In 2023, Kyle McCord was a Heisman Trophy candidate, leading Ohio State to an 11-1 regular season record, and had the Buckeyes on the brink of the College Football Playoff.

What You Need To Know

  •  Kyle McCord is settling in at Syracuse after transferring to SU in December

  •  McCord has a close relationship with new head coach Fran Brown and many other coaches on the roster

  • He says the sky is the limit for the team, but they have to put in the work to get to where they want to go

But Ohio State would fall just short of their national championship dreams, with McCord deciding a change of scenery was in his best interest.

“If you were to ask me right after the season that I think things were going to go like that, I would have said no," Kyle McCord pervious Ohio State quarterback said on the end of his time at Ohio State. "But at the end of day, I think everything happens for a reason. And I think landing on my feet at a place like this with an opportunity to go out and have a lot of success this year, you know, I can't complain at all.”

McCord joins new head coach Fran Brown, rekindling near-lifelong relationships in coming to Syracuse.

“Obviously, I've known Coach Brown, Coach Nixon and Coach Nunzio, and the the players, too," McCord said. "I think there is a great team around me and it just felt right on my visit. It felt good. So it was really a no-doubt decision.”

Brown’s message to McCord is simple.

“Be who you were when I watched you play in Little League," Brown said. "We're looking for that same guy who never lost at Little League. I think for him to just come and lead us. We need a leader. You know, we talk about the leadership of our team as the head football coach, quarterback, then the coaches, then all of us of the players.”

“Having that trust in your head coach, it means everything," McCord added. "And he's an extremely genuine guy... and you're starting to see. And so playing for him, I mean, it's fun. You know, all the guys on the team love to go out and play for a coach they love.”

McCord is growing into a leadership role, being more vocal than he was in the past, seems to be earning him respect among the coaches and players in a short time.

“He approaches every day as if he is a position coach, like he's a coach on the field," offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon said. "You know, he's always asking great questions. He wants to know all the little nuances of every position on our offense. And he's doing a great job and he has a really good grasp of what we put in so far on our offense, assist in our offensive system.”

“Kyle’s smart," running back LeQuint Allen added. "He knows football in and out. Just learning from him, it's just amazing, you know, just wanting to be on that next level where he's at right now and him teaching me just what to do in certain situations, it means a lot.”

Kyle knows all eyes will be on him and this team this coming fall. But he’s confident in the team assembled and knows the opportunity in front of them.

“I think we can do everything we want to do this year with the team and the coaches," McCord said. "So right now, I think we're just focused on getting better every day and, you know, getting ourselves in a position to go make a run.”