Tag: Kyle McCord

USA TODAY weighs in on who will replace Justin Fields this fall

Ohio State has to replace Justin Fields this fall and it appears to be a three-man competition. USA TODAY Sports says this guy will win out.

Yes, it’s true Ohio State fans. Justin Fileds off to the NFL and it feels like we all got robbed of what could have been an even better career in Columbus because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, it was fun while it lasted, and now it’s time to look at who his successor might be.

All indications point to a three-man race to replace Fields at the quarterback spot. The coaches have said that it’ll be an open competition between rising sophomores C.J. Stroud and Jack Miller, and the early enrollee, rising freshman Kyle McCord. A lot of times you can look at what happened when things were on the line to see where the early pecking order is, but that could all change when each guy gets his turn to show what he has with all the reps of spring ball and beyond.

The spotlight is now. We dove into handicapping this quarterback derby a little, but we’re not the only ones. In fact, Paul Myerberg from our mothership USA TODAY Sports also took a look at one of the most intriguing and high-profile position battles in all of college football.

Here is what he said.

NEXT … Who Myerberg believes will win the OSU QB competition

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Handicapping the Ohio State quarterback race for 2021

Ohio State will be choosing a quarterback among three talented guys to replace Justin Fields this fall. Here’s how all three stack up.

Ohio State lost one of its all-time best quarterbacks when Justin Fields announced his intentions to enter the 2021 NFL draft after the national championship game. It came as no surprise, but now it’s time to turn the page and find out who will replace one of the most dynamic players in all of college football.

For the Buckeyes, it looks like a three-ring QB competition, and what the group lacks in experience, it hopefully makes up for in talent. OSU has two highly-rated four-star guys coming back in C.J. Stroud and Jack Miller, and it also has five-star gunslinger Kyle McCord who will insert into the derby to push for that Cadillac position of the offense.

Head coach Ryan Day has said all along it will be an open competition this fall, so we’re taking him at his word. And with that, we’re handicapping the pros and cons of what we see from each as we try to figure out who might be the next face of the Ohio State offense. We start with a profile of each and then look in the crystal ball to determine who we believe starts in 2021.

NEXT … The dual-threat ability of C.J. Stroud

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ESPN ranks the best college football quarterback situations for next three years. Where is Ohio State?

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg ranked the best quarterback situations in college football for the next three years. Where does he have Ohio State?

It’s the Cadillac position at almost every school now. If you don’t have a supremely talented quarterback in today’s college game, it’s hard to win at the highest of levels. Just ask Michigan (too soon?).

As the game has evolved over the last fifteen years or so, the Buckeye program has too, and has now become a destination for some of the top-rated quarterback prospects in the nation. Just look at the signal-callers on the banks of the Olentangy, almost in progression. Troy Smith, Terrelle Pryor, Braxton Miller, J.T. Barrett, Dwayne Haskins, and Justin Fields.

Not bad eh?

But it’s not just the past. Ohio State is set up pretty good for the future as well under head coach Ryan Day. By the time next fall rolls around, Ohio State will have three high four or five-star quarterback caliber quarterbacks competing against each other to take over for the departed Justin Fields. That doesn’t even account for the nation’s top 2022 prospect, QB Quinn Ewers coming in the year after.

So yeah, the program is in pretty good shape over the next few years.

Adam Rittenberg of ESPN took a look (subscription required) at college football programs and how they are set up for the next three years under center and ranked them all. With what is in the cupboard or on the way, before even looking at the rankings, you have to feel pretty good about where Ohio State stands.

Let’s look at how Rittenberg thinks OSU stacks up with the rest of the country.

NEXT… Ohio State’s ranking at QB for the next three years according to ESPN

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Ohio State football’s most intriguing offseason question is this according to ESPN

ESPN identified the most intriguing offseason question for each of its 2021 preseason top 25 teams. Here’s what it said about Ohio State.

Ohio State came up just shy of its ultimate goal of winning a national championship. The Buckeyes put a muzzle on Dabo Swinney and Clemson, but then got taken behind the woodshed by Alabama down in Miami.

So now, things progress to the offseason with several question marks in Columbus and other places. The world of college football always has significant turnover and competition for new spots because of the nature of the yearly cycle of players leaving and entering programs.

But at a place like Ohio State, it’s often a matter of reloading as opposed to rebuilding. There’s no doubt that’ll be the expectation in 2021 with goals of winning every game, taking home a fifth straight Big Ten title, and making a run for the national championship once again.

