Kyle McCord on state of transfer portal: 'It's pretty nuts'

Plenty of shocking names have entered the NCAA transfer portal but none more so than Kyle McCord. Not too often does the starting quarterback at Ohio State decide to hit the open market. But after just one season of experience in Columbus, McCord decided to continue his college football career at Syracuse.

McCord was asked his overall thoughts on the portal, not having a word other than “crazy” to describe it. He says that once officially entered, any school in the country can contact you with no rules. His phone was likely buzzing nonstop with coaches attempting to recruit him.

“It’s pretty nuts, I’m not going to lie,” McCord said. “I think, A — the transfer portal is crazy within itself. You get in and all these schools have free reign to hit you up. And then you add in the NIL piece, which makes it even more interesting. It’s almost like a cap in football.”

This is something we see in the NFL with the salary cap. Franchises are not allowed to spend over a certain amount and if they do, financial punishments are hammered down by the league office.

While college is different where there is no specific cap from the NCAA, not all of these schools have an unlimited fund to buy players from. Yes, some have more than others but McCord says a lot of programs have a certain amount to spend, picking and choosing which players they want to give NIL money to.

“Schools have X amount of money and they have to distribute it accordingly,” McCord said. “So, each guy feels like they have a certain value and they set themselves at that value. I think a lot of it is weighing the pros and cons. It’s crazy man.”

McCord would even compare offers from other schools with his Ohio State teammates. Some big names such as Julian Fleming and Noah Rogers have decided to leave the Buckeyes this offseason. It would help him weigh options and make the best decision for himself. Similar to free agency in the NFL but with a lot less structure.

“I talked to some of my guys from Ohio State and hearing the numbers they’re getting from schools, trying to compare them. ‘I know I can get on the field here but the money is not as good here.’ It’s nuts with NIL and with the way things are right now, it’s free agency.”