The Ohio State Buckeyes came up just short of landing in this year’s College Football Playoffs, and if they hope to reach the postseason next year, they will have to do so without starting quarterback Kyle McCord.
Entering 2023, junior Kyle McCord had a very difficult task. He had to jump into the starting quarterback spot for one of the biggest brands in college football, Ohio State, and try to successfully replace two-year starter and All-American CJ Stroud. A player who was taken second overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.
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While McCord was not able to match all of the numbers Stroud posted in 2022, he wasn’t far off in many key categories. The current Houston Texans star had close to 500 more passing yards than McCord did in his first season as the starter, but McCord also threw over 40 fewer passes. However, their passing percentages in their recent seasons for the school were close (65.8 to 66.3).
They also had similar yards per pass averages (9.1 to 9.5) and each threw six interceptions in their most recent seasons at Ohio State. While Stroud had far more passing touchdowns (41 to 24), McCord was also able to lead the team to an 11-1 record and fell to Michigan in the final game of the season. Something that Stroud also did in his swan song with the program.
Kyle McCord to transfer out of Ohio State after Cotton Bowl
All-in-all, McCord was a strong replacement for an elite talent and had the potential to be better in his senior season. However, the 21-year-old will not be competing in Columbus in 2024. On Monday, The Athletic was the first to report that McCord is shockingly entering the transfer portal this week and taking his talents elsewhere for next season.
The outlet also reported that with the Philadelphia native’s days in the program likely done, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day was non-commital on whether McCord will still start for them in their Cotton Bowl matchup with Missouri at the end of the month.
If McCord is benched for the game on Dec. 29, Devin Brown is likely to be under center for the Buckeyes. McCord beat out Brown this summer to be the man who replaced Stroud in 2023.