Kyle McCord transfer portal rumors: 5 best destinations for Ohio State QB

After biding his time as C.J. Stroud's backup the two previous years, it was The Kyle McCord Show in Columbus, Ohio, alright. It had a lot of hype, but it was unfortunately canceled after just one season. McCord put his name into the transfer portal shortly after Ohio State lost The Game to arch-rival Michigan for the third year in a row. His stock has taken a beating of late, but it could rebound again.

McCord was a former five-star recruiting coming out of high school. The Philadelphia native committed to the Buckeyes, alongside his high school teammate and 2023 Heisman Trophy finalist Marvin Harrison Jr. While the Ohio State wideout projects as the first non-quarterback taken in the 2024 NFL Draft, McCord has at least two more years of eligibility remaining before he must turn pro.

I think McCord will find somewhere new to play in the Power Five, albeit at a place where expectations are a tad more reasonable. Ohio State is a noted pressure cooker, one that eventually got the best of the former five-star passer from Philadelphia. If he picks the right transfer portal destination, McCord could salvage his once-promising college career and get back to being a first-round-caliber talent.

If McCord has not made up his mind yet, I would suggest looking at one of these five P5 programs.

5. Syracuse Orange could be enticing with Fran Brown's Philly connection

Not to say that the Syracuse Orange are for sure going after a signature quarterback in the transfer portal, but you have to believe they are going to be making a big splash this offseason under their new head coach, Fran Brown. While serving as a coach in the Georgia secondary, Brown developed quite the reputation for being one helluva recruiter, as well as helping that position group succeed.

Brown leaving Athens for Syracuse was shocking to say the least, but nothing in Brown's life has ever been easy. Born into poverty in Camden, New Jersey, Brown went on to play college ball at Western Carolina before getting into coaching. He has strong East Coast ties to Temple University, a program that shares the same city of Philadelphia as McCord's hometown. The dots can easily be connected.

By committing to Syracuse, McCord would be playing in a dome in a much more navigable ACC. He could be the player that helps the Orange get back to what they were during the peak Paul Pasqualoni days. Keep in mind that Harrison's namesake father starred for the Orange. Another notable SU alum is former Philadelphia Eagles franchise quarterback Donovan McNabb. Keep an eye on Syracuse.

Syracuse is an excellent landing spot for McCord, but there are other more intriguing options for him.