Rickie Collins

[OburgOrange]

Is this based on solid material or just a feeling?

He’s an expert. Just ask him

 

[CapitalO]

We have to have a legit QB for next year with this schedule.

Totally agree and also it is time for the defense and special teams to really show improvement they can't be equal or worse than last year or things could get really ugly, I feel coach Fran and staff should improve both units and I also believe we will land a couple more portal studs to our roster in the near future.

 

[Scooch]

I for one am thrilled for people to pick apart his mechanics when not long ago posters were drooling over short vids of Luke McPhail.

"Deepest QB room in years!"

The QB competition should be interesting with the deepest room in memory.

Oh Crusty. Dear, sweet Crusty.

 

[GoSU96]

Have we seen anything from him at all? Making predictions one way or the other about a guy that has never played seems premature. Are you basing yours on less than flattering stuff that insiders have told you?

Nope

 

[baggerbob]

The QB competition should be interesting with the deepest room in memory. One question remaining is will there be a surprise in the Spring portal? While I doubt it as it appears that we have cast our lot with Rickie Collins, however, with Coach Fran you never know.

I may be wrong but I believe the offense staff is far better than it ever was under Dino and, if I am correct, the QB evaluation is much better, meaning Collins may be the real deal. If JW beats him out that will be an impressive feat. Either way, we might be better off than we think..
Whoever is the starter will benefit from an improved oline and a wealth of receivers, Not to mention that both RC and JW have had excellent coaching and experience practicing against the ones over the last year.
Now, neither is Kyle McCord, however, both are running threats, which has to help. I have to believe that Nixon can make hay with that attribute.
With a few more key portal additions, especially those with multiple years of eligibility remaining, the 2025 roster could be stronger than 2024. We are also likely to have some pleasant surprises from our incoming class and redshirts.
It also goes without saying that our special teams will be better than last year, if only because they can't be worse.
I freely admit that I am a hopeless "glass half full" guy. Happily Coach Fran is making this view less uncomfortable.
A disappointing 2025 season is not a forgone conclusion. Stay tuned.

People thinking next year is a throwaway don't know Fran.
He knows how to win, and will build a better team each year.
I believe he will win at least 8 games next year.

 

[gocuse44]

Hopefully Fran has a good feeling that Williams is ready to lead the program next season? Questionable, and whoever it is will be a giant step back. Right now I see 3-5 wins.

Get your eyes checked if that's what you see

 

[SUFaninNJ]

Is this based on solid material or just a feeling?

Sounds like that feeling may be gas.

 

[anomander]

Get your eyes checked if that's what you see

Last year we were loaded with an easy schedule and fought tooth and nail for 9 regular season wins. My eyes are pretty clear at what we lost and haven’t replaced with potentially 3-4 top 10 teams on the schedule. Let’s be a little realistic.

 

[721Comstock]

Last year we were loaded with an easy schedule and fought tooth and nail for 9 regular season wins. My eyes are pretty clear at what we lost and haven’t replaced with potentially 3-4 top 10 teams on the schedule. Let’s be a little realistic.

"easy schedule" - LOL!!!!
that BS narrative needs to die in a fire.
then get shot in a rocket into the sun.

We beat THREE TEN WIN TEAMS.

Three wins over Top 25 (at the time) teams.

NO team won more games vs. bowl-eligible teams than Syracuse did (Texas tied), before the bowl/playoff season started.

I'm sorry, but that hardly sounds like cupcake and soupcan central.
You know - like say, Indiana or Illinois schedules and records.
Or - Army.

 

[farnsworth]

People thinking next year is a throwaway don't know Fran.
He knows how to win, and will build a better team each year.
I believe he will win at least 8 games next year.

To anyone trying to be objective this is way too optimistic. Fran has only had essentially 1.5 recruiting classes to catch us up to the rest of the ACC in terms of talent. Dino's 2022 class was rated 12/14 in the ACC and the 2023 class was 14/14. If you mix those with Fran's 2 classes you're talking about a roster that is probably somewhere between 9th and 12th (out of 17) in the ACC in terms of talent level.

This will keep trending up as Fran has more of his classes and less of Dino into 2026 and 2027, but having an NFL QB masked a whole lot of warts. We were 14/17 in the ACC in scoring defense this past year -- I don't think it was a bad job by Erob, I think it just reflected the general talent level of the classes Dino had brought in over the prior 4 years. You can only mask a hole or two via the portal not revamp an entire roster, ask FSU how that worked out.