But what’s the most intriguing offseason question the Buckeyes face? ESPN tried to answer that question for all of the top 25 teams it ranked in the way-too-early preseason, and of course, OSU was a part of all of that. So what did ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren say was the most intriguing question?

NEXT … Ohio State’s most intriguing offseason question per ESPN

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Ohio State freshman quarterback Kyle McCord named High School Football Player of the Year

Ohio State now has the last two high school player of the year award winners on its roster. Freshman Kyle McCord just received the honor.

Ohio State and head coach Ryan Day just keep reloading the talent in Columbus. With Justin Fields headed to the NFL, the Buckeyes already have a quarterback battle heading into the spring with C.J. Stroud and Jack Miller, both sophomores who backed up Fields this past season. But there’s another name who will be giving his best shot to claim the starting QB position this coming season in talented, early enrollee, Kyle McCord.

McCord is a five-star quarterback hailing from Philadelphia, PA where he led his St. Joseph’s high school to three state titles. Now the young quarterback has another award to add to his resume after recently being named the National High School Coaches Association Player of the Year.

McCord becomes the fourth player from Pennsylvania to win the award and makes it two in a row for the state after current Buckeye wide receiver and PA native, Julian Flemming won the award last year.

It goes without saying the cupboard is pretty full at Ohio State at the QB position. And it’s only going to get more crowded next year when the No. 1 player in the country, Quinn Ewers joins the mix.

Until then, we’ll watch carefully how the quarterback competition plays out this spring and into summer. But for now, congratulations go out to Kyle McCord on such a prestigious honor.

Ohio State football 2022 recruiting commitment tracker

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Incoming Ohio State QB Kyle McCord named Maxwell Club Pennsylvania Player of the Year

Incoming five-star freshman quarterback Kyle McCord had been named the Pennsylvania Player of the Year by the Maxwell Club.

Ohio State is getting one whale of a freshman phenom at the quarterback position for the 2021 recruiting class. At 6-foot, 3-inches, and 215-pounds, Kyle McCord is a five-star prospect that’s rated as the No. 3 pocket passing quarterback and 25th overall recruit in the country according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He played his high school ball at St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia, and is expected to compete immediately for the starting quarterback spot at Ohio State as a true freshman.

McCord set Philadelphia city records in career passing yards and touchdowns and directed the Hawks to three-straight Class 6A state titles. He also comes from good bloodlines, as his father Derek played quarterback for Rutgers from 1988-1992.

So yeah, Ohio State is getting a good one. There are plenty of talented signal-callers running around on the banks of the Olentangy, but nobody would be surprised if McCord became the quarterback of the future in Columbus.

And now, before any college accolades follow, McCord has one more high school award to put in his treasure trove. That’s because the Maxwell Club just named him as the Pennsylvania State Player of the Year.

Don’t overlook what McCord might be able to straight out of the box as a freshman at Ohio State.

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Three Ohio State football players appear in the very early BetMGM Heisman odds

The popular BetMGM Sportsbook has published its very early 2021 Heisman odds and there are three Ohio State players included in the mix.

When you follow a team like Ohio State, you live and breathe college football year around. When one season ends, you quickly turn the page to another and look ahead to what’s in store for the following year.

The Buckeyes may have lost the ultimate prize against Alabama down in Miami, but there’s still reason to be hopeful for the future of the program. That’s because head coach Ryan Day has continued to recruit at an elite level, and the cupboard is anything but bare in Columbus despite losing guys like Justin Fields and other key members of the team.

The populate BetMGM Sportsbook has also turned the page to the 2021 season already, posting both odds for winning the national title, as well as future Heisman odds.

The odds at this point are wide-ranging since there’s a lot of unknowns with position battles and all, but they are still fun to look at. They are even more interesting because the website has three Ohio State players included in the 49 it has set early odds on.

The Buckeyes may not have a front-runner like the past few seasons, but someone could come off the radar and quickly jump up in the race if OSU has the kind of season on offense we’ve been accustomed to.

So who are the three OSU players included in the odds? The best odds have been set with quarterback Jack Miller III with +1,600 odds. That’s a very respectable eighth-best odds, with running back Master Teague appearing at No. 12 with +2,800 odds. The other Buckeye finishing it off behind those two is fellow quarterback C.J. Stroud with +5,000 (No. 32).

That’s a bit surprising because many around the Ohio State program expect Stroud to have a wee-bit of an advantage over Miller, but we’ll have to let it all play out. We also can’t forget about five-star QB Kyle McCord who will also throw his hat in the ring as a true freshman.

