Syracuse Football News: Kyle McCord, East-West Shrine Bowl, SU Football NIL event

When asked in a recent press conference, Syracuse football head coach Fran Brown emphatically stated that Syracuse record-breaking QB Kyle McCord will play in the DirecTV Holiday Bowl. And now Kyle himself, live on CNY Central in Syracuse, NY, while volunteering at a charity event for the Salvation Army, was asked and stated he will play.

So many Syracuse fans can now breathe a sigh of relief as they may have feared that a bowl matchup like this might not appeal to a guy hoping to make an NFL roster next season. But Kyle is built different and views it as an opportunity to get 10 wins to begin the Fran Brown era at Syracuse. And now Syracuse fans will get one more chance to watch the young man play in a Syracuse football uniform with the goal of winning and helping build a new legacy at Syracuse.

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And then following the Holiday Bowl, it is now confirmed that TE Oronde Gadsden, S Alijah Clark and DE Fadil Diggs will join McCord in the East-West Shrine Bowl on January 30, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. This game is a great way to help display a player's talents for the NFL in front of numerous scouts and exposure to other coaches as well. Good luck to all four gentlemen.

And if you want the chance to watch a bowl game practice session and maybe even party with them downtown at City Center afterward, then you have the opportunity for $500 to partake in the Club Dart Party with all donations benefiting SU Football NIL. I may not have the money for this but if you do, how cool would it be to watch a practice session and then hang out with the coaching staff and athletes?

And I want to end this post with a reminder that not only is NIL part of the game now but so is the transfer portal. And while many of us will see names leaving who we loved watching, please be cordial and send them off with class.

It is hard for many fans to latch onto players only for them to leave but we also have to remember that these are young athletes simply trying to find the best situations for themselves, their future and in some cases their family as well.

Not only does it make the program look better when we can part amicably, but you also never know what may happen when that player hits the portal, as they may return (see Duce Chestnut) or something in their life might be a bit more complicated than the fan's eye can see.

Go Orange!