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Newsstand: Former Notre Dame QB Steve Angeli named Syracuse starter

Singer headshotby: Mike Singer08/19/25MikeTSinger
Steve Angeli
Notre Dame QB Steve Angeli. (© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

Notre Dame went with a battle between CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey in fall camp and parted ways with Steve Angeli after spring ball. So, if the Irish viewed Angeli as QB3, then the third choice becoming a starter at a program that went 10-3 a season ago is pretty impressive.

Despite not arriving at Syracuse until the summer, Angeli — a redshirt junior from Westfield (N.J.) — beat out former four-star recruit Rickie Collins, who had been named the starter in the spring before Angeli’s transfer.

On Nov. 22, Angeli will make his return to Notre Dame Stadium when the Orange come to town for the Irish’s senior day.

Angeli completed 58-of-80 passes for 772 yards, 10 touchdowns and just 1 interception at Notre Dame in 21 games.

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.

Notre Dame tweets of the day

Quote of the day

“Yeah, it was an emotional conversation. He’s a guy that loves Notre Dame. Loves this program. He’s given everything he has to this program, and he’s a great leader for us. So, it’s unfortunate, but he’s a tough individual that will get the knee taken care of, and he’ll do great things when he has a Notre Dame degree. 

“He’s a hard worker and a good person. As I told him, you’re not going to have any more success in football, but you’ll be successful in life because of the hard work you’ve put in and you’ll continue to do.”

— Marcus Freeman on the career ending injury for tight end Kevin Bauman

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