ANY Syracuse game watchers here?

[brownelvis54]

I have made Dart threads. He is the guy I would want the Giants to after as a late 1st round pick or use our 2nd for him. According to PFF they have Dart ranked below Ewers, Milroe and Howard, granted this was Last updated: Monday, Jan. 20. Since the Shrine bowl things have changed. My understanding is Milroes stock has tumbled. Some say he could slide to the 3rd round. I have watched both Ward and Saunders, neither screamed franchise player to me. I have watch Beck and Ewers and thought the same. I live in Los Angeles and watched Gabriel, too small and don't see franchise there either. Kurtis Rourke? pass. Jaxon Dart? I am intrigued, but not a day one starter and has shown to panic when the pocket collapses at times, leading to forced throws. If I was forced to choose a QB with the 3rd overall pick, it would be Ward (assuming all QBs were there) But....one name I keep hearing is Kyle McCord. Funny thing is Ward 6'2" and McCord 6'3 both have similar scrambling grades (per Draft Buzz)


I don't know much about him. We don't get to see Syracuse that much on the west coast and to be honest, if on a streaming service I have, I usually watch the bigger schools or the "game of the weekend"

From everything I am reading...he has the potential to be an NFL QB. He has the skills. Is this true?

Draft Profile: Bio


Mount Laurel's golden arm arrived at Ohio State as a five-star prospect in 2021, carrying the weight of Philadelphia high school records and state championships at powerhouse St. Joseph's Prep. After patiently waiting his turn behind C.J. Stroud, McCord stepped into the spotlight for the Buckeyes in 2023, posting an 11-1 record while throwing for over 3,000 yards. His journey took an unexpected turn with a transfer to Syracuse, where he validated the five-star buzz that followed him from Philadelphia, setting ACC records with 4,779 yards and 34 touchdowns in 2024.

The former Buckeye showed growth under Syracuse's new regime, averaging a blistering 360 yards per game while leading the Orange to signature wins over Georgia Tech, UNLV, and Miami. His masterpiece came in the Holiday Bowl, where he torched Washington State for 453 yards and five touchdowns, cementing his place in ACC history by breaking Deshaun Watson's single-season passing record.

McCord's cerebral approach and quick processing helped him post an elite 34:8 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2024, while his completion percentage consistently hovered above 65% over his college career.



Former Syracuse football quarterback Kyle McCord has bolstered his 2025 NFL Draft stock, analysts say.


In a recent article on nfl.com, NFL Draft researcher/analyst Chad Reuter named 10 players, including McCord, who boosted their draft stock based on their play at the East-West Shrine Bowl practices. Reuter wrote: "McCord transferred from Ohio State to Syracuse for the 2024 season and proceeded to lead the FBS (and set an ACC record) with 4,779 passing yards. With that résumé, it wasn't surprising he was clearly the top quarterback prospect on the field this past weekend. The ball left his hand with a tight spiral that regularly hit its target. McCord was able to change his arm angles to find creases for screens and quick outs and was accurate throwing while moving to his left and right. His experience showed when working under center, adeptly handling the ball on play-action and finding a place downfield to rip the ball. In a draft lacking superior depth at the game's most important position, McCord did what was required to wrap up a top-125 draft grade."

The 2025 NFL Draft, by the way, will take place from April 24 to April 26 in Green Bay, Wis. I don't necessarily think McCord is evolving into a first-round pick, but he's definitely improving his overall position, as far as I can tell.

A few days ago, PennLive.com writer Nick Farabaugh said in a post on X, "Watching Shrine Bowl film and the QB tape is rough. ... Kyle McCord is the best guy in Dallas and it's not particularly close (Shadeur isn't participating)."

https://insidetheloudhouse.com/syracuse-football-qb-kyle-mccord-s-2025-nfl-draft-stock-is-rising-analysts-say

Kyle McCord Leads Syracuse To An Upset Of Miami

[expatriot]

I watched.  My daughter went there.  He is decent. Still needs development.

[brownelvis54]

I watched.  My daughter went there.  He is decent. Still needs development.

If you were the GM....would you be comfortable taking him with the 2nd overall pick?

[Ed Vette]

Never heard of him.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

As both a Syracuse fan and partial alumni, I watched a lot of him. My assessment: very smart, confidant, savvy, instinctive, tough/gritty, strong/accurate arm, good/quick decision-making, but not a scrambler (which seems to be what teams are looking for these days). He can pick up a few yards with his feet, but teams will never scheme around him taking off (quicker and more mobile than Eli [by quite a margin], not as fast with his legs as DJ). He only runs when he realizes there's a lane left open by defensive mistakes

More of a traditional type QB than the scat-back QBs that seem to be the rage now. Better than Lock and DeVito (IMO), but no Mahomes...yet 

I personally think he's a sleeper in this year's draft that will surprise a lot of teams that pass on him. He probably needs a year of development before he's ready to start in the NFL, but a team with patience will like having him on their team

[Jolly Blue Giant]

[Giantleap56]

I watched one game which was the Miami game. McCord was impressive in the game and I have had him as the 5th QB in the draft but Milroe has dropped and McCord is the 4th QB.

