Syracuse University football coach Fran Brown made some interesting comments this week on ESPN Syracuse about the quarterback position moving forward, but they also present an interesting dilemma:

"We're going to get two more guys out of the portal," he said. "And we've got a really good high school kid coming in, like he's really good, an Elite 11 quarterback that can truly play. So, we're going to do that, and then there's some moves we need to make on our team when it comes to the quarterback stuff, but we've got to get some guys that are ready to play right away."

Where he's right

On the surface, what Brown says is obvious. The Orange were 3-1 this season when Steve Angeli was healthy, and they've gone 0-7 since he suffered a season-ending injury in the fourth game of the season.

The season was torpedoed once he got injured, and had Syracuse been better prepared at the position, they may have been able to overcome his loss.

Brown is right to speak of a world where there is a limited drop-off between starter and backup. That's something every program in the country wants to create.

The issue at hand

This is what I think is the most interesting part of all this:

Let's just lay out the following scenario: Let's say that Angeli comes back in 2026 and is healthy. Let's say he never misses a game.

On one hand, that would be great for Syracuse and would likely lead them to a better team in 2026. It would also allow the quarterbacks who Brown brings in to develop for a year, which is also a good thing heading into 2027 (Angeli is eligible to come back in 2027, but it's unclear at this time if he will).

However, if those quarterbacks go all of 2026 without playing, how many of them stick around for 2027, especially if Angeli comes back for his senior year? How many of them transfer? Are you left with a scenario where you have a starter in 2027 and everyone else is gone, leaving you underprepared again? That's absolutely possible, and in that case, the cycle will be constant.

What if Angeli gets hurt again in 2026? What if the backup comes in and plays well? That would prove Brown's point and keep the season afloat, but it would also (likely) lead to the same above scenario. Guys who aren't playing will leave, leaving the program undermanned in subsequent years. Once again, the cycle will churn on. Is it truly possible to have a situation where your program is always ready at the quarterback position?

And finally, the worst-case scenario: If Angeli gets hurt, what if the guys that Brown has aren't ready to step in? Then, you have a repeat of this year, which has been a disaster.

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