Have we ever had a more impactful player than Kyle McCord?

[kingtidge]

What I saw with Kyle McCord firing frozen ropes in the Holiday Bowl...

 

[anglerman]

I’m not saying Kyle isn’t very good. I’m disputing your assertion that he was much better than 5.

At the pro level his 2 biggest weaknesses as a thrower are his ability to throw a catchable ball (that’s a known scouting critique currently) and his low and slow delivery. He’s got to process a lot faster in the league

Catchable ball??? Please explain. Also I’ve not seen a slow delivery at all. It’s the exact opposite, he reads the D very quickly and gets the ball out very quickly. That’s probably his biggest asset. Slow deliver is like saying it’s summer right now. Completely absurd !

 

[AZOrange]

Catchable ball??? Please explain. Also I’ve not seen a slow delivery at all. It’s the exact opposite, he reads the D very quickly and gets the ball out very quickly. That’s probably his biggest asset. Slow deliver is like saying it’s summer right now. Completely absurd !

Look I’m not going to badmouth a guy I like very much but there’s a reason he’s rated where he is at the next level.

 

[anglerman]

Look I’m not going to badmouth a guy I like very much but there’s a reason he’s rated where he is at the next level.

We will see what actually happens. The so called experts are frequently wrong

 

[Dick_in_MI]

This is a tough call, because it can be interpreted so many ways. All of the guys mentioned have been very impactful, and I'm glad that so many have recognized Freeney. As a guy from the defensive side, it is easy for many to forget exactly how dominating he was.

But Kyle is way up there.

In terms of impact to the "program", it is too soon to say. If he has laid the groundwork for our return to relevance, that book has yet to be written.

There have been exactly two guys who have had monumental impact on the PROGRAM; Jim Brown and Don McPherson. Jim was the turning point that helped SU go to national prominence and, eventually, the National Championship and Ben's great years. His impact was felt long after he left SU.

Don likely saved Mac's job and got us back on the track to being a national factor again. Let's not kid ourselves; the Sack Mac Pack was a real thing, and Mac was on very thin ice. I remember flying out of Hancock pre-Don McPherson and Mac was standing in the boarding area next to mine. He had a slight smile and was looking around at his fellow travelers. NOBODY approached him to say hi. He was obviously recognized by many but that was the extent of their interest in him. So Don's impact on the program that snowballed till the end of Mac and throughout the early P years was enormous.

 

[MamesJungro]

We will see what actually happens. The so called experts are frequently wrong

Are they? There have been very few later round qb’s that developed into notable started

 

[anglerman]

Are they? There have been very few later round qb’s that developed into notable started

There’s been plenty and you don’t know that he will be a later round pick

 

[sufandu]

McCord feels more impactful than a lot of our previous greats because of the contrast with what we've had for most of the last 20 years. He deserves to be in the fraternity with those guys. It's a compliment to put him in the same conversation as the 3 time Big East offensive POY, a defensive player that finished top 10 in heisman voting, a three time all-american (when you only had 3 varsity years), a guy with an annual award named after him, a Heisman trophy award winner that played two ways on a NC team, and the GOAT.

 

[PeteCalvin]

Single handedly, the guy transformed our entire season. Our entire ability to dominate offensively was predicated upon his capabilities.

Freeney in 2001 maybe? I think you could make a case for Dungey in the 2018 season, due to his heroics.

But man -- McCord was a unicorn. I don't think we'll ever have another portal transfer on par with this kid. And hats off to the skilled players -- Pena, Meeks, Gadsden, Allen, and even Gill / Justice-Ross -- they made plays all freaking year for him.

And he gave us a special flavor Terrell’s potato chip!

 

[sufandu]

Yup different era, different schemes. McNabb playing today would look like Lenorris Sellars and he is only a redshirt freshman.

I have to believe in this era he would've had at least one season like recent Heisman qbs with around 4,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing.

I think McNabb would also be better in the current era of the NFL. It felt like he was so focused on proving he was a pass first QB he didn't take full advantage of his running. Now he'd be expected to run more.

 

[sufandu]

i doubt mcnabb ever came close to 350.

He threw for over 300 a number of times. He had 300 as a freshman in the Gator Bowl and didn't play the 4th quarter. He threw for 300 against Tennessee in '98. He didn't have many opportunities, but came close a few times.

 

[PeteCalvin]

People forget that McNabb also beat Georgetown on the hardwood, something no other SU QB has done. He beat all of our rivals. Enough said.

 

[kuethstheman]

You do realize that he had one of the greatest a seasons in ACC history ??? Please tell me what he is lacking ?? Give me your expertise

Ummm. Running? Pretty obvious.

And when you say "greatest seasons" what you really mean is "greatest passing seasons".

McCord is an astonishingly good passer, but it's possible for a good defensive team to shut down a passing offense. At such times, a more versatile QB like McNabb is invaluable.

 

[OttosShoes]

No disrespect to Kyle, McNabb, Little, or Brown but in my mind it's resolutely Ernie Davis.

• Led our team to a natty where he was MVP
• Also to an Orange bowl W
• Round 1 Pick 1
• Has a badass statue on campus that inspires Syracuse students, student-athletes, and fans every day.
• After the tragic end of his playing career, recruited Floyd Little to play for us instead of Notre Dame
• Only Orange to win the Heisman
• First ever to do that as a Black athlete

Seriously. The dude was so good at football he helped advance civil rights. Maybe he didn't leave as big a ripple in football history since he was deprived of a chance to go ham in the league, and he doesn't benefit from recency bias since few of us saw him play. But objectively, for what he's done for the program? Absolutely phenomenal.

