Scarlet Sunrise: Kyle McCord betting favorite to win Buckeyes starting QB job

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Kyle McCord betting favorite to win Buckeyes starting QB job

Everyone wants to know: Who will be Ohio State’s starting quarterback in 2023, junior Kyle McCord or redshirt freshman Devin Brown? We’ll have to wait a bit longer before learning the answer.

For now, however, sportsbooks will speculate.

As of Monday night, BetOnline has McCord as the clear favorite at -500 odds. Brown, meanwhile, sits at +300 odds. Both are former five-star prospects and Elite 11 finalists.

But McCord has the experience advantage, considering he’s been with the program one year longer, backed up C.J. Stroud — the highest-drafted quarterback in Buckeyes history — and even made one career start, a 59-7 win over Akron in 2021. Brown didn’t attempt a past last year as a true freshman and missed the end of this year’s spring ball with a fracture to his pinkie finger on his throwing hand, an injury that required surgery the week before the spring game.

Brown is healthy again, but he could have to play a bit of catch up in fall camp. He and McCord had their fair share of ups and downs in spring practice, and so the competition will continue on in August.

For reference, Day named Justin Fields the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback on Aug. 19, 2019. Two years later, during the next battle under center, he officially declared Stroud QB1 on Aug. 21, 2021.

BetOnline also released odds for five other quarterback competitions at marquee schools:

ALABAMA

Ty Simpson +105
Tyler Buchner +140
Jalen Milroe +300

AUBURN

Robby Ashford -140
Payton Thorne +100

GEORGIA

Carson Beck -700
Brock Vandagriff +400

MICHIGAN STATE

Noah Kim -200
Katin Houser +150

UCLA

Ethan Garbers -140
Dante Moore +100

Five Questions for Buckeyes ahead of Big Ten Media Days

Big Ten Media Days start Wednesday, and Ohio State is sending three veteran leaders, along with head coach Ryan Day, to meet the press in Indianapolis: junior wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., senior tight end Cade Stover and junior defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau.

Ohio State is coming off a roller coaster 2022 season that saw the Buckeyes lose to Michigan for the second year in a row but nearly knock off eventual back-to-back national champion Georgia in the Peach Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal.

Ohio State is still searching for its first national title since 2014. Luckily for the Buckeyes, they have significant continuity and the potential for their most jam-packed draft class to date.

Harrison, Stover and Tuimoloau — as well as Day — will field all sorts of questions about last year and, more importantly, what’s to come in 2023. Lettermen Row will be on site for it all, but, right now, we’re rattling off five questions that we hope to have answered by week’s end.

Check those out here.

Ohio State poised for major recruiting week, early week SummerFest guest list

Ohio State is looking for a bounce-back week on the recruiting trail, and the Buckeyes will have a chance for one.

After missing out on four-star Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa — who committed to Notre Dame over Ohio State and USC Sunday — the Buckeyes still have just six defensive commits in their 2024 class.

That number could increase this week, though. Lettermen Row outlines why, in addition to providing an early guest list for the Buckeyes’ SummerFest event.

Get all of that here.

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Indiana: 39 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 124 days

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