The Miami Football program is considered one of the eight best fits for Ohio State transfer quarterback Kyle McCord per Brad Crawford of 247 Sports. Jacob Camenker of The Sporting News wrote about the “Kyle McCord transfer: Oregon, Miami among landing spots for Ohio State QB in portal.”
McCord let Ohio State to an 11-1 season. The seventh-ranked Buckeyes play ninth-ranked Missouri in the Cotton Bowl. McCord will not play in that game. In his first season as a starter, McCord completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 3,170 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions.
McCord will have one season of eligibility remaining. McCord was a five-star signee with Ohio State in the 2021 class as the 28th-ranked prospect, sixth QB and second player in Pennsylvania per the 247 Sports composite rankings. McCord beat out redshirt freshman Devin Brown to be the Ohio State starter early in the 2023 season.
Camenker stated that “may better fit what Mario Cristobal is looking to do on offense…If Cristobal believes that McCord can continue to avoid turnovers…that could place the Ohio State quarterback among the transfer portal targets to replace Van Dyke.” Finding a QB who takes care of the ball will be critical in the portal.
PFF Grades in 2023 of notable QBs in the transfer portal and Kyle McCord:
— JR’s Rankings 🌰🅾️⭕️ (@jrs_rankings) December 1, 2023
• DJ Uiagalelei, Oregon State- 84.5
• Tyler Van Dyke, Miami- 83.7
• Cam Ward, Washington State- 81.6
• Will Howard, Kansas State- 77.3
• Kyle McCord, Ohio State- 76.4
• Will Rogers, Mississippi- 74.8…
"“Miami expects to be a “destination program” for one of these top-end quarterbacks, after this season’s starter — Tyler Van Dyke — put himself on the transfer market.Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Shannon Dawson takes the field with a passer-friendly attack and the ACC could give McCord a chance to shine and further develop his game without the litany of nationally-ranked opponents each week.That said, McCord played exceptionally well at times this season for the Buckeyes, including wins over Notre Dame and Penn State.”"
Cristobal wants the culture of the Miami football team to be physical and commit few mistakes. Early in the season, Dawson was not afraid to call plays with the option of Van Dyke throwing deep. On 3rd and 7 from the Miami 36, Van Dyke connected for a 64-yard TD pass to Jacolby George with 2:36 left in the fourth quarter.
The score gave Miami a 48-33 lead and put the game out of reach. When Van Dyke struggled or Emory Williams started. Miami became more conservative offensively. When the Dawson offense has an effective QB they have shown the ability to be explosive. McCord should be interested in playing for Dawson.