Rickie Collins named Kennesaw State's starting QB for Sept. 3 opener

Rickie Collins has bounced around college football's biggest stages without ever really sticking, but he's found his next shot in an unlikely place. ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that Kennesaw State has tabbed the LSU/Syracuse transfer as QB1, and he'll get the ball first against West Georgia to open the season.

Pete Thamel

@PeteThamel

Sources: Kennesaw State has named LSU/Syracuse transfer Rickie Collins the starting quarterback, and he’ll debut for the Owls against West Georgia on Sept. 3. He’ll start for a Kennesaw team that won C-USA in Jerry Mack’s first season and led C-USA in scoring in league play.

This isn't some rebuilding program looking for a lottery ticket. Kennesaw State just won Conference USA in Jerry Mack's first season on the job, capping a 9-3 year that included a 19-15 win over Jacksonville State in the title game and earned Mack C-USA Coach of the Year honors. The Owls also led the league in scoring during conference play, which makes the quarterback competition Collins just won a real job, not a rebuild project.

Collins' path here is a bumpy one. He started his career at LSU before transferring to Syracuse, where last season he started 5 games and threw for 1,042 yards, 6 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, per Thamel. That pick-heavy stretch is presumably why he's now two levels removed from the SEC and ACC, trying to reset his career at a program that only became FBS-eligible a few years ago.

Pete Thamel

@PeteThamel

Collins started five games for Syracuse last year and threw for 1,042 yards, six touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He’ll now start in the offense that Mack and OC Mitch Militello brought from Tennessee, which transfer Amari Odom thrived in during 2025.

The bigger story might be the system he's stepping into. Kennesaw State's staff, led by Mack and offensive coordinator Mitch Militello, imported their scheme from Tennessee, and it already has a track record at the college level — transfer Amari Odom reportedly thrived running it in 2025. If that offense can smooth out some of Collins' turnover issues the way it apparently did for Odom, the Owls have a real shot at defending their conference crown.

Kennesaw State kicks off the season against West Georgia on Sept. 3, and Collins' first snaps will immediately answer the biggest question hanging over the program: can a QB who threw 10 picks in 5 ACC starts run a Tennessee-style attack well enough to keep the Owls at the top of C-USA? The sample size starts small, but the stakes for both player and program are not.