It’s been a busy week for Fran Brown and Syracuse football. Four-star recruits are flocking to campus for visits, and the Orange have already flipped several players originally committed to other schools. However, SU has one main position that it hasn’t locked down yet: quarterback.
Now, there has been a name that’s associated with Syracuse already, which is Kyle McCord. The former Ohio State quarterback is one of the hottest commodities on the transfer portal market, and for good reason. He led the Buckeyes to an 11-1 record this season. Plus, the QB tallied over 3,000 passing yards and 24 touchdowns. For an SU signal caller, those would be spectacular numbers, but it left OSU fans wanting more.
Orange fans almost unanimously want Kyle McCord to come to Syracuse. The rumors have fairly made many excited for the possible transfer. However, there’s a better fit for SU on the market: Maalik Murphy.
Murphy was the backup quarterback at Texas this season. He got on the field a decent amount, going 2-0 while filling in for an injured Quinn Ewers. However, Murphy wants to start, so he hit the portal. He was a top-ten QB in the 2022 class, which says a lot.
Comparing McCord to Murphy, the latter has the advantage with two key factors. For one, Murphy can run, while McCord isn’t particularly mobile. SU has a history of utilizing dual-threat quarterbacks, so Murphy’s versatility would be valued. Much more importantly, however, is long-term potential. Murphy has three years of college eligibility remaining, compared to McCord’s one year (a previous version of this article incorrectly listed it as two years). That’s a huge difference.
If Fran Brown can develop a consistent offense built around Murphy, he’ll have three chances to use that firepower. With McCord, there’s one year to adjust and then, all of a sudden, he’ll be entering his last season.
Kyle McCord would be a great addition for Syracuse football. But with three years left to play, Maalik Murphy would be an even better option for Fran Brown.
