The two dozen-plus former Ohio State players who are expected to be taken in this year’s NFL draft do not include only those who were with the Buckeyes last fall.
Quarterback Kyle McCord, who transferred to Syracuse for his final year of collegiate eligibility, is also in line to hear his name called.
He raised his stock with the Orange as he threw for 4,779 yards and 34 touchdowns while leading them to their second 10-win season in two decades.
No other quarterback in the Football Bowl Subdivision finished 2024 with more passing yards than McCord, who broke the ACC single-season record set by Deshaun Watson eight years earlier.
Here is where McCord is projected to be picked in the draft, which runs April 24-26:
Kyle McCord draft projection
A majority of mock drafts forecast McCord going in the middle rounds.
The NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus big board has him as the 134th overall prospect and eighth quarterback.
The ranking points to McCord being drafted in the fourth or fifth round and after Will Howard, who replaced him as the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback last season.
Howard is the 101st overall prospect and sixth quarterback on the consensus big board.
There is upside for McCord, a traditional pocket passer who pushes the ball downfield, but he has also been interception prone at times.
Along with his 34 touchdown passes at Syracuse last year, he threw 12 interceptions, including five in a loss at Pittsburgh in October. Three of them were returned for touchdowns by the Panthers.
Kyle McCord stats
McCord threw for 8,555 yards, 61 touchdowns and 20 interceptions with a 66.2% completion percentage over his college career, which included 26 starts between Ohio State and Syracuse.
As the Buckeyes’ starter during the regular season in 2023, he had 3,170 passing yards with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions and was 11-1 while behind center.
Why Kyle McCord left Ohio State
McCord entered the transfer portal after he did not receive assurance from coach Ryan Day that he would remain the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback.
During a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, McCord described the split as a win-win situation for him and Ohio State.
“It wasn’t necessarily an easy decision to leave,” McCord said. “It wasn’t an easy thing to do. But it worked out for me, and it worked out for them. It’s one of those rare cases in the transfer portal when both sides benefit from it.”
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow along on Bluesky, Instagram and X for more.
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