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Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Writer
Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord, who started throughout the season for the Buckeyes, entered his name into the transfer portal Monday morning.
McCord, in his third year with the Buckeyes, won the starting job early in the season after competing with Devin Brown. Recruited by coach Ryan Day, he had waited two years behind C.J. Stroud, now the Houston Texans‘ starting quarterback, after coming to Ohio State as ESPN’s No. 31 prospect in the 2021 class.
The Philadelphia-area native had 3,170 passing yards with 24 touchdown passes and six interceptions, while completing 65.8% of his passes. McCord eclipsed 300 passing yards three times but also twice threw two interceptions, including in the regular-season finale, a 30-24 loss to Michigan that ultimately cost Ohio State a College Football Playoff spot for the second time in three years.
“As time went on, Kyle got better as the season went on,” Day said Sunday. “Had a little bit of those ankle injuries that he worked through; he showed toughness there. Certainly the Notre Dame game, he played really well down the stretch. 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 to do next. But I think there was a lot of progress made this year.”
— Kyle McCord (@kylemccord16) December 4, 2023
On Sunday, Ohio State was selected to play Missouri in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on Dec. 29. Day was noncommittal about McCord’s status as the team’s starter when asked about it Sunday.
“When you come up short, the bottom line is you got to look at everything, because you didn’t get it done, and that’s the thing that is just sobering here,” Day said. “At 11-1, you come up short on the last possession, it’s just not good enough. So you got to look at everything, and we will look at everything.”
Wide receiver Julian Fleming, ESPN’s No. 1 recruit in the 2020 class, also announced he would be entering the portal on Monday. Fleming had 79 receptions for 963 yards and seven touchdowns in his career, including 26 catches this season.
He had his most productive season in 2022, when he finished third on the team with 533 yards and six touchdowns. Fleming has one year of eligibility left.
“Playing in Columbus has truly been one of the greatest times of my life and I want to take the time to thank the entire Buckeye nation for all the support!” Fleming wrote on X.
The transfer window opened Monday for most college football players, and Ohio State had several other portal entries, including running back Evan Pryor, ESPN’s No. 128 recruit in 2021.