By the way anyone know if Pena is coming out that kid is going to be an amazing slot receiver. He make some incredible catches.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

I watched one game which was the Miami game. McCord was impressive in the game and I have had him as the 5th QB in the draft but Milroe has dropped and McCord is the 4th QB.

By the way anyone know if Pena is coming out that kid is going to be an amazing slot receiver. He make some incredible catches.

I don't know about Pena, but Gadson II is coming out. He should be one of (if not thee) first TE off the board. He's an incredible pass catching TE

[Bob In PA]

Brown E: I saw every one of his games, and believe he will be a good pick for someone. What's the back story on why he left Ohio State?  Is it just the obvious stuff or is there more to it? That would cause me to hesitate, depending on whether there was some other reason. Bob

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Brown E: I saw every one of his games, and believe he will be a good pick for someone. What's the back story on why he left Ohio State?  Is it just the obvious stuff or is there more to it? That would cause me to hesitate, depending on whether there was some other reason. Bob

He won every game playing for Ohio State in his last season with them, except for one...their hated rival Michigan (who happened to go on to win the national championship). Some of the fans and maybe some inside the team perhaps blamed him for the loss...I really don't know. He has admittedly said he had no problems with OSU and that he wasn't unhappy

What I do know...is that he grew up in New Jersey and his father's close friend was Fran Brown (Georgia's Def. coach). They routinely had backyard cookouts with Brown and Brown helped guide Kyle during his early youth in playing and throwing footballs. Kyle's coach in little league football was Jeff Nixon (Giants' RB coach in the '23 season)...another close friend of the family

Fast forward to the pre-'24 season. Syracuse hired Fran Brown to be the team's head coach, and hired Jeff Nixon to be SU's offensive coordinator...two of McCord's mentors growing up. Brown immediately called Kyle...Kyle entered the transfer protocol and, almost immediately, signed with Syracuse...not even considering any other school where he would have been very highly recruited

I have no idea if he was unhappy at OSU or any issues behind the scenes, but I know he really wanted to play for Brown and Nixon...probably a dream come true for him

[Bob In PA]

Jolly: Those are IMO all reasons to watch for the Giants to try to get him in the second round, if not trade up to the bottom of the first. Bob

[Ed Vette]

Jolly: Those are IMO all reasons to watch for the Giants to try to get him in the second round, if not trade up to the bottom of the first. Bob

Just a few of us who like McCord. He's the true sleeper under the radar.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

I would have no problem with the Giants trading down and picking up another 2nd round pick and more. I'd love to see the Giants take shot at McCord in the second round (assuming no other team is locked in on him). What I like about him is that he's a baller and has game to him. He's part gun-slinger, part brainiac who finds ways to win. Unlike his time at OSU, he didn't have a world-class surrounding team at Syracuse. While other teams in the Big 10 and SEC stack their teams with 5-star and 4-star recruits at every position, Syracuse gets excited when they sign a 3-star recruit. The Orange is made up of players from unranked to a couple of 3 stars. McCoy made that team competitive, and in his final regular season game, beat Cam Ward and a loaded Miami team. It's all because his personal drive and being a true gamer...he's tough as nails, rarely injured and will do anything to win

One thing that is interesting (to me, anyway), is that Tennessee is almost guaranteed to take a QB with the first pick. Who knows what Cleveland will do as they need more than a QB...then the Giants are on the clock. Because the first three teams picking have the same record, in round two, the Titans drop to the 3rd pick and the Giants move up to the 2nd pick, whilst Cleveland gets the first pick of the second rd. Giants get the first pick of the 3rd round. To me, that means the Giants have some play room for working some trades. They might be able to pick up a haul by trading down in the first to a QB starved team, and maybe even get an extra first rd pick for next year. Since I don't think the Giants are 100% sold on Ward or Sanders, this could turn out to be good draft and a chance for the Giants to patch holes. Of course, we won't know anything until after free agency gets underway. Regardless, if they could snag McCord and still grab a top-notch OT and CB in the first 3 rounds...I think we'd be sitting pretty. Time will tell

A couple of standout players from SU in this draft, are RB LaQuint Allen Jr., TE/WR Oronde Gadson II, and WR Jackson Meeks (another highly recruited player for Georgia who followed Fran Brown to Syracuse through the transfer portal for his senior year). Meeks is basically an unknown, but he's a true gamer

