Kyle McCord is one of the biggest names in the 2023 NCAA football Transfer Portal. After visits with Nebraska, the former Ohio State Buckeye mentioned his hopes to play quarterback in a conference other than the Big 10. With this in mind, here are five schools that Kyle McCord should transfer to for his senior season, and five he should stay away from.
Transfer to: Mississippi State
Coming off of a 5-7 record in the SEC, Mississippi State is in the market for a new offense. Actually, with a new head coach in Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State has entered rebuild mode. Even though there wasn’t a single player with over 1,000 yards receiving or rushing for the Bulldogs in 2023. However, the reason McCord should transfer here is in view of the fact that he will be a bright spot on what is a fairly dim time in Mississippi State football. Thus, boosting his draft stock and making him look better than he may actually be. Got to get paid somehow.
Stay away from: Washington State
Washington State University has lost quarterback Cam Ward to the transfer portal after a 5-7 season. The Cougars are losing their two best defensive players to the NFL Draft, and many offensive players are either transferring out, or declaring for the draft. This leaves the team without a solidified conference, or a filled roster. In addition, there have been rumors about head coach Jake Dickert leaving for another coaching position to avoid the hot seat in 2024 Cam Ward’s backup John Mateer is the team’s projected starter in 2024, and this is not an offensive system that fits Kyle McCord if he hopes to play in the NFL. All in all, WSU would not be a good choice for McCord.
Transfer to: UNC
With recent news of UNC quarterback Drake Maye declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft, the QB position at UNC has an opening. With the team’s leading rusher Omarion Hampton returning for his Junior Season, along with wide receivers Devontez Walker and JJ Jones, the UNC offense has the potential to take a leap forward in 2024 and compete for an ACC title. The Tar Heels finished 8-4 and averaged 36 points per game in 2023. With McCord potentially joining the team, could 2024 be the season where UNC builds off of their previous success and competes for an ACC Championship?
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Stay away from: Michigan
Time out. How funny would it be if Kyle McCord transferred to Ohio State’s biggest rival? Would that not be the ultimate screw you to Ohio State? It is unclear whether or not current Michigan QB JJ McCarthy is going to declare for the NFL Draft or return for his senior year at Michigan. Even if the best-case scenario occurs and McCarthy leave Michigan, McCord will be in a quarterback battle with former Indiana starter Jack Tuttle, along with any of the other three quarterbacks on the Michigan roster (not including McCarthy). Also, Michigan is in the Big 10, and McCord expressed interest in leaving the Big 10 conference. As funny as it would be, McCord probably won’t end up at Michigan.
Transfer to: LSU
Heisman trophy winner Jayden Daniels is expected to be a first-round draft pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, despite having a year of eligibility left. Even though current backup Garrett Nussmeier is expected to start for the Tigers in 2024, it isn’t every day that a ranked team (LSU) gets the chance to host one of the best quarterbacks in the nation. Kyle McCord would fit right in with the LSU offense which was a high scoring unit in 2023. If McCord were to join the Tigers, could we see back-to-back Heisman winning quarterbacks from LSU?
Stay away from: Nebraska
In December of 2023 McCord took a visit to Nebraska, and after that visit decided that he didn’t want to play in the Big 10 Conference. First of all, what happened on that visit to convince Kyle McCord to avoid a whole conference? Digression aside, Nebraska hasn’t been bowl eligible since 2016, and McCord might not want to spend his last year of eligibility in a struggling program.
Transfer to: Oregon State
With former OSU quarterback DJ Uiagalelei entering the transfer portal, and former four-star recruit Aidan Chiles transferring to Michigan State, the quarterback room needs some veteran presence. This is in addition to a new coaching acquisition, as Trent Bray was announced as the Beavers’ new head football coach. Plus, Oregon State has a scheduling alliance with the Mountain West conference for 2024. This could mean a fresh start for Kyle McCord, and a chance to pad his stats ahead of the NFL Draft (sound familiar Shedeur?).
Stay away from: Florida State.
Florida State has been a highly desired destination for quarterbacks in the transfer portal. Both DJ Uiagalelei and Cam Ward have been in talks of joining the Florida State Seminoles. In addition, Tate Rodemaker who led the Seminoles to an undefeated season after Jordan Travis’ injury, has another year of eligibility. With so much potential competition surrounding the quarterback position, McCord may not get the chance to start for Florida State, making it an undesirable destination.
Transfer to: Miami
Miami went 7-5 and became eligible for a bowl game in 2023. Tyler Van Dyke is eligible for the NFL draft in 2024, leaving Emory Williams as the only quarterback on the Roster (except for incoming recruits). Despite some thinking that the ACC isn’t competitive (isn’t that right CFP committee?) Miami hasn’t had a 3,000-yard passer since 2017, and McCord eclipsed 3,000 for the Buckeyes in 2023. Miami has struggled with inconsistent quarterback play for the past five years, and a proven quarterback like McCord could be the missing piece to move Miami into a better bowl game in 2024.
Stay away from: Oregon
Early in the transfer portal chaos it was predicted that Kyle McCord would attend Oregon in 2024. However, with the recent signing of Dillon Gabriel from Oklahoma, the Ducks no longer have a need to fill the void left from Bo Nix. This means that Oregon would not be a good option for McCord.
