The Nebraska Cornhuskers have put former Ohio State Buckeye Kyle McCord in their sights as a potential starting quarterback for the 2024 season. Offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield has taken a flight to visit the former quarterback, according to 247 sports. Satterfield is reportedly coming off of a visit with former Baylor Bears quarterback Blake Shapen.
Marcus Satterfield is currently on a flight to Columbus, Ohio to visit OSU QB Kyle McCord.
Satterfield is coming from Waco, Texas, where he was visiting Baylor QB Blake Shapen. #GBR pic.twitter.com/qr5YkOeHPc
— 247Huskers (@247Huskers) December 5, 2023
Cornhusker nation will welcome a new quarterback as the quarterback room for Nebraska has put up historically bad numbers this year. While McCord has faced scrutiny from Buckeye fans, his 24 passing touchdowns this season would be an all-time record for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Nebraska Cornhuskers’ Quarterback Play Kept Them Out of a Bowl Game this Season
Hitting on a transfer portal quarterback is imperative for Satterfield and head coach Matt Rhule as the staff completely whiffed on their first attempt. Former Georgia Tech quarterback Jeff Sims was highly touted by Rhule coming into this season, but his turnover-prone nature prevented him from excelling as a Husker quarterback. Sims led just 28 drives for the Cornhuskers this year due to injuries and poor play, and 39% of those drives ended in a turnover for which he was responsible.
After failing to make a bowl game for the first time since 2016 due to subpar quarterback play after starting out 5-3, the new Cornhusker coaching staff’s ability to evaluate talent at the position will be called into question if they do not hit on a quarterback this year. In a preseason article from USA Today’s Cornhusker Wire, Satterfield was singing Sims’ praises despite his turnover-prone nature at Georgia Tech.
“I think his ability to understand football. He’s played a lot of football. He’s been in some good offenses. He’s been coached by some really good guys.” said Satterfield. “I think just his ability to function out there from a cerebral standpoint at quarterback is great. His athletic traits are off the charts. His arm talent is really high-level. I think that he’s poised to have a breakout year.”
Nebraska’s other two quarterback experiments were not enough to lead them to a six-win season. Heinrich Haarberg initially replaced Jeff Sims during the Colorado game, after Sims played a part in four turnovers and sustained an ankle injury. Haarberg would go on to complete 49% of his passes on the season before being pulled in a mid-November game against Maryland following the posting of a 0.7 QBR after five passing attempts.
The Cornhuskers’ best answer at the signal-caller position was the younger brother of San Francisco 49ers MVP candidate Brock Purdy, Chubba. Chubba Purdy started just two games for the Huskers and finished one, but the fact that he threw just one interception in each of those games made Cornhusker fans consider him a significant upgrade.
I’m in the Chubba Purdy camp but man I can’t lie, I’d love to turn this program around courtesy of an OSU departure.
— Facts Matter (@IKnowThings4) December 5, 2023
Former Buckeye Quarterback Kyle McCord won’t have Marvin Harrison Jr.-Level Talent with Nebraska Cornhuskers
While McCord’s 1.7% interception rate would be a vast improvement from the collective 6% interception rate posted by Nebraska quarterbacks this year, a main concern is that the talent surrounding him will take a massive hit. Out of McCord’s 24 passing touchdowns this year, 14 of them were to Heisman finalist Marvin Harrison Jr. Outside of the predicted top-three pick, McCord was throwing to three other projected top-round picks in Emeka Egbuka, Marcus Fleming and Cade Stover.
The Cornhuskers receiver room was a revolving door this year due to injuries, and they only managed to put one receiver over 300 yards this season in Billy Kemp IV. Outside of Kemp IV and tight end Thomas Fidone, no receiver on the team had multiple receiving touchdowns. There were just three Nebraska receivers with double-digit receptions on the year.
Another main concern about McCord’s fit in Satterfield’s Cornhusker offense is the fact that he is not considered a mobile quarterback. McCord finished the season with -65 rushing yards, and Satterfield’s offense calls for a lot of designed quarterback runs. Nebraska’s 261 passing attempts on the season only ranked above the three military academies.
Although the coaching staff has visited Shapen and Kansas State quarterback Will Howard, McCord may be the highest profile recruit of them all. While his quarterback play might not have lived up to the illustrious Buckeye standard, McCord has proven that he has the ability to add another dynamic to this Nebraska offense.
Book An Athlete Appearance MSM 2023 CTA
For More Great College Football Content
Follow me on Twitter at @auser89 and follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here!