Born in Mount Laurel, NJ, Syracuse QB Kyle McCord grew up in a divided household. His dad a Broncos fan and his uncle a diehard Jets fan. McCord, at 5 years old, was forced to pick a side, and went with the Jets.
Seventeen years later, McCord is not far away from realizing his dream of playing in the NFL, potentially for the team he grew up idolizing.
"We'd play 2-on-2 in the backyard most weekends and it would be me and my uncle against my brother and my dad," McCord said Friday at the 2025 NFL Combine in Indianapolis. "They would always be the Broncos and we'd be the Jets. And I just kind of picked up things naturally."
McCord met with Jets scouts at the Shrine Bowl in Dallas in January and is expected to do a formal interview in the coming days.
Last season, McCord finished 10th in Heisman Trophy voting last season, throwing for 4,779 yards, an ACC record, and 34 touchdowns. He spent the 3 years prior at Ohio State leading the Buckeyes to the Cotton Bowl with a 10-1 record as a starter.
"Right when I started playing football in kindergarten and around first grade was when the Jets went on those playoff runs and I just loved it," McCord said. "I picked up the game from their and wore No. 6 because of Mark Sanchez, so yeah it would be great to play for them."
Buckeyes Reunion in the Pros?
QB Will Howard never got the chance to throw to former Ohio State receiving greats such as the Jets ' Garrett Wilson. If drafted by the Jets, he would embrace the opportunity.
"I mean, all those Ohio State guys unbelievable," Howard said Friday at the Combine. "Being an Ohio State guy, I would love to throw to Garrett [Wilson], Chris [Olave] and Marv [Harrison Jr.]. You could go down the line of great Ohio State guys I would love to play with."
Howard, after 4 seasons at Kansas State, led the Buckeyes to a National Championship in 2025. He threw for 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns over 16 starts, including 231 yards and 2 touchdowns in the title game.
"I tried to put my best foot forward when we got to the playoffs," Howard said. "And I think I played my best when the lights were brightest, and I think I proved to a people that I play well when the pressure is on."
Leaving a Legacy
Despite being eligible for the NFL Draft last offseason, Texas QB Quinn Ewers returned to Austin for his senior season in hopes of leaving a legacy. After a strong final year a Texas, leading the Longhorns to the semi-\finals of the CFP, Ewers decided to forego his final year of eligibility to head to the NFL.
"I wanted to leave my mark on Texas, and I felt like I did that," Ewers said Friday at the Combine. "Now I want to continue my journey to the NFL and try and leave a similar legacy in the pros."
In 2024, Ewers, despite battling an elbow injury, threw for 3,471 yards and 31 touchdowns in 14 starts. The Jets were among the formal meetings he took at this year's Combine.
"I thought meeting with Aaron Glenn and the Jets was great," Ewers said. "They had high energy, and it was fun to be in the room. Because it was one of the earlier ones I had, I was a little nervous, but it was good. I was excited."
Quashing Narratives
In his final season at Ole Miss, QB Jaxson Dart stood out in a loaded SEC, throwing for 4,279 yards and 29 TDs. Dart, however, earned the reputation, from several national pundits, of being a "system quarterback," playing in an offense run by the Rebels that was deemed "quarterback friendly."
Friday at the Combine, Dart set the record straight.
"Development wise, you saw it at the Senior Bowl, I ran every concept, and I have had reps in all types of offense," Dart said. "Coach Kiff [Lane Kiffin] was one of the youngest head coaches in the NFL and Coach Weis [Charlie Weis Jr.] coached in the NFL. They both know what it looks like, and I feel like I was put in a great spot. I think narratives are just lazy."
