Kyle McCord calls his transfer from Ohio State a 'business decision'

Many were surprised when former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord entered the transfer portal this offseason following just one year as the Buckeyes starting quarterback.

There’s been some speculation as to why McCord parted ways with the program and chose to commit to Syracuse two weeks after entering the transfer portal. But on ‘The QB Room’ with former NFL quarterbacks Jordan Palmer and Kyle Allen, McCord cleared the air on his departure from the Ohio State program.

“I mean you guys know it just as well as I do. At the end of the day, the top level of college football and then especially on to the pros,” McCord said. “I mean it’s a business, and at the end of the day Ohio State had to make a business decision that they felt like was best for them and I had to do the same thing.”

It’s no secret that NIL dealings have become extremely prevalent at the highest level of recruiting in college football both with high school and transfer portal recruits. And while McCord did not mention money, in particular, being a factor in his exit from Columbus, his comments do resemble a professional athlete entering free agency after failing to land a desired deal with a former team.

“Unfortunately, it just wasn’t meant to be for next year but at the end of the day I felt like I put together some solid games and had some good tape. So I was confident when I went in the portal I’d find a good home,” McCord admitted.

McCord threw for 3,170 yards and 24 touchdown passes in his lone season as the Buckeyes’ starter under center. Helping lead the team to an 11-1 record to end the regular season with a lone loss coming from the Michigan Wolverines, who play in the national championship next week.

His decision to choose Syracuse as his next destination came as a surprise to many, but McCord also revealed his connection to the program through their newly hired head coach, which dates back to his middle school playing days.

“Syracuse, it’s funny so Coach Fran Brown I’ve known him since I was in middle school and so he just got the head job there,” McCord said. “Played football in South Jersey and so he’s a South Jersey guy and so he was at Temple. So he was always local and he told me when I was in like seventh grade I think he’s like you’re gonna be special man, he’s like wherever I am I want to be your coach.”

“He’d always just be around, so talking to him and kind of kept in touch over the years. And he went to Rutgers and then down to Georgia and so kind of a small world. Once I got in the portal he was the first guy that reached out to me early in the morning calling me.”

McCord’s business decision surely had some personal ties when it came down to selecting his next program of choice. Hopefully he and Brown can shift the culture at Syracuse as newcomers to a program that’s had a winning record in conference play once in the last decade.