Kyle McCord releases statement amid decision to enter NCAA transfer portal

Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord entered the transfer portal and released a passionate statement to Buckeye nation.

In his first year as a starter, McCord led Ohio State to an 11-1 record, but the lone loss came at Michigan on the final drive. He beat over Devin Brown to take over for CJ Stroud this season.

Despite success, McCord elected to explore his options in the portal.

“I’m extremely thankful for my time at Ohio State,” McCord said in a statement. “Playing in the scarlet and gray was truly an honor. I’m grateful for all of the life long relationships I’ve made along the way here in Columbus. My teammates, my brothers, I’m appreciative for each and every one of you.

“Thank you to Coach Day, Coach Dennis, Coach Fitch and the rest of the staff and support team. Buckeye Nation, your passion is what makes playing in Columbus special. With that being said, I’ve decided to enter the transfer portal to explore other opportunities.”

At this point, he could be one of the most sought after quarterbacks in the transfer portal this offseason.

In 12 games this season, McCord had 3,170 yards, 24 touchdowns, six interceptions and a 65.8% completion percentage. 

As a member of the Class of 2021, McCord was a five-star recruit out of Philadelphia (Pa.) St. Joseph’s, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 2 overall prospect in the state, the No. 5 quarterback in the class and the No. 25 overall prospect in the class.

While McCord was solid this season, he and the offense didn’t measure up to Stroud and Justin Fields’ offense of the last few seasons.

Ohio State missed out on the Big Ten Championship for the third straight year and were left at home, outside of the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes will play Missouri in the Cotton Bowl, but without McCord.

This weekend, Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day did not name the starting quarterback for 2024 when directly asked. Now with McCord out, Brown is the leader in the clubhouse, but it’s still early.

“I think that’s kind of a long way away right now,” Day said, via Lettermen Row. “We’re gonna get back to work here. We had a practice last week. We’ll have a practice coming up this weekend. And the guys will get out there and compete and grind and then we’ll take it from there. 

“I can’t sit here and tell you I know for sure about any of those things right now, but everyone’s gonna have an opportunity to compete and get after it during the bowl practice. And then when it’s time to go play in the game, we’ll figure out who should get the reps and go from there.”