The month between conference championships and bowl season used to be a relatively quiet one, outside of a handful of coaching searches. Not anymore. Not with the college football transfer portal opening Monday, leading to a now-annual scramble as teams search for plug-and-play quarterbacks and star players look to greener pasture for their next school. 

The quarterback shuffle is now well underway ahead of the 2024 season, with several top signal-callers declaring their intent to transfer – perhaps none more accomplished than junior Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord. 

The former five-star recruit out of St. Joseph’s High in Philadelphia won the starting job early this season and led the Buckeyes to an 11-1 campaign, throwing for 3,170 yards and 24 touchdowns with just six interceptions. 

News of McCord’s intent to transfer came as a big surprise to many. Now, on the way out of Columbus, he should have his pick of several programs happy to land the former Buckeye.

Kyle McCord 2024 Transfer College Team Odds

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McCord's Top Landing Spots

It’s important to remember that the transfer portal is a two-way street. It’s unlikely McCord was dying to get out of Columbus. But Buckeyes coach Ryan Day was pretty clear about his intent to entertain QB options in the portal, and it sounds like this is a case in which a player was politely encouraged to explore other options. 

McCord did struggle at times throughout the year, including a letdown against Michigan in which he threw two interceptions and rarely looked comfortable in the pocket. But he put a lot of good things on tape throughout the year and there are plenty of schools that would love to have him on campus for 2024. 

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We think that conversation starts with Miami. The Hurricanes are looking to make a major leap in 2024 by bringing in a portal QB, with Miami entering Year 3 under Mario Cristobal on the heels of a 7-5 campaign. Last year’s starting QB, Tyler Van Dyke, is set to hit the portal after the Hurricanes lost three of their last four games. 

The defense should be built to win big in 2024, and a proven winner like McCord under center could be a major piece of the puzzle.

There’s also an immediate opening at Kentucky, which has a recent history of producing NFL quarterbacks in current Tennessee Titans starter Will Levis. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen is back in Lexington after spending the 2022 season as the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator. 

Given the system and staff in place, linking up with the Wildcats seems like a solid opportunity for most signal-callers in the portal – including McCord. 

As for family ties, McCord’s dad, Derek McCord, played quarterback at Rutgers and the Knights did offer Kyle out of high school. There could be an opening in Piscataway after an underwhelming year from starter Gavin Wimsatt. The junior didn’t have a single 200-yard passing performance as the Knights fell short against the top challengers in the conference. 

Mississippi State was also in on McCord and offered him as a high school prospect. The Bulldogs just saw starting QB Will Rogers enter the transfer portal and will be in the market for the plug-and-play guy. 

Given the familiarity with McCord and immediate opportunity for playing time in the SEC, this is a sleeper to consider among other options like Auburn, Pittsburgh, or Oregon. 

Keep in mind these situations are fluid, and circumstances will change based on how the QB dominos continue to fall in the portal as a host of big names and talented players join the mix. Either way, McCord will certainly be right on top of the wish list for many college coaches over the next month.