"He’s committed to another school now" - Ryan Day finally breaks silence on QB Kyle McCord's transfer from Ohio State to Syracuse

In the early hours of Dec. 4, Kyle McCord, who led the Ohio State Buckeyes to an impressive 11-1 regular season and a No. 7 finish in the College Football Playoff rankings, made a pivotal decision. McCord announced he was entering the transfer portal.

“Playing in the scarlet and gray was truly an honor,” he said in a statement. “I’ve decided to enter the transfer portal to explore other opportunities.”

The quarterback expressed his deepest thanks to Coach Ryan Day, QB Coach Corey Dennis, Senior Advisor Todd Fitch and the rest of the support team. H

During his National Signing Day press conference, Day addressed McCord's decision to transfer to Syracuse Orange.

“We wish him nothing but the best,” Day said. “He played some good football here and spent three years here and made a lot of relationships here.

“He’s committed to another school now, and he’ll do well there. We certainly wish him nothing but the best. There’s a lot of guys in that room that are about him a lot.”

Initially, it seemed McCord was leaning towards Nebraska, especially after a visit to Lincoln. However, he had a change of heart and decided to commit to Syracuse under the guidance of new coach Fran Brown.

Kyle McCord's numbers with the Buckeyes

Kyle McCord, a junior standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing 215 lbs, hails from Mount Laurel, New Jersey. With 3,170 yards to his name this past season, he surpassed the single-season records of J.T. Barrett, Art Schlichter, Troy Smith, and Braxton Miller.

He also registered 24 touchdowns against six interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 83.7, placing him eighth. He was sacked 16 times.

In 2021, McCord, initially a backup to Heisman finalist CJ Stroud, emerged as a key player in the Ohio State Buckeyes’ quarterback competition.

He has 270 completions on 406 attempts in his career (66.5% completion rate), along with 3,776 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, eight interceptions and a quarterback rating of 162.6.