Syracuse, N.Y. -- Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord will head to the NFL Draft and will no longer pursue an NCAA waiver for a fifth season of college eligibility, according to a report by ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
McCord had filed for a waiver with the NCAA that would have permitted him to play for the Orange next season if he chose. Without the waiver, he would be considered out of college eligibility.
McCord’s first effort at obtaining the waiver was rejected. He was in the middle of appealing that decision when he made his draft announcement.
At the Holiday Bowl last month, McCord said he was undecided whether he would head to the NFL or return to college if the waiver was approved.
While Syracuse head coach Fran Brown said he was hoping to hear back from the NCAA this week, McCord told Espn that he decided not to wait for the outcome and that the time was right for him to head to the NFL.
“I think the biggest thing for me was, obviously, I felt like I put together a really good year,” McCord told ESPN. “With the way everything played itself out and what I’m hearing in terms of feedback at the draft, it just makes sense to go, after weighing all the options out.”
A Syracuse spokesperson confirmed that the school hasn’t received a decision from the NCAA regarding McCord’s appeal.
Upperclassmen can opt out of the NFL Draft until Feb. 7 but must take steps to protect their college eligibility. McCord is scheduled to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl on Jan. 30. Players who compete in the game, a showcase for draft prospects, surrender their college eligibility.
In his comments to ESPN, McCord expressed appreciation for Syracuse, Brown and offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon.
In recent comments, Brown said he was hopeful that McCord would return to Syracuse but also believed he’s one of the five best quarterbacks that will be available in the NFL Draft and that he is ready for the NFL.
Brown credited McCord throughout the year with setting a tone for the level of professionalism and competitiveness that he wanted to see in his program at Syracuse. Nixon built his offense around McCord’s ability to throw quickly and accurately and make good decisions about distributing the ball to an array of wide receivers.
McCord led the country in passing this season with 4,779 yards, setting a single-season record for both ACC and Syracuse quarterbacks. In breaking the ACC mark he passed Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, Boston College’s Matt Ryan and North Carolina State’s Phillip Rivers.
Given that his passing numbers had never been achieved previously by an ACC quarterback, it’s hard to imagine McCord would have improved on them against a schedule that will include four College Football Playoff qualifiers next year, as well as games against Miami and North Carolina (and Bill Belichick).
He was the first major offseason acquisition Brown made as the head coach of the Orange and contributed to a tremendously successful start to his tenure. In addition to McCord’s prolific numbers, Syracuse won 10 games for just the third time since 1992.
Along the way McCord became one of college football’s best stories, going from a player who absorbed all the blame for rare losses with the Buckeyes to the one who got the lion’s share of the credit with Syracuse, crafting memorable moment with an emotional sideline run against Virginia Tech and rap song celebrations with his teammates that went viral on Instagram.
Despite playing a single season, McCord put himself in the conversation to be considered among the best SU quarterbacks of all time.
In a statement he put on his social media, McCord summed up his past year nicely.
“One year,” he wrote, “can truly change your life.”
McCord played well the last year on a loaded Ohio State team but the Buckeyes fell a game short of the College Football Playoffs, lost against rival Michigan and blame fell on the quarterback. Afterward, McCord endured a messy breakup with the program.
His time at Syracuse him rebuild his reputation and positioned McCord to be taken in next year’s NFL Draft.
ESPN noted that McCord is expected to be a mid-round NFL selection but could boost his stock later this month with a strong performance at the East-West Shrine Bowl.
A number of high-profile quarterbacks who could have entered the NFL Draft have chosen to return to school since the end of the season, a group that includes LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, Penn State’s Drew Allar and Georgia’s Carson Beck.
While the decisions of those players showcased that, in some cases, playing another season of college football is more desirable than getting drafted, their exits from the list of entrees thinned out the competition McCord will face to be a high selection.
McCord’s departure means that, unless the Orange adds a second quarterback from the transfer portal this offseason, Syracuse will enter next season breaking in an inexperienced quarterback.
The Orange added LSU transfer quarterback Rickie Collins this offseason in one of its biggest splash moves. Syracuse also returns last year’s backup quarterback Michael Johnson Jr. and will have young options in its quarterback room that include Jakhari Williams and Luke Carney.
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