Syracuse Football: If - I repeat, if - Kyle McCord returns for another season ... wow

For a bit of time now, across social media and in chat rooms, there has been speculation among Syracuse football fans that perhaps Kyle McCord was potentially seeking a waiver from the NCAA to return to the Hill for another season.

On Thursday, via the X account Cuse Sports Talk, the Orange's record-setting senior quarterback was asked about that possibility. His response: "I can't confirm or deny. We'll see how it all shakes out."

Naturally, 'Cuse fans are curious what the deal is as far as the future plans of the 6-foot-3, 220-pound McCord, a native of Mount Laurel, N.J., who helped lead Syracuse football to a 9-3 record in the 2024 regular season and a No. 21 rating in the latest College Football Playoff top 25.

I have no inside information about Kyle's situation, and we'll have to see how this pans out, but I'll say this. If - I repeat, if - McCord was able to get an NCAA waiver to play another term, and he did come back to the Orange for the 2025 season, that would prove simply beautiful.

That being said, I wouldn't bank on Syracuse football QB Kyle McCord playing another year in college.

Candidly, I don't know how McCord would receive another year of collegiate eligibility. As far as I can tell, he hasn't suffered any significant injuries, and I don't believe he took any redshirt years when he was at Ohio State, before he transferred to the 'Cuse for his senior term.

McCord is also one of several Syracuse football players who are expected to suit up in the East-West Shrine Bowl on January 30 of next year in Arlington, Texas.

McCord has proven all kinds of awesome in the 2024 campaign for first-year head coach Fran Brown and his top-flight staff. McCord has set several Syracuse football single-season program records, and he's also No. 1 in the country in a couple of passing categories.

The former four-star transfer prospect and former five-star prep recruit coming out of Philadelphia recently finished in the top 10 in the voting for this season's Heisman Trophy, and McCord also resides on the All-ACC second team.

Since the current transfer portal window opened for business on December 9, and it runs through December 28, the Orange coaching staff has hosted a few four-star transfer quarterbacks on visits to the Hill.

In 2025, the Orange's quarterback room is likely to include redshirt senior Michael Johnson Jr., who has received a hardship waiver from the NCAA to be eligible to play next year, along with underclassmen Jakhari Williams, Luke Carney and Rich Belin. Carney and Belin, both rated three stars, will be incoming freshmen in the 2025 season.

Now, is the 'Cuse staff waiting to hear back on a potential waiver for McCord before potentially taking a commitment from a transfer quarterback? Sure. That's a possibility.

As Kyle said. Let's wait and see what happens with all of this stuff. But if McCord could play in 2025, Syracuse football, which will face Washington State in the Holiday Bowl later this month, should be a highly ranked squad in preseason polls.