These things can obviously be way off base this far away from practice and games, but if you’re into that sort of thing, have fun with it all. It’s sure to change as things move through spring and summer.

And while we’re at it, here are the top five odds according to BetMGM:

Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma QB – +300
D.J. Uiagalelei, Clemson QB – +500
J.T. Daniels, Georgia QB – +600
Sam Howell, North Carolina QB – +700
Bryce Young, Alabama QB – +700

You can view the rest of the list at your leisure.

 

Ohio State football commits and targets in town for ‘Buckeye Bash’

Several Ohio State football recruiting commits and attendees are in town for the ‘Buckeye Bash’ recruiting party as OSU kicks off 2020.

As a side note to the thing on everyone’s mind on the eve of the christening of Ohio State football in 2020, there’s also a little football recruiting get together going on called the “Buckeye Bash.”

A trend of a player-led recruiting get together was set by programs like Oklahoma and LSU earlier this year because of the dead period imposed by the NCAA amid the coronavirus pandemic. Ohio State got into the act and decided to all come together with five-star defensive end Jack Sawyer as the host. The party was to coincide with the Buckeyes’ kickoff to the season this weekend.

And it’s not just a small gathering either. In fact, according to Eleven Warriors, there is a total of 14 players that are either committed or still looking at Ohio State from the 2021 recruiting class (and one from 2023) that has a chance to finish as the top-rated class in the country.

So what players ended up committing to the Scarlet and Gray party of future household names? Here’s your complete rundown.

NEXT .. All fourteen Buckeye Bash attendees

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What quarterbacks will battle it out after Justin Fields moves on from the program?

We’ve either seen last days of Justin Fields, or the upcoming season will be it. What quarterback will take the reigns for Ohio State?

With Justin Fields still deciding on whether he will play if there is a spring season for the Buckeyes, and Gunnar Hoak a graduate transfer, there needs to be some clarity for the quarterback depth beyond this year. There are some interesting names, headlined by C.J. Stroud. While Stroud may have the inside track after Fields and Hoak, there will be a competition.

Of course, when you look at the Buckeyes depth chart and roster the first name that jumps out behind Fields and Hoak is Stroud. Stroud was the second-ranked pro-style quarterback coming out of high school. He was well known for his ability to protect the ball and his high completion percentage, and most think he is the future of the quarterback position after Fields.

The next name that stands out is Jack Miller. Miller was the fourteenth ranked pro-style quarterback coming out of high school. He holds most passing records for the state of Arizona, and his high school QBR was over 110. Miller will give Stroud a run for his money, and whoever loses out on the starting gig could easily look for a starting job elsewhere if he wanted.

Oh, the transfer portal — the gift that keeps on giving.

Also, don’t sleep on incoming freshman Kyle McCord. He has risen up the prep rankings and now has a five-star ranking according to several recruiting services. He shined at the Elite 11 Camp earlier this year and has shown poise, and an ability to fit balls into tight windows.

And more or less, your next quarterback in Columbus will come from that group of names.

While Stroud, Miller, and McCord will have the limelight, the rest of the crew including Jagger LaRoe, Danny Vanatsky, and J.P. Andrade will duke it out in the depth chart should casualty or transfers strike.

A spring season would allow some of them to see game action and let Ryan Day start the process for 2021. It may not be ideal, but it could help the Buckeyes push for the playoffs next season.

 

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Ohio State QB commit Kyle McCord named one of twelve top performers at Elite 11 Finals

Ohio State 5-star quarterback commit Kyle McCord showed well at the Elite 11 competition, garnering recognition as 1 of 12 top performers.

He may have missed out on being named the Elite 11 MVP, or “Alpha Dog” at the Elite 11 Finals, but Kyle McCord still impressed. He had a slow start on day one, but took home first place in the Pro Day competition on day two to put himself in contention to follow the footsteps of fellow Buckeye quarterbacks C.J. Stroud and Justin Fields by being named MVP of the event.

However, despite outshining some of the quarterbacks ahead of him in the last day of an accuracy competition, it wasn’t meant to be, as McCord finished in seventh place, well behind camp “Alpa Dog” Caleb Williams. Fifty percent of the final rankings go into the performance and fifty percent goes to film and performance from each competitor’s junior year, and that seemed to make a difference.

Still, there’s no doubt that the rising senior high schooler from St. Joseph’s in Philadelphia belonged, and often showed more poise, accuracy, and arm strength than many others in the competition.

Ohio State still has itself one whale of a five-start talent once all the dust settles and McCord joins the quarterback room in the fall of 2021.