On3 Roundtable: Evaluating who has the edge in Ohio State quarterback battle

Ohio State is one of several teams with a quarterback battle on its hands this offseason following the departure of CJ Stroud to the NFL. The Buckeyes will turn to either Kyle McCord or Devin Brown under center to start the 2023 season.

Both quarterbacks came highly rated out of high school as five-star recruits. However, McCord has a slight advantage having been there for the past two seasons compared just one for Brown. McCord even started one game as a true freshman in 2021. He threw for 319 yards, two touchdowns and an interception to lead the Buckeyes to a 59-7 win against Akron.

As Letterman Row‘s Tim May explained in an On3 Roundtable discussion with Andy Staples, that should give McCord a “leg up” on Brown in the competition.

“The guy who’s been there you’ve gotta figure has got the leg up,” he said. “Kyle McCord has been CJ Stroud’s backup the past two years. He actually started and won a game for CJ two years ago as a true freshman. You’ve gotta figure the way the spring ended he is the first guy on the field when they play Indiana unless something happens in preseason camp. But Ryan Day likes both of these guys. Devin Brown cracked his pinky and missed the last week of spring, but he’s back 100% now and throwing the ball. It’s gonna be a competition and Ryan Day wants it that way.”

McCord ranked as the No. 25 overall player and No. 5 quarterback in the 2021 class according to the On3 Industry Rating, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. Comparatively, Brown ranked as the No. 31 overall player and No. 5 QB in the 2022 class.

Brown appeared in just two games his true freshman season but did not record any stats as he took a redshirt. McCord, on the other hand was the official backup to Stroud and saw garbage time in seven games to go 16-of-20 passing for 190 yards and a touchdown.

It’s not just the experience that gives him the upper hand in the Ohio State quarterback battle, however. McCord also has an already established connection with the Buckeyes’ No. 1 receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., whom he played with in high school at St. Joseph’s Prep (PA). The pair won multiple state championships together there, and one would think they came to college together with the hope of doing the same.

“At the end of spring, with quarterbacks now at a premium in the transfer portal, you don’t want either one of these guys leaving,” May explained. “That was a good possibility if you made a declaration after spring. I’m not saying they’re playing a political game, but you’ve gotta figure Kyle McCord is the odds-on favorite to win the job for two reasons. No. 1, the background like I just threw in there, and he was throwing to Marvin Harrison Jr. before CJ Stroud was in high school. You want that keystone combo to just take an upgrade.”

Harrison broke out this past season to finish with 77 catches for 1,264 yards and 14 touchdowns. Ohio State fell just short to eventual champion Georgia in the College Football Playoff Semifinal, but has hopes of making it back in 2023.

They’ll need a quarterback to replace what Stroud brought to get there, and all signs point to McCord being that guy. Still, we’ll have to wait to see how the next couple of months play out before the Buckeyes kick off the year on Sept. 2 against Indiana.