Former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord commits to transfer to Syracuse and new coach Fran Brown
Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord throws during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Michigan, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Ann Arbor, Mich. Credit: AP/Carlos Osorio
Quarterback Kyle McCord, who started every game this season for Ohio State, announced Sunday he is transferring to Syracuse.
McCord passed for 3,170 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions in his third season at Ohio Sate, but first as a starter for the seventh-ranked Buckeyes (11-1). He was a four-star recruit out of Philadelphia and a high school teammate of Ohio State All-America receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
McCord is the latest transfer addition for new Syracuse coach Fran Brown. The former Georgia assistant coach has also received transfer commits from former Bulldogs receivers Jackson Meeks and Zeed Haynes.
Brown is a New Jersey native who previously worked at Temple and Rutgers before spending two seasons with Georgia.
Georgia has had a total of 15 scholarship players enter the transfer portal during the December window, including linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson, a finalist for the Butkus Award in 2022, and freshman cornerback A.J. Harris, a former five-star recruit.
Dumas-Johnson's 2023 season was cut short by a forearm injury he suffered during a Nov. 4 victory over Missouri. He finished with 34 tackles, including 5.5 for losses and 3.5 sacks.
CJ Allen stepped into the lineup in place of Dumas-Johnson, recording 24 tackles and earning a pair of SEC Freshman of the Week awards over the final four games.
Harris was one of the top prospects in the 2023 recruiting class, but decided to move on after seeing action in just seven games.
Mississippi also had a busy weekend in the transfer portal, adding former Florida defensive end Princely Umanmielen and two former Tennessee players, defensive end Tyler Baron and defensive back Tamarion McDonald.
Other notable transfer commitments announced by the players Sunday include:
— Former Toledo quarterback Dequan Finn, who was the Mid-American Conference player of the year after throwing for 2,657 yards and 22 touchdowns and running for 563 yards and seven scores, committed to Baylor.
—- Former Utah quarterback Nate Johnson, who played in eight games as a freshman this past season, committed to Vanderbilt. Johnson threw for 499 yards and three scores and ran 235 and four.
— All-Ivy League defensive lineman Joey Slackman from Penn said he is heading to Florida.
— FCS All-America receiver Dymere Miller from Monmouth committed to Rutgers.
— Former Illinois running back Reggie Love III committed to Purdue. Love led the Illinois in rushing with 567 yards in eight games.
