Ohio State Quarterback Kyle McCord Is Not NFL Ready

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COLUMBUS – The Ohio State Buckeyes return home to Columbus their third straight loss to the Michigan Wolverines 30-24. Buckeyes Quarterback Kyle McCord struggled again. Looking back to the very first game of the season, we should’ve seen the signs. McCord struggled against an inferior Indiana defense and should’ve led the Buckeyes to 35+ points in that game. Although McCord passed for 239 yards I’m that game, which is not terrible but not great, he didn’t pass for a single touchdown in that game. Among the other signs that point to McCord’s lack of NFL preparation, That dismal week one performance alone stands out. Here are some signs that McCord is not NFL-ready just yet and should play for Ohio State one more season.

The fact that McCord tends to struggle in the first half of several games is a concern. We also need to take into account, that in one of the games against Purdue, McCord was 16 of 28 completed passes. Although he passed for 276 yards and three touchdowns, McCord should’ve completed more passes in that game.

In this last game against Michigan, the final passing yards total was actually not bad considering the defense he went against. 276 yards against such a defense with two passing touchdowns actually starts to look promising at first look. However, he missed a wide-open Marvin Harrison Junior on the first drive which likely would have resulted in a first down and extended the drive. For all we know, McCord could’ve led the Buckeyes to a touchdown had he completely missed Harrison Junior which was clearly who McCord threw to.

Ask any Buckeyes fans and they’ll tell you McCord needs to learn more under Head Coach Ryan Day. McCord needs to drastically improve his ability to read defenses and his pass accuracy. He has the arm strength to win against NCAA defense. That is not something an objective viewer or writer should ignore for the sake of convenience.

Let’s compare McCord’s numbers to those of quarterbacks who might be NFL-ready. For example, Heisman Trophy frontrunner, LSU Quarterback Jayden Daniels passed for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns, and just four interceptions. Daniels also has a 72.2 completion percentage. McCord passed for 3,170 yards, 24 touchdowns, and six interceptions. McCord’s quarterback rating isn’t terrible but it’s 84.1 (8th best) compared to Daniel’s 95.6 which is first in the NCAA. McCord’s completion percentage this year is 65.8. Ohio State had one of the toughest schedules in college football to be fair but these numbers clearly make Daniels look like the superior quarterback in this comparison.

McCord spoke about his development a few weeks ago and referenced his game against Rutgers. “I feel like, uh, especially against Rutgers, we played a lot, uh, too high, obviously trying to keep everything underneath. After the loss to Michigan, McCord spoke on Ohio State’s last offensive play which Michigan intercepted the football. “It looked like they played cover 2… I went back to Marvin, and kind of got hit as I threw.” McCord said he didn’t get as much (velocity) as he wanted.

In fairness, we have to look at some of McCord’s better performances. In week three against Western Kentucky, McCord threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns. On the road in South Bend, Indiana, McCord threw for 240 yards but no passing touchdowns. Even so, 240 passing yards against the tough Notre Dame defense actually created some hope at the time. Against the elite Penn State defense, he threw for 286 passing yards and one touchdown despite a 62.9 completion percentage. Against Michigan State, McCord threw 335 yards and three touchdowns.

Also, compare McCord’s numbers to former Ohio State Quarterback C.J. Stroud. Stroud declared for the NFL draft right after his Junior year. In 13 games, Stroud threw for 3,688 yards and 41 touchdowns. This included the semifinal game against Georgia which he threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns.

It’s doubtful that McCord will get his chance against Georgia since Ohio State’s chances of making the college football playoffs are approximately no greater than 35 percent at this time.

McCord is eligible to declare for the NFL draft and would likely be a seventh-round pick at this time. However, McCord would be better off playing his senior year. He needs more experience as a college starter. He should look at these three straight losses to Michigan as blemishes and unfinished business. What if Kyle McCord can lead Ohio State to a win against Michigan next year and at least an appearance in next year’s college football playoffs?

It would not be a good look for McCord to leave Ohio State without polishing his NFL resume first. He still needs to improve his ability to read defenses and establish himself as a proven winner at the NCAA level before declaring for the draft. McCord takes accountability and doesn’t make any excuses which shows he has the maturity to be a quarterback in the NFL. His skills and knowledge need some work. He could accomplish this with one more season.