"Unfortunate the way he ended his career here": Kyle McCord's former Ohio State teammates reveal 'unfair' and 'tough' situations the QB endured

The Ohio State football team has bid farewell to quarterback Kyle McCord, who recently decided to transfer to another school.

McCord, who started all 12 regular-season games this year, handled the pressure of being seventh-ranked Ohio State's quarterback as best he could as a first-time starter.

Despite playing with a severe ankle injury all season, he still achieved the second-highest pass efficiency rating, number of touchdown passes and yards per attempt among Big Ten quarterbacks.

Despite this, McCord's treatment after less-than-stellar performances especially after the 30-24 loss to then-No. 3 Michigan last month was deemed unfair by some of his teammates, including defensive end Jack Sawyer.

Sawyer clarified that quarterbacks at Ohio State are expected to lead the team to victory. Despite this expectation, he did not attribute the loss at Michigan to the quarterback’s performance.

“I really felt bad for him how he was treated after those games, and I don’t think it was fair,” Sawyer said.

“So, I think (the criticism after the Michigan loss) was unfair, definitely. I love Kyle to death, and I wish him nothing but the best. I just thought it was unfortunate the way he ended his career here."

“He went through a lot, and I feel for the guy, there were a lot of tough moments.” Buckeyes Devin Brown said.

News of Kyle McCord's exit came through diverse means

Kyle McCord at Ohio State

Kyle McCord's exit was communicated to the team members differently, with defensive tackle Tyleik Williams saying that McCord himself broke the news to some of the players in the locker room a few days before he entered the transfer portal.

“He was going to explore other opportunities,” Williams said.

Offensive linemen Josh Fryar and Donovan Jackson said that they discovered the news via social media posts.

McCord, who is visiting Nebraska, is expected to join Matt Rhule's team. The Nebraska Cornhuskers will visit Ohio Stadium on Oct. 26.

Ohio State (11-1) is preparing to win with a new starting quarterback Devin Brown for the Dec. 29 Cotton Bowl against No. 9 Missouri (10-2).

Kyle McCord's departure was met with sadness, yet the team had to maintain a "next man forward mentality" and remain focused on its season.