Notre Dame coach hopes to see Steve Angeli on Saturday: ‘I’m always supporting him’

Syracuse, N.Y. — Despite naming freshman CJ Carr his starting quarterback in the spring, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman hasn’t lost any love for Steve Angeli.

Angeli spent the first three years of his career playing under Freeman before transferring to Syracuse last spring.

Angeli earned national attention when he relieved Riley Leonard in last season’s Orange Bowl win against Penn State in a College Football Playoff semifinal game. Despite Angeli’s 6-for-7 performance in that game, he lost the quarterback battle a few months later.

Still, Freeman has attempted to maintain a relationship with the Bergen Catholic (New Jersey) product.

“If he makes the trip, I would love to see him,” Freeman told reporters during his Monday press conference. “Steve is a guy who gave everything to this place when he was here. Like I told him when he decided to leave, the relationship between a coach and player doesn’t stop once you’re gone. I’m always supporting him.”

Angeli won Syracuse’s starting job in the fall and led the country in passing yards prior to rupturing his Achilles in the fourth game of the 2025 campaign. Carr has Notre Dame ranked ninth in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll and competing for an at-large bid to the College Football Playoff.

Given a small sample size, it seems Angeli’s transfer benefitted all parties.

“I was so happy when I found out he was named starter and watched him do some successful things,” Freeman said. “I reached out to him when he got hurt.”

Angeli earning the starting job made the matchup against Notre Dame one of the most anticipated games of Syracuse’s season. His performance against Clemson before leaving with the Achilles injury only helped to build that anticipation.

Now, Saturday’s game is a reminder of what could’ve been for Syracuse.

The Orange hasn’t won a game since defeating Clemson on Sept. 20, and its quarterbacks have combined for more turnovers than touchdowns during a six-game losing streak.

Syracuse head coach Fran Brown hopes Angeli will return for spring practices in 2026, but he could be out until September.

Angeli has reached a stage of rehab that has allowed him to travel. He was in attendance for Syracuse’s loss to No. 14 Miami two weeks ago, and Freeman hopes to see his former quarterback Saturday.

“I would love to see him and hug him because I care about him,” Freeman said. “I hope he’s able to make the trip.”

Notre Dame is scheduled to visit the JMA Wireless Dome in 2026, barring any changes due to the ACC’s new nine-game structure in conference play, meaning Angeli will possibly have the chance to play his former team and coach next season.

This time around, though, he’ll have to watch from the sidelines.