After Ohio State’s quarterback competition between McCord and Devin Brown continued into the final week of preseason camp, Ryan Day announced Tuesday that McCord will be the starter for Saturday’s season opener at Indiana, though Brown will also play against the Hoosiers.
Day said McCord earned the opportunity to start the season opener based on his consistency in practice over the past two weeks.
McCord, a third-year quarterback from Mount Laurel, New Jersey, has long been viewed as a favorite to start for the Buckeyes this season. McCord was C.J. Stroud’s top backup for the past two seasons, giving him an edge in experience over Brown, a redshirt freshman who did not throw any in-game passes as a true freshman in 2022.
That said, the competition between McCord and Brown has been a real battle throughout the offseason, and it’s not over yet. While McCord will take the first snaps in Bloomington, he has only been named the starter for the first game, and giving Brown playing time will give him the opportunity to continue competing for the job. Day said Tuesday that the gap between them is not yet “sizable,” though McCord has outperformed Brown enough in recent practices to earn the opportunity to begin the year as the starter.
