to a 27-24 victory in the second half, but without Angeli’s contributions, it’s possible — likely, even — that none of it would have happened.

With his performance on college football’s second-biggest stage, Angeli made himself a big fish in the transfer portal. Syracuse quickly reeled him in.