Syracuse Football: In ACC quarterback rankings, 4-star Kyle McCord is far too low

Brad Crawford, an analyst with 247Sports, places Syracuse football four-star signal-caller Kyle McCord at No. 9 in his post-spring quarterback rankings within the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Respectfully, I think that McCord should be much higher, although I'm the first to admit that these sorts of ratings are subjective nature, and also that Crawford is an analyst, whereas I am not.

Naturally, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound McCord will have every opportunity to show that he's an elite ACC quarterback during the upcoming 2024 season under first-year head coach Fran Brown.

I'll also readily acknowledge that there are a lot of talented quarterbacks in the ACC, which for the next term has added Pac-12 Conference members California and Stanford, along with SMU out of the American Athletic Conference.

Still, McCord, as a junior in the 2023 stanza for Big Ten Conference school Ohio State, led the Buckeyes to an 11-1 regular-season record (although the loss to eventual national champion Michigan of course stings to that fan base).

He completed 65.8 percent of his passes as a junior for 3,170 yards and 24 touchdowns against just six interceptions. The Mount Laurel, N.J., native, who last December said he would transfer to the 'Cuse for his senior year, checks in as four stars, No. 49 nationally and No. 9 at quarterback in national transfer rankings via the industry-generated On3 Industry Ranking.

Syracuse football QB Kyle McCord has a lot of weapons around him and is poised for a strong senior season.

Crawford, in his write-up, notes that in 2024, McCord will "play without restrictions" in the 'Cuse offense under Brown, and McCord could "potentially have a career resurgence of sorts in a new conference."

It's been well-documented that, on paper, Syracuse football appears to have a "favorable" schedule in front of it. I'm excited to watch this team's offense, led by McCord and a big-time arsenal of weapons that he'll have at his disposal.

But first, it's important to note that McCord has known several Orange coaches for many years, and that comfort level should make his transition from Ohio State to Syracuse football a relatively seamless one.

The 'Cuse offense should possess a much better balance than in other recent terms. Leading the way on the ground is rising junior LeQuint Allen Jr., who rushed for more than 1,000 yards in 2023 when he was named to the All-ACC second squad.

Allen is also a solid receiver, and he's joined by a ton of traditional wide receivers and tight ends whom McCord will have to target with his throws. This includes TEs Oronde Gadsden II and Dan Villari, as well as returning WRs Umari Hatcher, Darrell Gill Jr. and Trebor Pena.

This off-season, via the transfer portal, Brown and his staff have added excellent wide receivers such as Colorado State sophomore Justus Ross-Simmons, Georgia junior Jackson Meeks and Georgia freshman Yazeed Haynes.

If that wasn't enough, the Syracuse football 2024 class at the high school level features numerous four-star and three-star prospects at either tight end or wide receiver, such as Emanuel Ross from New Jersey and Jamie Tremble from Georgia.

Last month, 247Sports analyst Mike McAllister said in part that McCord "has looked really sharp this spring."

Earlier this month, Chip Patterson of CBS Sports said, "Whether the run setting up the pass or vice versa, there is a lot to like about Syracuse's balance and ceiling on offense."

Preseason quarterback rankings, or similar ones focused on other positions, are fun to engage in conversation, so I'm in no way dissing Crawford here. At the same time, I think as the 2024 season carries onward, it will hopefully become evident that Kyle McCord is a top-three quarterback in the ACC, not No. 9.