Ohio State Buckeyes starting quarterback Kyle McCord was treated as a scapegoat for the team’s third-consecutive loss to the Michigan Wolverines as well as the team’s struggles on the offensive side of the ball this year. But one of his teammates is coming to his defense after McCord decided to transfer away from the program.
This week, Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer defended his now-former teammate a bit, saying that he doesn’t think the criticism that Kyle McCord received was fair.
“I really felt bad for him, how he was treated after those games,” Sawyer said according to Eleven Warriors. “And I don’t think it was fair. I understand that at Ohio State, the quarterback’s expected to win games. And I don’t think at all it was his fault that we lost that game in Ann Arbor. So I think it was unfair, definitely. I love Kyle to death, and I wish him nothing but the best. And I just think it was unfortunate the way he ended his career here.”
Sawyer went on to explain that even though the expectations are high at Ohio State, he thinks McCord handled his job well, despite playing through an injury all season.
“I think he handled it as best as you could being in that position,” Sawyer said. “At Ohio State, all the eyes are on the quarterback. You’re expected to throw for 4,000 yards, 50 touchdowns. It’s a lot of pressure, especially when you’re a first-time starter, and you’re playing on a bad wheel all year, and you’re battling through it, you’re handling stuff like a professional like he did all season. You know, it’s just hard to see. I feel bad for him as a friend, as a teammate. But I know Kyle is gonna have success wherever he goes, and I wish him nothing but the best. And we’re always gonna stay in contact.”
We’ll have to see where McCord lands after entering the transfer portal earlier this month.
