Kyle McCord, the quarterback, claims that his move from Ohio State to Syracuse was solely motivated by business.

On the podcast “The QB Room,” McCord stated, “At the end of the day, the top level of college football and then especially onto the pros, it’s a business.” Ultimately, Ohio State had to do what they believed to be in their best interests as a corporation. And I had to follow suit.”

Following Ohio State’s 11-1 record and the program’s third consecutive loss to rival Michigan to end the 2023 regular season, McCord accessed the transfer portal.

In December, sources told The Dispatch that McCord made the choice to go and that he was the favorite to start for the Buckeyes in 2024. Rather, McCord was hoping for Ryan Day’s guarantee that he would start, but the Ohio State coach was unable to provide it. McCord also considered pay for likeness, name, and image.

During his lone season as the starting quarterback at Ohio State, McCard completed 65.8% of his 348 pass attempts for 3,170 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and six interceptions.

Following the Dec. 4 launch of his transfer site, McCord stated that he “kept the reasons close, kind of in my inner circle,” for his decision to leave Ohio State.

McCord remarked, “News outlets have contacted me.” “I didn’t respond when a Columbus-based news organization contacted me about doing a story. I asked my family to write a story, but they didn’t respond. I approached folks in my social circle to do a story, but no one responded. The following day, you check the internet and find an article about “the five reasons I left.” You’ve read them, and they’re full of nonsense. At that point, they are just tugging at imaginary strings. People in the story read that and assume it to be real; as a result, they accept it, begin to assert it, and it all just sort of snowballs. You don’t say anything about it at all. That’s just the way things are. I believe that the truth will eventually come to light.”

November 25, 2023; USA, Ann Arbor, Michigan Before Saturday’s NCAA Division I football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium, quarterback Kyle McCord (6) warms up.

Former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud, who McCord claimed received a lot of criticism while in Columbus but went on to be the No. 2 overall choice in the 2024 NFL draft and is currently enjoying “one of the best rookie seasons of all time,” taught him a lot of lessons.

McCord recalled Stroud saying, “He stated, ‘Regardless if you are good, horrible, or indifferent, people are going to have something to say.” “I believe that, especially at a school like that, I have done a wonderful job this year of just filtering it all out and realizing it’s part of the position.” There will be a great deal of noise. Most of the time, you just kind of let it go, and as I mentioned, I believe the truth will come to light.”

McCord stated he was sure he would find a home by using the transfer portal after realizing his future at Ohio State “simply wasn’t meant to be for next year.”

McCord claimed that while at Syracuse, he bonded with head coach Fran Brown, whom he had known since middle school, and a staff full of people he had previously associated with.

McCord compared NIL to “a cap in football,” calling the transfer portal “free agency” and “crazy within itself.” He also added that the NCAA is “in over its head” with the NIL.