The Syracuse Orange football team will start Steve Angeli at quarterback on Saturday night (7:30 p.m. ET) against the North Carolina Tar Heels in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Angeli getting his starting job back comes as the Orange are dealing with major injuries to backups Amari Odom and Malachi Nelson. We covered some of the injury issues earlier on Thursday, but here's the latest information courtesy of head coach Fran Brown.
As relayed by Javon Edmonds of Syracuse.com, Nelson has an ankle sprain that required tight rope surgery. He'll be out a few weeks. Odom is out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.
Here's what you need to know about the quarterbacks from a season-long perspective.
Angeli
Angeli, a transfer from Notre Dame, joined the Orange program in 2025. He had Syracuse out to a 3-1 record, but he tore his Achilles at the end of that fourth game. He missed the remaining eight and Syracuse lost them all to finish 3-9.
He returned as the starter at the outset of 2026 and helped SU to a 66-3 throttling of New Hampshire in the opener, but then Syracuse lost its next two games to Cal (21-18) and Pittsburgh (27-13).
Angeli struggled in those losses, throwing five interceptions between them, and he apparently had some physical discomfort in them too. He had a PRP injection for his Achilles, but will apparently play in this game. He doesn't offer much mobility, so the offensive line will have to be on point.
Angeli is 57-for-104 (54.8 percent) this year with four touchdowns and those five picks.
Odom
After last season's quarterback debacle, Brown sought to create more depth at the QB position, which was a smart move.
He brought in Odom, a transfer from Kennesaw State, who provided a little more dual-threat ability than Angeli.
He earned the start in a Week 5 win against the UConn Huskies, accounting for six total touchdowns and the game-winning two-point conversion in overtime. But, he injured his shoulder and is now done for the season.
Because of the new age-based eligibility model, Odom will lose a year of eligibility for this season after appearing in just three games.
His season ends at 37-of-48 for 398 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions.
Nelson
Another attempt to add depth from the transfer portal, Nelson came in after a year at UTEP. The former No. 1 recruit in the nation, Nelson had also played at USC and Boise State. After Odom was injured, he started the last two games, close losses against Virginia and Louisville.
He'll also use a full year of eligibility for this season, regardless of whether or not he comes back. He's 42-of-70 (60.0 percent) with three touchdowns and two interceptions.
*Danny Lauter
A third transfer QB who came in from Georgetown, Lauter has seen time in each of the last two weeks because of injuries to Nelson. He threw a touchdown against Virginia.