With the spring football game just a week away, the hype is building around quarterback Kyle McCord. Undoubtedly Syracuse’s most important transfer of the offseason, McCord is excited about being in Orange saying it was his “first choice” last week. Last season, the junior had over 3,000 yards last season along with 24 touchdowns, leading the Buckeyes to an 11-win season. The Philadelphia native is a proven winner but has a lot to do to transform the SU offense. One of the main things that will contribute to his success is the players around him.
Syracuse’s offensive arsenal is led by tight end Oronde Gadsden II. The red-shirt junior missed last season due to injury, but led the nation in receiving yards for tight ends in his sophomore year. Gadsden nearly hit 1,000 yards, showing that McCord must rely on the red-shirt junior this year.
The SU offense will also be reinforced by Georgia wide receiver transfers Jackson Meeks and Zeed Haynes along with several recruits. Both wideouts from the bulldogs are unproven three stars, and need to perform to aid McCord. All of the new additions are crucial for the quarterback’s, particularly with the Orange’s easier schedule than this past season.
Pitt may be Syracuse’s toughest upcoming opponent. The Panthers never broke into the AP Top 25 at all last season. In contrast, McCord consistently competed against top 25 programs in the Big Ten. All of that experience against high-caliber teams aims to help him have success against weaker ACC opponents.
Only time will tell if McCord can lead SU to its first conference title since 2012. Reports say the quarterback is already settling in nicely. It’s too simply too early to tell anything with the season still five months away. Fans don’t have to wait five months to see him on the field though, with the spring football game coming up next week. The intra-squad contest will be the first time all eyes are on the transfer, putting some pressure on McCord to perform. If the former Buckeye replicates his stellar performance from last year, Syracuse’s offense stands poised to achieve its highest potential since the 1990s.
