5 QBs still in the transfer portal Ohio State desperately needs after Cotton Bowl
By John Buhler
You and I scored as many touchdowns as the entire Ohio State offense did in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on Friday night. Although it was a low-scoring affair over there in Jerryworld, the Missouri Tigers prevailed over the Buckeyes, 14-3. While Ryan Day's team has the same record as Eliah Drinkwitz's does, 11-2 hits differently in Columbus than it does over in CoMo. Oh no, Buckeyes...
Quarterback play had been a definitive part of the Day era of Buckeyes football. He had tremendous success with CJ Stroud and Justin Fields previously. However, Kyle McCord yielded mixed reviews in his lone season as the Buckeyes starter. He went 11-1 in his only year leading the Buckeyes, but lost the one Ohio State could not afford: The Game, for the third year in a row. Thus, McCord transferred.
While McCord's prospects have changed since linking up with Fran Brown at Syracuse, Day's have as well. He may be one of the better coaches in college football, but he is going to be run out of town on a floating flat screen if Ohio State loses to Michigan for the fourth year in a row. For this to not happen, Day needs to add a better veteran passer by way of the transfer portal. It's slim pickings now.
Even with many quarterbacks having already committed to new schools, here are five quarterbacks Day could still target in the transfer portal to keep the Buckeyes' playoff dreams alive for next season.
5 quarterbacks Ohio State needs to target in the transfer portal right now
5. Jordan McCloud was a Power Five talent thriving in the Group of Five
With Curt Cignetti leaving for Indiana, it was only a matter of time before his former James Madison quarterback Jordan McCloud entered the transfer portal. While I thought McCloud would follow Cignetti to Bloomington, that does not seem to be the case. While he could return to JMU and play for incoming head coach Bob Chesney, McCloud could be making his way to the Power Five in 2024.
Admittedly, the leap up from James Madison University in the Sun Belt to THE Ohio State University in the Big Ten is about as big as it gets from the college level, outside of going from Conference USA to the SEC, but that's not the point. The point is McCloud has been sensational at a level of college football he is probably too good for now. The big question is if he can handle what Ohio State offers.
Frankly, I think McCloud could make it work in Columbus, but there are other quarterbacks in the portal with higher upside than him. If it works, then Day will look like a genius. Should it blow up in his face, well, Day could be fired. I think that is why McCloud is not likely to be heading to Columbus because it feels like a high-risk, low-reward sort of transfer portal upgrade. Day cannot afford this.
McCloud will find a new place to play, but it may not be at a pipe dream destination like an Ohio State.