Kyle McCord leaves Nebraska hanging in latest transfer decision

Kyle McCord assumed the QB1 mantle for the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2023, completing 65.8 percent of his passes for 3,170 yards, 24 touchdowns, and six interceptions en route to an 11-1 record. Now, with one year of college eligibility left, McCord is taking his talents to Syracuse.

He is immediately available for the Orange, who recently hired Fran Brown to replace Dino Babers as head coach. For Brown to land such a high-profile commitment roughly three weeks into his Syracuse tenure is an impressive accomplishment. That should serve as a morale boost for a program that has only experienced one above-.500 season since 2018.

As a result, McCord leaves Matt Rhule and the Nebraska Cornerhuskers hanging. There was considerable buzz tying McCord to Nebraska, but a weekend visit to Syracuse evidently convinced the 21-year-old to join the ACC.

With McCord no longer in the mix, don't be shocked if Nebraska re-doubles efforts to land top 2024 recruit Dylan Raiola. The Georgia Bulldogs commit, who spent his 2023 season at Buford High School — a roughly one-hour drive from Athens — is expected to flip to Nebraska according to the latest Crystal Ball forecast from 247Sports insider Steve Wiltfong.

Obviously, Matt Rhule and company would have loved to land McCord in the short-term and Raiola for the long-term, but Cornhuskers fans won't feel so upset about the McCord news if Raiola, a legacy recruit, makes the trek north.

Nebraska loses Kyle McCord sweepstakes as former Ohio State QB commits to Syracuse

McCord was a source of controversy with Ohio State last season, often bemoaned as a weak point in an otherwise infallible collective. The Buckeyes' only loss came at the hands of Michigan, which booted Ohio State from the Big Ten championship game, the No. 1 spot in the college football playoffs, and a chance at competing for the ultimate prize.

The Buckeyes will look for their own transfer portal QB to fill McCord's shoes, while 2024 five-star recruit Air Noland recently reaffirmed his commitment to OSU.

Despite his fairly middling reputation, McCord profiles as a major acquisition for the Syracuse program. There is a significant difference between the expectations at Ohio State and the expectations at Syracuse, where a passable ACC record would be met with pureexaltation. McCord won't need to go undefeated and win the conference to earn the respect of his fanbase, or for the season to be considered a success. If Syracuse can win eight games and perhaps pull off an upset in ACC play, that would be enough.

Nebraska will continue its search for a suitable 2024 starter in lieu of McCord. The Cornhuskers finished 5-7 last season, one win short of bowl eligibility. While 2023 wasn't the leap forward fans expected, Rhule has clearly left a positive impression on the program and there's momentum toward significant growth in the near future.

Of note, former Buckeyes WR Julian Fleming recently met with Nebraska right alongside McCord. He is currently favored to land at Penn State, however, so the Cornhuskers may have missed the boat when it comes to Ohio State castoffs.