Wow! I did not see this one coming. But Kyle McCord is officially leaving Columbus after just one season as Ohio State’s starting quarterback.
McCord has one year left of college eligibility after sitting for two years behind Heisman finalist and current Houston Texans starting quarterback CJ Stroud. McCord’s numbers this year at Ohio State are solid. He completed over 65% of his passing attempts for 3,170 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions.
But now it makes complete sense as to why Ohio State Head Coach Ryan Day was noncommittal when asked about McCord’s future as the starting quarterback. In a quote from Eleven Warriors, Day said the Buckeyes are considering any and all options going forward as a way to improve the Buckeyes, especially after their loss to Michigan.
“When you come up short, the bottom line is you got to look at everything, because you didn’t get it done. And that is the thing that’s just sobering here,” he said. “At 11-1, you come up short on the last possession, it’s just not good enough. So you got to look at everything, and we will look at everything.”
Coach Day had a wait and see attitude regarding not just McCord, but the status of all transfer portal players as well.
“I mean, we’re not actively out there searching for anything, other than we’ll see kind of what the next month brings in all positions. So I’m not going to sit here, and get into specifics on each of those positions,” he said. “We like the guys we have at a bunch of positions, but we’re going to make sure that whether it’s numbers or depth, we have the right guys in the right spots.”
McCord is the most high-profile player for Ohio State to enter the transfer portal this year, but several other players entered it as well once it opened up this morning, including: RB Evan Pryor, C Victor Cutler Jr., DE Omari Abor, CB Jyaire Brown, CB Ryan Turner, S Cameron Martinez, S Kye Stokes, and K Parker Lewis.
As for who will start in the Cotton bowl after McCord’s departure, the decision will be between Devin Brown, who lost the starting job to McCord this offseason, Lincoln Kienholz, and Tristan Gebbia. As for which way Ryan Day is leaning, I’m not sure yet. Although Devin Brown can be a dynamic quarterback when given the chance. He certainly has the wheels to take off and make plays with his feet.
After the Cotton Bowl later this month, all eyes will likely be on Prentiss “Air” Noland for 2024. According to the Columbus Dispatch, He is a 5-star prospect who joined the Buckeyes as a recruit in April. The 6’2, 190-pound recruit has a cannon for an arm, and very high accuracy. At least in the highlights I saw from the Max Preps YouTube channel.
Even though I liked McCord, and the effort he showed this season, he never really was able to “let it rip” like we’re accustomed to seeing from Ohio State quarterbacks in the past like CJ Stroud, Justin Fields and Dwayne Haskins. Noland looks like he brings that explosiveness with him to Columbus.
After the Cotton Bowl, all bets are off as to who will be Ohio State’s starting quarterback going into 2024. But one thing’s for sure: Kyle McCord won’t be a part of it.
I really hope he finds his place elsewhere. Good luck, kid. And I hope the Buckeyes regain the explosiveness at quarterback that usually makes them so deadly each and every year. Stay tuned to the CLE-BUS for any further updates and developments.
GO BUCKS!
Sources: Eleven Warriors, Columbus Dispatch, Max Preps YouTube Channel
Picture Credit: outkick.com
