Ex-Ohio State Buckeyes QB Kyle McCord Officially Commits To Syracuse

According to ESPN, McCord to Syracuse is a done deal.

Kyle McCord officially has a new home. 

According to ESPN, the former Ohio State quarterback will transfer to Syracuse for the 2024 season. He is eligible to play immediately and has one year remaining.

McCord was initially anticipated to commit to Nebraska after visiting with Matt Rhule, but he moved off the Huskers to keep the commitment open. He visited Syracuse shortly after, spurring his decision to commit before leaving campus. 

Fran Brown's tenure as the Orange head coach begins with stability at quarterback. While McCord wasn't perfect in 2023 for the Buckeyes, he still led the program to an 11-1 regular season record and a trip to the Cotton Bowl. 

McCord's biggest blunder came in Week 13's loss to Michigan. He threw two interceptions, including one on the final drive to secure the Wolverines' 30-24 win in Ann Arbor. 

McCord elected to enter the transfer portal a week later. Multiple players said they were shocked, but understood his choice to leave the program.

Ohio State Buckeyes safety Josh Proctor (41) breaks up a pass intended for Rutgers Scarlet Knights running back Kyle Monangai (5) as cornerback Jordan Hancock (7) intercepts the ball for a touchdown / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

“People can say what they want about Kyle, we went 11-1, we had a great season,” said receiver Emeka Egbuka. “Unfortunately we lost to the team up north. But you can't really discredit the things that he did. We had a Biletnikoff winner, you can't just have that with a terrible quarterback." 

There are still positives to McCord's overall play style. He led the Buckeyes to top-10 victories over Notre Dame and Penn State. McCord also averaged 287.6 passing yards per game while completing 65.8 percent of his throws.

The transfer to Syracuse allows McCord to return closer to home. He grew up in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, and attended high school at St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia, where he developed into a five-star recruit alongside Heisman finalist and Buckeyes teammate Marvin Harrison Jr. 

Under Brown, McCord should be expected to start from the jump. Garrett Shrader, who transferred from Mississippi State after the 2020 season, is due to move on after starting the past three seasons. The Orange only two other scholarship quarterbacks returning on its roster between redshirt freshman Braden Davis and redshirt sophomore Carlos Del Rio-Wilson.

Reasons Behind Kyle McCord's Ohio State Departure Revealed

With McCord now headed to the ACC, Devin Brown is expected to start against No. 9 Missouri in the Cotton Bowl Classic, and compete with Lincoln Kienholz and Air Noland for the starting quarterback job next season. The Buckeyes could also bring in a transfer quarterback, though it seems like, barring a change of heart, one won't arrive until after spring camp. 

Brown competed as first-team reps against McCord throughout spring practice and fall camp. Buckeyes coach Ryan Day made sure to have a game plan in motion for Brown with designed plays as part of the offensive personnel. 

McCord, who threw for 3,170 yards and 24 touchdowns against six interceptions, is the fifth Buckeye to land at his new school since entering the portal, joining running backs Evan Pryor (Cincinnati) and Chip Trayanum (Kentucky) and defensive backs Ryan Turner (Boston College) and Kye Stokes (Cincinnati).