Shortly after Ryan Day hesitated to commit to Kyle McCord moving forward, the 6-foot-3 junior Quarterback opted to enter his name into the transfer portal. Ahead of Ohio State’s Goodyear Bowl contest against Missouri, Day took some time to reflect on the Buckeyes’ 11-1 regular season during his recent press conference. When he was asked to assess McCord’s play this year, Day mentioned that “I think there were a lot of really good things this year. … As time went on, Kyle got better as the season went on. … So I think there was growth there for sure and I think he’s a good quarterback, I do. After every year you evaluate everything and try to figure out what’s next.” As it relates to confidently selecting McCord as Ohio State’s QB1 going into next season, Day stated that “That’s a long way away right now. … We’ve got to get back to work right now.”
So, there you have it, it’s evident that Day isn’t quite sold on the idea of McCord engineering the Buckeyes’ offense in 2024, which explains why McCord felt the need to transfer out of the program ASAP. McCord finished the 2023 season with 24 touchdowns, six interceptions, and 3,170 passing yards, but his shakiness at times clearly led to a trust issue between McCord and Day. He also didn’t play his best football against Michigan in the pivotal week 13 battle between the two undefeated Big Ten squads (18-30, 271 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions). No, it’s not like he was the worst quarterback in the country this year, but he lacked the star power that enabled CJ Stroud to have a remarkable season under center for the Buckeyes in 2022. While I’m fairly certain that McCord will have plenty of suitors to choose from this offseason, I can’t help but think that he would have loved to close out his collegiate career as an Ohio State Buckeye.
Courtside With Caleb 
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