Ohio State QB Kyle McCord to Transfer to Syracuse After Nebraska Rumors

Former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord has committed to Syracuse after entering the transfer portal.

Brent Axe of Syracuse.com was among the first to report the move.

McCord had been linked with Nebraska before the Cornhuskers were eliminated as a contender. He reportedly visited Syracuse over the weekend prior to zeroing in on the Orange.

Fran Brown is entering his first season as head coach, replacing Dino Babers. Securing a quarterback for 2024 only two weeks after he was introduced illustrates how important it was to address the position this offseason.

Garrett Shrader left after leading Syracuse in passing yards for each of the last three seasons, and there wasn't a clear successor already on the roster. The Orange only have one QB commit in the 2024 high school recruiting class as well, and Jakhari Williams is 40th among his peers in 247Sports' composite rankings.

The Columbus Dispatch's Bill Rabinowitz reported McCord transferred out of Ohio State in part because head coach Ryan Day declined to provide a firm pledge he'd remain the starter next season. With only one remaining year of eligibility, he has to make 2024 count.

At Syracuse, there will be little doubt about who's QB1 in spring practice and ahead of the opening week.

McCord may also welcome the lower level of scrutiny he'll receive as a member of the Orange.

As a junior, he threw for 3,170 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions. While that production wasn't necessarily bad, Rabinowitz noted how he was being compared against Dwayne Haskins Jr., Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud, stars who excelled in scarlet and gray and went on to be first-round NFL draft picks.

The discourse surrounding McCord largely focused on what he wasn't rather than what he brought to the table.

Now, the Philadelphia native has a year to impress NFL scouts and move up draft boards.

For Brown, McCord can serve as a stopgap while he and his staff look at longer-term solutions under center and lay the groundwork for what's to come in his tenure.