So we lose an NFL QB, have a roster that's improving but a tick below the ACC average, and have a brutal schedule. I think 6-6 would be a great success.

 

[sdhall01]

If Williams is the guy, .500 is a stretch goal.

Gotta love the fact that JW is the highest rated freshman QB we’ve brought in since—god, I can’t even remember—and people think he’s garbage having never seen him play a snap.

Edit: I can’t believe I forgot about DeVito. He was a consensus 4* recruit. Er. I should say, I CAN believe I forgot him, but still.

 

[721Comstock]

Gotta love the fact that JW is the highest rated freshman QB we’ve brought in since—god, I can’t even remember—and people think he’s garbage having never seen him play a snap. .

That'd be Tommy Cutlets.

 

[sdhall01]

"easy schedule" - LOL!!!!
that BS narrative needs to die in a fire.
then get shot in a rocket into the sun.

We beat THREE TEN WIN TEAMS.

Three wins over Top 25 (at the time) teams.

NO team won more games vs. bowl-eligible teams than Syracuse did (Texas tied), before the bowl/playoff season started.

I'm sorry, but that hardly sounds like cupcake and soupcan central.
You know - like say, Indiana or Illinois schedules and records.
Or - Army.

The easy schedule narrative drives me NUTS.

 

[sdhall01]

That'd be Tommy Cutlets.

Oh yeah! I totally forgot he was rated higher.

 

[anomander]

"easy schedule" - LOL!!!!
that BS narrative needs to die in a fire.
then get shot in a rocket into the sun.

We beat THREE TEN WIN TEAMS.

Three wins over Top 25 (at the time) teams.

NO team won more games vs. bowl-eligible teams than Syracuse did (Texas tied), before the bowl/playoff season started.

I'm sorry, but that hardly sounds like cupcake and soupcan central.
You know - like say, Indiana or Illinois schedules and records.
Or - Army.

Ohio and UNLV were very good. We didn’t get any credit for beating them. Still comparing them to Notre Dame who is playing for a natty and will be top 10 next season, Tennessee who will easily be top 10, Miami who who just got Carson Beck
and will be around top 10, along with Clemson who got Klubnik back really doesn’t compare. Plus @ SMU who will be top 25. Oh, and those others are all on the road or neutral field in Tennessee’s case.

 

[sdhall01]

That'd be Tommy Cutlets.

I edited my comment and to better shame myself.

 

[anomander]

The easy schedule narrative drives me NUTS.

manageable schedule. big difference . Let’s not compare the 2. 2025 is an absolute beast.

 

[rocklloyd]

Not too long ago we had (2) 4-star transfers from SEC schools in the QB room. some were ecstatic.

 

[sdhall01]

manageable schedule. big difference . Let’s not compare the 2. 2025 is an absolute beast.

I mean, we won’t compare them now. There’s a lot of time between today and September. I never thought UNLV would be ranked at the end of the season this time in 2024.

 

[sdhall01]

Not too long ago we had (2) 4-star transfers from SEC schools in the QB room. some were ecstatic.

yeah, and not long ago, a consensus 3* qb who didn’t get an offer from his home state school was the best QB in recent memory.

 

[RMH44]

Not too long ago we had (2) 4-star transfers from SEC schools in the QB room. some were ecstatic.

Actually we had 3...Shader, CDRW, and Davis were all 4 stars out of HS and initially went to $EC schools.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Actually we had 3...Shader, CDRW, and Davis were all 4 stars out of HS and initially went to $EC schools.

Yeah, and 1 out of 3 worked out.

Nothing wrong with that approach.

 

[721Comstock]

yeah, and not long ago, a consensus 3* qb who didn’t get an offer from his home state school was the best QB in recent memory.

And a 2* QB from PA was the best QB before that.

 

[CA Monk]

People thinking next year is a throwaway don't know Fran.
He knows how to win, and will build a better team each year.
I believe he will win at least 8 games next year.

If they win 8 games next year I will eat your hat...provided your hat was ethically sourced and sustainably manufactured on equipment used in processing tree nuts.

 

[anomander]

I mean, we won’t compare them now. There’s a lot of time between today and September. I never thought UNLV would be ranked at the end of the season this time in 2024.

I get it. UNLV was a a very good team. They still lost to Boise twice. As good as they were they weren’t going to be better from a talent standpoint. We have a murderers row with 5 road games against superior talented teams with some of the best QB’s in the NCAA. Beck, Nico, Jennings, Klubnik …