Kyle McCord reveals real reason behind Ohio State exit to join Syracuse

Modified Apr 17, 2025 18:20 GMT

NFL: Combine - Source: Imagn — Kyle McCord at NFL Combine - Source: Imagn

Kyle McCord spent three seasons with the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was the starting quarterback during the 2023 season.

Ahead of the 2024 season, McCord entered the transfer portal and went to Syracuse. Here, fans saw an improvement in his abilities, and without him, Ohio State won the national championship.

McCord's exit from Ohio State shocked many. On Wednesday's edition of Jon Gruden's "Gruden's World" podcast, he explained why he entered the transfer portal.

“I thought just going on from Year 1 to Year 2 I made a big improvement and wanted to come back," McCord said. "They wanted to go in a different direction."

In the 2023 season, McCord threw for 3,170 yards and 24 touchdowns, leading the Buckeyes to an 11-2 season. As this was his junior year, McCord would have a more successful senior year and potentially lead the Buckeyes to a Big Ten title and a CFP spot.

However, losses to Michigan and Missouri, marked by McCord’s struggles in both games, kept the Buckeyes out of the playoff.

This may have influenced why the Buckeyes did not want McCord to return for his senior year. So, he entered the transfer portal and went to the Syracuse Orange.

Here, McCord was more in his element, and fans saw a massive improvement in his performances. He threw for 4,779 yards and 34 touchdowns and revived his draft prospects.

Without McCord, Ohio State brought in former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard, who led them to a national championship win against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Kyle McCord's 2025 NFL draft stock

After finishing his senior year with the Syracuse Orange, Kyle McCord declared for the 2025 NFL Draft. With one week to go before the first round, where is McCord predicted to end up?

NFL Draft Buzz ranks McCord as the seventh-best quarterback in the 2025 class. Interestingly, the same site gives a rating score nearly identical to that of Will Howard, who replaced McCord at the Buckeyes.

McCord has been predicted to be a fourth-round pick in the draft. However, in a weak quarterback class, and with McCord's stock slowly rising, there is a possibility that he could be a third-round pick if a team wants him.

About the author

Ben Tredinnick is a journalist who covers college football and college basketball at Sportskeeda who is currently studying for a masters in Data Science. His degree in Psychology has helped him gain an in-depth understanding of the minds of coaches.

Ben has been involved in sports writing since 2022 and covered the NFL previously. His strengths include providing in-depth profiles of athletes and coaches, with a particular focus on development, and looking at which teams could be in the hunt for today's college stars.

Ben enjoys following college sports more than the NBA or NFL because there is more variation in terms of playstyles. The tournaments are often more competitive than the major leagues, and due to the constant turnover of players, there are rarely any "superteams" in college sports.

He prioritizes research, looks at multiple sources and publications to make sure he gets the full picture of the story before writing. He tries not to write from a one-sided perspective to allow the reader to be able to make their mind up on their own.

A Texas Longhorns fan, as well as a massive New York Giants fan, some of his favorite college players of all time are Arch Manning, Tim Tebow and Reggie Bush.

When he is not working, Ben enjoys watching films (especially Godzilla) and spending time with his cat.

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Edited by Ribin Peter