Last week we mentioned how John O’Korn is very interested in transferring to Syracuse after leaving the Houston football program. Now another quarterback with a similar last name has said he has interest in possibly leaving State College to come to University Hill.
Michael O’Connor has announced he is transferring from Penn State and told the Post-Standard he is interested in Syracuse as a possible landing spot. Both O’Korn and O’Connor would have to sit out the 2015 season per NCAA transfer rules.
Hailing from Canada, O’Connor would be closer to home in Ottawa. The four-star recruit was ranked as the 7th-best quarterback in the 2014 class according to Rivals and received a lot of praise from the Penn State coaching staff last summer.
O’Connor’s transfer is largely due to the quarterback competition at Penn State. Christian Hackenberg and Trace McSorley are both ahead of O’Connor in the depth chart. O’Connor got stuck behind two very talented quarterbacks and is not trying to wait till his junior or senior year to get an opportunity.
Syracuse would be a perfect place for a player looking for that opportunity. The Orange have had trouble finding a consistent quarterback every since Ryan Nassib and only have three on the roster, not including 2015 commit Eric Dungey. Although O’Connor would not be eligible to play until 2016, he will get a very good shot to compete for the starting job unless Terrel Hunt, Austin Wilson, or A.J. Long show consistency in 2015.
This is also a football program that is recovering from a disappointing 3-win season in Scott Shafer’s second year as head coach. Bringing in a promising quarterback would excite a deflated fan base and could turn some heads from potential recruits. The Orange might finally be starting to see the effects of the move to the ACC and a new indoor practice facility.
The Orange has seen its ups and downs with transfers. However a commitment from either of these two quarterbacks would be a game changer going forward for Syracuse football.
Posted:  Zephan Mayell
