Ohio State football: QB named National High School Player of the Year
By Coop Ledford
Gone to the NFL is Justin Fields, now the Ohio State football team must find a new quarterback for the 2021 season. It will be a three-man battle, and one of the competitors will be incoming freshman Kyle McCord, who just added a big-time award to his résume.
Kyle McCord is a five-star quarterback from St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is an early enrollee at Ohio State. On Friday, McCord was named the National High School Coaches Association National Player of the Year.
McCord has had quite the decorated career at St. Joseph’s, he is a three-time state champion, has thrown for nearly 7,000 yards, 88 touchdowns, and now a NHSCA National Player of the Year Award.
Two other former Ohio State QB’s have won the award- Tate Martell and Terrelle Pryor. Other notable players who have won the award include Bo Nix, Kyler Murray, Leonard Fournette, Derrick Henry, and Johnny Manziel.
The quarterback competition will be the highlight of the offseason for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes. Sophomores C.J. Stroud and Jack Miller III are the frontrunners for the position, but Kyle McCord will certainly have a shot at the starting job.
McCord is 6’3, 215 pounds, and considered to be a pro-style QB. He was rated as the third-best pro-style QB in the class of 2021, per 247Sports, and was offered a pro comparison to LA Rams QB Matthew Stafford. His accuracy is elite and can make plays while on the run. He may not be as talented as a runner compared to Stroud or Miller, but can make up for it with his arm.
light. Related Story. Who will be OSU's QB in 2021?
While the loss of Justin Fields is huge, the Buckeyes are in good shape to reload for years to come. There will likely be quarterback competitions for the next two seasons, as the number one player in the country, Quinn Ewers, is also set to join the Buckeyes in 2022. The future of quarterbacks at Ohio State is bright for the foreseeable future.