A recruiting expert says that quarterback Kyle McCord, who will spend his senior year at Syracuse football, is among those transfers this off-season with the most to prove in the upcoming 2024 season.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound McCord, late last year, surprised a lot of national pundits – and was unfairly trashed by ESPN’s Paul Finebaum – when he said that he would move from Ohio State to the Orange after leading the Buckeyes to an 11-1 record and throwing for 3,170 yards and 24 touchdowns against just six interceptions as a junior.
McCord, a former five-star prep recruit from Philadelphia and a four-star prospect out of the transfer portal this off-season, has deep, long-time connections to multiple ‘Cuse coaches who hail from New Jersey, much like McCord, who himself is from Mount Laurel, N.J.
Brad Crawford, an analyst with 247Sports, recently published a story where he looked at college transfers this cycle who have the most to prove in the 2024 term. McCord is among those listed by 247Sports here.
Head coach Fran Brown has detailed why Kyle McCord transferred to Syracuse football.
Here’s what Crawford had to say about McCord: “Can Kyle McCord get it done when the sum of the parts around him aren’t equal to elite-level talent like he had in the Big Ten last season? Those are big shoes for the former Buckeyes starting quarterback, who never seemed comfortable in his situation after beating out Devin Brown for the starting gig under Ryan Day. He played second fiddle to other stars offensively and now, roles are reversed – McCord’s the hot commodity with pressure to perform alongside a first-year coach with the Orange.”
Those are some fair comments by Crawford, although it brings up an interesting question: how much pressure are McCord and Brown truly under in the upcoming 2024 stanza?
The ‘Cuse did make consecutive bowl games in 2022 and 2023, but the Orange has gone a combined 13-13 in those two terms and hasn’t been all that relevant since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference from the Big East Conference more than a decade ago.
Brown’s recruiting prowess is undeniable, but he’s also a first-year head coach with Syracuse football, and a first-time head coach at the collegiate level. Brown expects to win right away, and SU does have a favorable 2024 schedule that has some experts believing the Orange could prove a contender for the ACC’s top tier this coming season.
I think that Syracuse football is going to win nine-plus games in 2024, but if the ‘Cuse only gets, say, five to seven victories, would this next campaign be considered a disappointment?
As for McCord, he transferred to the Orange because Syracuse University is much closer to home for him than Columbus, Ohio. Additionally, Brown has said that McCord chose to hit the portal and ultimately transfer to the ‘Cuse, because he wanted to be appreciated.
Personally, I feel like McCord will be one of the ACC’s top quarterbacks in 2024. He has a plethora of receiver weapons, whether that be roster returnees, including Oronde Gadsden II, transfers into the program, or commits at the high school level.
Syracuse football should also have a more balanced offense in 2024 than a season ago, with McCord leading the passing attack and rising junior running back LeQuint Allen Jr. leading the Orange on the ground.
McCord has said that he and his teammates are hungry to win a lot of games in 2024. ‘Cuse players and coaches are confident that the team can make a lot of noise in the upcoming season.
Does McCord have something to prove? I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t care all that much either. He should only have to prove something to himself.
Adam Friedman, a Rivals.com national analyst, wrote in a recent piece that McCord is an “excellent quarterback prospect and should do wonders for Syracuse this coming season. New head coach Fran Brown has fans more excited about the Orange than at any point in recent memory. Having McCord under center should be a huge lift for Syracuse this coming season.”
I concur, Adam.