The Kennesaw State Owls announced their starting quarterback for the 2026 season. According to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, the Owls have named Rickie Collins their starter.

Collins transferred to the Owls on Jan. 8, 2026, and many expected him to be their starter. Collins had some starting experience last season for the Syracuse Orange after Steve Angeli went down with a torn Achilles.

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Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. Collins threw for 1,042 yards, six touchdowns, and 10 interceptions on 181 attempts and went 0-5. His play was a big reason why the Syracuse Orange fell to a 3-9 record after going 9-3 last season.

He replaces incumbent starter Amari Odom, who swapped places with him as the backup for the Syracuse Orange. Odom went 7-2 in his starts, helping Kennesaw State go 10-4, win Conference USA, and play in a bowl game. The Owls went 2-10 in 2024, their first season in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Collins has a high school pedigree as a four-star recruit from the class of 2023. He committed to the LSU Tigers, but he never won the starting job, competing with Jayden Daniels and Garrett Nussmeier. While he hasn’t lived up to the hype in Power Four football, there’s plenty of opportnity to be one of the best quarterbacks in the Group of Five.

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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Kennesaw State Owls announce starting quarterback for 2026 season