RB LaQuint Allen Jr: 514 career carries for 3,359 yards and 26 rushing scores. Also had 119 collegiate receptions for 848 yards and six receiving touchdowns. Allen became just the fourth running back in college football history to record 1,000 rushing yards, 500 receiving, 60 catches and 20 total touchdowns in the same season. Former Titans running back Chris Johnson, the blazing fast, 2,000-yard back, called Allen out as his top standout at the position during Day 2 of workouts at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama on Wednesday. "He will be gem of the whole draft out of running backs!!" Johnson wrote on X

TE Oronde Gadson II. Is an exceptional route runner with sure hands. Extremely fast and agile for a 6'5" guy. He will be gone by day two of the draft

WR Jackson Meeks 6'2/210 lbs gets so little attention he's not even listed in the top 692 players in the draft. Probably won't get an invite to the combine. His problem: Pena was SU's primary receiver and a true stud, not to mention, Oronde Gadson was secondary receiving target to Pena. Meeks had to split catches with LaQuint Allen. Jackson is likely to go undrafted. A sleeper late round pick or maybe an UDFA

[Bob In PA]

Just a few of us who like McCord. He's the true sleeper under the radar.

Ed: I'm not saying this to compare skill-sets, but McCord's "positioning" in this draft reminds my of when Lamar Jackson was drafted. As a result, I think the Giants would have to do what the Ravens did to get him, which I seem to remember was trading up into the 25 area of the first round. Maybe for McCord they could stay put, but I'd hate to see one of the "smart" teams (who always seem to pick near the end of the first round, and for good reason) take a flyer on him even though they don't need a QB (or only need a backup). Bob

[Jolly Blue Giant]

QB Kyle McCord

Draft Profile: Bio

Mount Laurel's golden arm arrived at Ohio State as a five-star prospect in 2021, carrying the weight of Philadelphia high school records and state championships at powerhouse St. Joseph's Prep. After patiently waiting his turn behind C.J. Stroud, McCord stepped into the spotlight for the Buckeyes in 2023, posting an 11-1 record while throwing for over 3,000 yards. His journey took an unexpected turn with a transfer to Syracuse, where he validated the five-star buzz that followed him from Philadelphia, setting ACC records with 4,779 yards and 34 touchdowns in 2024.

The former Buckeye showed growth under Syracuse's new regime, averaging a blistering 360 yards per game while leading the Orange to signature wins over Georgia Tech, UNLV, and Miami. His masterpiece came in the Holiday Bowl, where he torched Washington State for 453 yards and five touchdowns, cementing his place in ACC history by breaking Deshaun Watson's single-season passing record.

McCord's cerebral approach and quick processing helped him post an elite 34:8 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2024, while his completion percentage consistently hovered above 65% over his college career.

Scouting Report: Strengths

- Lightning-quick release with pristine mechanics - gets the ball out in under 2.5 seconds consistently while maintaining perfect spiral rotation through his throwing motion
- Surgical accuracy in the 15-25 yard range, particularly on deep out routes and seam throws where he shows NFL-caliber ball placement
- Advanced pre-snap recognition allows him to diagnose coverages and work through progressions with veteran-like poise in the pocket
- Nasty deep ball with perfect arc and touch - consistently hits receivers in stride on vertical routes beyond 40 yards
- Shows excellent pocket movement and subtle slides to buy time while keeping his eyes downfield hunting for big plays
- Between-the-ears acumen shines in red zone situations where he consistently makes sound decisions
-Throws with outstanding anticipation on timing routes, particularly on comebacks and deep curls where he releases before the break
- Natural leader who commanded respect in two major programs

Scouting Report: Weaknesses

- Limited athleticism restricts his ability to extend plays outside structure - won't threaten defenses as a designed runner at the next level
- Can get overly aggressive attacking tight windows downfield, leading to forced throws when safer options are available underneath
-Base mechanics can deteriorate under heavy pressure, causing some sailing passes when he can't step into throws
- Occasionally locks onto primary read too long, missing opportunities to hit check-downs when deep shots aren't there
- Will need to adjust arm angles more frequently in NFL to navigate throwing lanes against faster, more athletic defenders

Scouting Report: Summary

McCord profiles as a classic pocket passer whose football IQ and quick trigger will translate immediately to precision-based passing schemes that emphasize ball placement and anticipation. His decisiveness and ability to layer throws with touch make him an ideal fit for teams running West Coast concepts with vertical elements. While he won't wow anyone with highlight-reel scrambles, his pocket presence and anticipation throwing allow him to consistently move the chains.

Teams running heavy play-action schemes will love McCord's ability to sell fakes and deliver strikes off movement. His deep ball accuracy and advanced understanding of defensive leverage points to a quarterback who can execute an NFL playbook from day one. The smart money has him coming off the board on day two or three to a team with an established offensive infrastructure.

Brings to mind Derek Carr's early career - a pure pocket technician who thrives when given clean platforms and defined reads. McCord has the tools to compete for a starting role from day one in a system that maximizes his strengths as a rhythm-based passer while minimizing his athletic limitations. (NFLdraftbuzz.com)