Greg McElroy ponders Steve Angeli as 'second coming of Joe Burrow'

Marcus Freeman spent the past two offseasons helping a transfer portal quarterback settle into the program. This go-round will be different as Notre Dame is expected to go in-house for this year’s starter. Steve Angeli is next up for the Fighting Irish after spending time as a backup.

Angeli did show a small sample size during the College Football Playoff, getting a drive against Penn State in place of a temporarily injured Riley Leonard. Results were positive and it has ESPN’s Greg McElroy wondering, what if Angeli takes a massive leap in 2025?

Notre Dame would certainly accept the proposition. But McElroy is thinking even bigger than a normal breakout season, making a massive comparison to one of college football’s all-time greats.

“I’ve seen Steve Angeli thrust into action against a ferocious pass rush in Penn State and one of the best defenses in the country,” McElroy said. “I saw Steve Angeli go into the lineup and just methodically right down the field. Accurately carving up a defense. Who’s to say Steve Angeli’s ceiling, when the real lights are on, isn’t outrageously high? “…What if, when we fast forward to this year, Steve Angeli has some awakening? And all of a sudden, he’s the second coming of Joe Burrow.”

Burrow’s college career is well documented. Ohio State was where he signed out of high school and due to a quarterback log jam, the future Heisman Trophy winner decided to leave Columbus. LSU was quick to recruit him and bring him in with Ed Orgeron leading the way. Burrow’s 2018 season was nothing overly special before producing arguably the greatest season the sport has ever seen in 2019.

Angeli is not entering the portal but certainly has patiently waited his turn in South Bend. Finally hitting the field could unveil a level of play from Angeli that everyone else was unaware of.

“Joe Burrow at Ohio State was just a guy,” McElroy said. “In his first year at LSU, he was just a guy. Well, Steve Angeli to this point of his career, just a guy. Maybe there’s another level in there that we just don’t know about.”

Burrow threw for 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns, and just six interceptions in 2019. His completion percentage of 76.3% led college football too. LSU went a perfect 15-0, winning the SEC and national championship in a historic, dominating fashion.

Every school out there is looking for “the second coming of Joe Burrow” and McElroy believes one could blossom in front of our eyes in Angeli.