By Alec Nederveld
When Kyle McCord threw his second interception on a Saturday in Ann Arbor, it was almost a certainty he wouldn’t throw another ball in a Buckeye uniform. The pass, with just 25 seconds left in Wolverine territory in “The Game” was the summation of disappointments from the Ohio State fanbase.
On the surface, McCord’s stats of 3,170 yards, a 65.8% completion percentage, 24 touchdowns, and six interceptions look good. The Big Ten conference agreed and he received all-conference honors. But just a year prior, CJ Stroud threw for 3,688 yards, 66.3% of passes, 41 touchdowns, with just six interceptions. He was the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year twice and a two-time Heisman finalist and took Ohio State to the playoff and the brink of beating Georgia.
With Marvin Harrison Jr. again leading the best receiving room in the country and no changes to the coaching staff, the frustrations from Buckeye fans make sense. Underachieving never goes well, especially not in Columbus, Ohio.
When the clock struck midnight on December 4th, McCord entered his name in the portal. Unsurprisingly, he had lots of interest from lots of schools. Fran Brown, the first-year coach who has energized the Syracuse program took things a step further. In an interview with No Destination Media, McCord detailed the dedication of Brown and the dividends it paid, stating “he got in the plane that night, came and saw me, then got in the plane, flew right back to Syracuse. And from that moment on, they’re kind of number one on my list.”
That dedication from Brown is rarely seen. FBS head coaches have very little time, and he dropped all his plans to fly and visit just one recruit. It’s hard to overcome that kind of effort and becomes especially important when you’re competing with money.
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At an event in Rochester, NY last evening with Orange coaches from multiple sports, Syracuse AD John Wildhack talked about the importance of NIL and how it played into the recruitment of McCord. He started by stating “Kyle McCord’s not our quarterback this year without SU Football NIL”. He followed up by remarking “he turned down twice the money from Nebraska.”
The exact finances were not shared. However, prior to the portal opening, Matt Rhule commented on the price of a good portal quarterback, remarking “a good quarterback in the portal costs $1 million to $1.5 million to $2 million right now”. If that’s the case, McCord is likely earning around 500k-750k to wear the block S on his head.
Neither Syracuse nor Nebraska has been a hotspot of quarterback development. The last Orange quarterback to be drafted was Ryan Nassib back in 2013. Tanner Lee was the last Cornhusker passer to be drafted in 2018. Neither made a mark in the NFL.
Fran Brown’s recruiting pitch was benefitted from the relationships McCord had with the staff. He’s originally from Philadelphia, PA, close to New Jersey, where much of the coaching staff is from. Brown, in addition to Offensive Coordinator Jeff Nixon, quarterback coach Nunzio Campanile, and some players have known McCord for many years. The latter two also recruited McCord in the past (albeit unsuccessfully). Nixon when he was at Baylor, and Campanile to Bergen Catholic High School. Additionally, Nixon’s son Will (who also transferred to Syracuse) were teammates in youth football.
Matt Rhule, also at Baylor did recruit McCord. So did OC Marcus Satterfield and QB coach Glenn Thomas. But those connections don’t dig as deep as those of the Syracuse staff.
There is another difference from Nebraska. Five-star Freshman Dylan Raiola. With this being McCord’s final year of eligibility, he needs everything to go his way to reach the NFL. There may or may not be promises involved with Raiola, the quarterback of the future for the Huskers’ regarding playing time that would hurt McCord.
The Orange meanwhile does not have comparable talent in the quarterback room. Expected backup Carlos Del-Rio Wilson started one game a year ago, throwing for 37 yards and four interceptions. Behind him is a three-star true freshman in Jakhari Williams and Braden Davis, who has taken snaps at WR. If McCord isn’t starting, he’s either injured, or something has gone horribly wrong.
Lastly, Syracuse’s scheme may be more appealing than Nebraska’s. Their team is physical, they want to play good defense and run on you. There’s nothing wrong with that, and it could prove to be very successful… unless you’re the quarterback. The Orange offense is expected to be more shotgun-oriented and balanced, with weapons all over the offense. McCord will throw more passes and make more plays to help his draft stock.
Over the next year, we’ll find out if McCord made the right decision. His first test will be on August 31st when Syracuse welcomes Ohio to the JMA Wireless Dome. With the aid of a very manageable schedule, Syracuse is expected to have one of their best years in recent memory, one that could put Kyle McCord back in the spotlight.
