When Syracuse Orange head coach Fran Brown decided to bring in quarterback Kyle McCord as a transfer from the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2024, he knew he was on to something. This came to fruition when the Orange pulled off a major late-season upset over the No. 6 Miami Hurricanes.
Kyle McCord Led Syracuse to Major Upset Over Miami
This Nov. 30 victory knocked sixth-ranked Miami out of ACC title contention and, more importantly, showed that head-to-head against Cam Ward, Miami’s top quarterback prospect, McCord, was the better quarterback.
The former Buckeye finished the game with 380 passing yards and three touchdowns to Ward’s 349 and two touchdowns. McCord also had far fewer weapons when Syracuse beat Miami.
Brown explained to JD PicKell of On3 Sports, “None of those dudes could play QB better than him.
“I hear the people, and I don’t wanna bring none of their names up,” Brown continued. “But he went against one of the best head-to-head. He won.”
McCord finished the season with 4,779 passing yards, which led the country, and 34 touchdowns. His passing yards mark also set a new ACC record.
McCord impressed scouts and showcased well at Shrine Bowl practices, but the job isn’t finished. He is still behind Ward and Colorado Buffaloes QB Shedeur Sanders in NFL mock drafts, but the NFL Draft is still three months away.
CBS Sports writer Garnet Podell ranked McCord first on his list of top performers from the Shrine Bowl despite saying he wouldn’t be a first-round selection.
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One twist here, though, is that four NFL team GMs—the Tennessee Titans’ Mike Borgonzi, the New York Giants’ Joe Schoen, the Carolina Panthers’ Dan Morgan, and the Green Bay Packers’ Brian Gutekunst—were all at the Shrine Bowl practices, according to Podell.
The Titans are looking for another quarterback and hold the number one pick in the NFL Draft. They’d likely take Ward or Sanders, but McCord would certainly fill their needs. If the Titans don’t select McCord, another franchise in need of a new QB1 could come calling.
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