Why is Kyle McCord transferring? Ohio State QB enters portal amid uncertain Buckeyes future

Just a year after winning the starting job for the Ohio State Buckeyes, quarterback Kyle McCord may be on his way out of Columbus.

The quarterback entered the transfer portal on Monday after leading Ohio State to an 11-1 season that ended in a third straight loss to Michigan. McCord, who struggled at times under pressure behind an uncharacteristically shaky Buckeyes offensive line, had two interceptions against the Wolverines, including one on the final drive of the game he threw off his back foot, in a spot he couldn't take a sack.

Ohio State has an incoming left-handed slinger in Air Noland, ranked the No. 4 QB by 247Sports' Composite rankings. He has an ability to escape pressure with his legs and threw for more 4,000 yards at Langston Hughes High School out of Fairburn, Georgia as a sophomore.

Ryan Day was also non-commital about McCord's status as the starter moving forward. Speaking to media on Sunday about the Buckeyes' Cotton Bowl game vs. Missouri, he wavered in backing McCord as the starter, even for the bowl game. Devin Brown, Lincoln Kienholz, and Tristan Gebbia are behind McCord on the depth chart. Kienholz is a four-star freshman out of South Dakota, whereas Gebbia is with his third school (Nebraska, Oregon State). Brown is a redshirt freshman and four-star recruit from Utah.

REQUIRED READING: Ohio State football quarterback Kyle McCord enters the NCAA transfer portal

Quarterback has always been a strength on Day's rosters: He pursued Justin Fields out of Georgia when he first took over the Buckeyes, and immediately turned the ball over to C.J. Stroud after. Both were first-round picks in the NFL, and Stroud is the runaway favorite to win NFL Rookie of the Year in 2023.

Here's what to know about the McCord's transfer from the Buckeyes.

Why is Kyle McCord transferring?

McCord issued a statement on his entrance into the portal, but did not specify exactly why he was leaving. There is some slight leeway, however, to read between the lines.

The move came a day after Day was non-committal about the Ohio State quarterback starter moving forward when fielding questions about the Cotton Bowl, although that could have been awareness McCord planned on entering his name.

McCord, who won the job in a razor-thin battle with Brown over the course of the offseason and into the season (they split some reps in the first three games of the year, particularly against Youngstown State), finally quieted the noise in a 17-14 win against Notre Dame. The Buckeye offense was slow going against Penn State later in the year and, while it hummed at times against Michigan, costly turnovers proved to be the difference.

With Noland coming in, that would pit McCord up against Brown, Kienholz, and Noland next offseason.

Ryan Day comments about Kyle McCord

Day was coy when asked about McCord on Sunday.

“When you come up short, the bottom line is you've got to look at everything because you didn't get it done,” Day said. “That’s the thing that's sobering here at 11-1 and you come up short in the last possession (against Michigan), it's just not good enough. So you’ve got to look at everything, and we will look at everything.”

In talking about the starters, he was even more evasive.

“But everyone's going to have an opportunity to compete and get after it during bowl practice," Day said. "Then when it's time to go play in the game, we'll figure out who should get the reps and go from there, so I don't really have a great answer for that just yet.”

He concluded by saying he would "just kind of see how practice goes" when asked if players would share reps.

The dodginess piqued some interest among college football pundits, as it was a far cry from the support Day poured upon McCord throughout the year. But, to the aforementioned question, it may have come from an awareness of McCord's pending transfer.

REQUIRED READING: Is Kyle McCord still Ohio State's clear starting quarterback? Ryan Day is non-committal

Where is Kyle McCord from?

McCord was recruited as a five-star out of Philadelphia, the No. 28 recruit in the country per 247Sports' Composite rankings and No. 6 quarterback.

He was recruited over childhood Ohio State fan J.J. McCarthy as part of the 2021 class, who went through a tumultuous visitation process with the Buckeyes and ended up with Michigan.

McCord threw for 21 touchdowns and just three interceptions in his 2020 season with St. Joseph's, and played with superstar receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. during his time there.

What year is Kyle McCord?

McCord enters the portal after his junior season.

The quarterback turned 21 in September and has one season of eligibility remaining, as he appeared in more than four games in 2021 and 2022 as the backup to future first-round pick CJ Stroud.

REQUIRED READING: How did Kyle McCord's 2023 season compare to Ohio State quarterbacks historically?

Kyle McCord stats 2023

McCord saw peaks and valleys throughout the season, but he put together a solid year overall.

He completed 229 of 348 passes (65.8%) for 3,170 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions. He had two games of multiple interceptions: in the 24-10 win vs. Wisconsin and in the 30-24 loss to Michigan.

Ohio State allowed 19 sacks this season, tied for the eighth-worst mark in the country, and McCord's issues scrambling and moving the pocket were an issue throughout the year as well.

Ohio State quarterback depth chart

Ohio State has some options behind McCord at quarterback, including the redshirt freshman he edged out for the starting role, a true freshman, and a seventh-year transfer.

• Devin Brown (redshirt freshman)

• Lincoln Kienholz (true freshman)

• Tristan Gebbia (seventh-year transfer)

Brown would be the expected heir-apparent, having competed with McCord throughout the year. Kienholz was also a highly touted recruit for the Buckeyes (although Noland's 2024 entrance looms large).

Gebbia is a seventh-year senior who began his career at Nebraska, spent five years with Oregon State, and is now with the Buckeyes. He has thrown 200 passes in his college career.

Ohio State has some time to sort things out ahead of Missouri, but what comes next for McCord is a question that looms large. He'll undoubtedly be sought out in the portal. It's a matter of where is going to be the right fit. The same holds true for who plays quarterback for Day next season.

This story was updated at 7:04 p.m. ET to correct Kyle McCord's remaining eligibility.

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Kyle McCord transfer: Why Ohio State QB is entering portal after 2023