 

[grepal]

Jim is in a class of his own along with Ernie Csonka and Floyd

Just to add another name into the arena, John Mackey has an award named after him. That is also pretty impctful. SU has a fairly awesome history. Ringo, McNabb, Harrison, Monk, and Tin Greene just to add a few other greats, this not to diminish what Kyle has done this year, just another star in a sky loaded with luminaries. I would be willing to bet I am missing some of the real old timers. Who is the board historian?

 

[OrangePA]

Single handedly, the guy transformed our entire season. Our entire ability to dominate offensively was predicated upon his capabilities.

Freeney in 2001 maybe? I think you could make a case for Dungey in the 2018 season, due to his heroics.

But man -- McCord was a unicorn. I don't think we'll ever have another portal transfer on par with this kid. And hats off to the skilled players -- Pena, Meeks, Gadsden, Allen, and even Gill / Justice-Ross -- they made plays all freaking year for him.

Bill Hurley.

With him the Orange could compete. Without him it simply could not.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

McCord is a much better player than Donovan was at this level. I predict that he excels at the next level as well despite what the so called experts say.

There was an interesting video discussing how Mike Shanahan, while observing pre-season practices, absolutely raved about Brock Purdy.
Kyle will be like that. At the QB position, intelligence, timing, and placement of the ball are far more important than brute arm strength or athleticism.

 

[money3189]

I have to believe in this era he would've had at least one season like recent Heisman qbs with around 4,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing.

I think McNabb would also be better in the current era of the NFL. It felt like he was so focused on proving he was a pass first QB he didn't take full advantage of his running. Now he'd be expected to run more.

I agree

 

[4evaOrange]

I like lamp

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

My impression is that McCord's impact on the team went beyond the playing field.

I think it may have been missed at the beginning of the HCFB era, and it was by me, was the impact of bringing in coaches and players with experience at the top of the college football food chain. The could show how it is done by the best coaches, players, and programs, and Fran demanded that from everyone, including the fans.
When you set expectations high, have people who lead by example and from experience, and the leadership group accepts nothing less than the standard that’s been set, cultures get changed.
The players never seemed surprised that they won. They expected to win, based on the work they put in and their adherence to DART.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Look I’m not going to badmouth a guy I like very much but there’s a reason he’s rated where he is at the next level.

It’s not an exact science at that level. They seem to miss ( 1st round guys who struggle/fail and late round guys who thrive) at least as often as the get it right.

Famous QB draft quandaries: Ryan Leaf v Peyton Manning. Tim Couch v Akili Smith v Donovan McNabb.
Remember Dan Marino being the 6th QB taken in his draft.

I think the guys who evaluate QBs make weather forecasters look like geniuses. They remind me of the scouts in Moneyball.

Interesting NYPost article on the subject.

NFL draft: Looking back at the can’t-miss QBs who missed

You can have the first- or second-overall pick of the NFL draft and can envision him standing next to a gold bust in Canton, yet end up trying to explain why he was a Hall of Fame bust. So imagine …

nypost.com

 

[supp]

Single handedly, the guy transformed our entire season. Our entire ability to dominate offensively was predicated upon his capabilities.

Freeney in 2001 maybe? I think you could make a case for Dungey in the 2018 season, due to his heroics.

But man -- McCord was a unicorn. I don't think we'll ever have another portal transfer on par with this kid. And hats off to the skilled players -- Pena, Meeks, Gadsden, Allen, and even Gill / Justice-Ross -- they made plays all freaking year for him.

Freeney is a good parallel b/c that team's offense was mediocre at best and it showed up when we played top competition like Miami. He willed that team to wins, with the VT game the most obvious example. We have the opposite problem now, it's just that we didn't play an all-time great team like that Miami team. McNabb had a bunch of sure-fire NFLers playing with him.

 

[Archimedes]

No disrespect to Kyle, McNabb, Little, or Brown but in my mind it's resolutely Ernie Davis.

• Led our team to a natty where he was MVP
• Also to an Orange bowl W
• Round 1 Pick 1
• Has a badass statue on campus that inspires Syracuse students, student-athletes, and fans every day.
• After the tragic end of his playing career, recruited Floyd Little to play for us instead of Notre Dame
• Only Orange to win the Heisman
• First ever to do that as a Black athlete

Seriously. The dude was so good at football he helped advance civil rights. Maybe he didn't leave as big a ripple in football history since he was deprived of a chance to go ham in the league, and he doesn't benefit from recency bias since few of us saw him play. But objectively, for what he's done for the program? Absolutely phenomenal.

Thanks for this. Your post caused me to go read his Wikipedia bio. What a life. The plaque to Ernie in Elmira says "He lived with integrity and died with courage." It doesn't get much better than that.

 

[FasterCuse]

Jim is in a class of his own along with Ernie Csonka and Floyd

Who is Ernie Csonka?

 

[sufandu]

No disrespect to Kyle, McNabb, Little, or Brown but in my mind it's resolutely Ernie Davis.

• Led our team to a natty where he was MVP
• Also to an Orange bowl W
• Round 1 Pick 1
• Has a badass statue on campus that inspires Syracuse students, student-athletes, and fans every day.
• After the tragic end of his playing career, recruited Floyd Little to play for us instead of Notre Dame
• Only Orange to win the Heisman
• First ever to do that as a Black athlete

Seriously. The dude was so good at football he helped advance civil rights. Maybe he didn't leave as big a ripple in football history since he was deprived of a chance to go ham in the league, and he doesn't benefit from recency bias since few of us saw him play. But objectively, for what he's done for the program? Absolutely phenomenal.

Yeah. If we're talking about program impact, it doesn't get much better than NC---->Heisman----->recruits his successor who was a 3 time all-american.