Syracuse Football: Top-25 QB ranking doesn’t include 5-star Kyle McCord. That’s absurd.

A new top-25 ranking of the best quarterbacks for the upcoming 2024 season doesn’t include Syracuse football signal-caller Kyle McCord, and I don’t get that one bit.

Now, a couple of things at the onset here. First, I’m an SU alum, so I have Orange-colored glasses on. Number two, these sorts of rankings are subjective.

Number three, McCord can show his skills on the field to merit inclusion in such a ranking as the 2024 campaign carries onward later this year.

This week, 247Sports analyst Brad Crawford published his top-25 quarterbacks ranking for 2024, and multiple Atlantic Coast Conference QBs are featured.

I’m not dissing Brad in this column, because he knows more about the sport of college football than I do. But based on what the 6-foot-3, 215-pound McCord did a stanza ago, and the Orange’s outlook for the upcoming term, I believe he should be included in Crawford’s list. We can simply agree to disagree.

Syracuse football eyes an excellent 2024 season with Kyle McCord at the helm.

To make matters even more frustrating, Crawford also includes 10 honorable mentions, with McCord not included there, either.

I just have a hard time believing that there are 35 better quarterbacks in college football than McCord, the Mount Laurel, N.J., native who was a five-star recruit in prep school as well as a four-star prospect out of the transfer portal this off-season.

As a junior at Ohio State, McCord helped guide the Buckeyes to an 11-1 record, and the team’s only setback in the 2023 regular season was to eventual national champion Michigan.

McCord, a term ago, threw for 3,170 yards and 24 touchdowns against just six interceptions. In mid-December of 2023, he decided to transfer from the Buckeyes to Syracuse football for his senior year, citing his closeness with numerous SU coaches. On the Hill, he’ll also be playing closer to home.

Now, is it possible that McCord wasn’t included, in part, because Syracuse football isn’t necessarily expected by some experts to contend for an ACC championship and, by extension, a berth in the expanded College Football Playoff? Perhaps.

On the flip side, the ‘Cuse has a favorable 2024 schedule, and numerous national and ACC pundits have said that the Orange can contend for an upper-tier spot in the league race this coming stanza.

The new Syracuse football staff, led by head coach and ace recruiter Fran Brown, did a marvelous job with their 2024 recruiting class, despite Brown only officially taking over the program from former head coach Dino Babers in early December of last year.

Looking ahead to 2024, McCord will have a slew of weapons at tight end and wide receiver, including returnees such as former All-ACC performer Oronde Gadsden II, along with other talented receivers who either transferred to the Orange this off-season or committed to the ‘Cuse in the high school senior cycle.

What’s more, rising junior running back LeQuint Allen Jr. rushed for more than 1,000 yards in the 2023 campaign, earning the All-ACC second squad. Syracuse football, in 2024, should have a potent and balanced offensive attack.

By the way, in his piece, Crawford wrote, “As with all quarterback power rankings, this one is subjective with projected 2024 numbers, potential 2025 NFL Draft placement and career production all impacting placement in this top 25.”

In his QB ranking, as it relates to the ACC, Miami’s Cameron Ward is No. 9, N.C. State’s Grayson McCall is No. 18, Florida State’s DJ Uiagalelei is No. 19, SMU’s Preston Stone is No. 20, Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard is No. 21, and Georgia Tech’s Haynes King is No. 24.

Additionally, honorable mentions went out to California’s Chandler Rodgers and Duke’s Maalik Murphy. I should also point out that Ohio State’s 2024 quarterback, Will Howard, checked in at No. 13. Oh, the irony.

Not too long ago, Crawford also had a story where he looked at college transfers this off-season who have the most to prove in the 2024 term. You guessed it – McCord was included here.

It’s all good. I guarantee that Kyle isn’t paying much attention, if any at all, to these sorts of preseason prognostications. He’s focused on winning a lot of games this fall, and his play on the field will speak for itself.