Kyle McCord's ex-Ohio State teammates express sympathy: 'I don't think it was fair'

Kyle McCord's decision to enter the transfer portal sent shockwaves through the college football world.

It also surprised some of his now former Ohio State teammates, who expressed sympathy for the quarterback when they spoke to the media on Tuesday. Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer was chief among them, sharing disappointment in how McCord was treated following the Buckeyes' loss to Michigan.

"I really felt bad for him how he was treated after those games, and I don't think it was fair," Sawyer said "I think I understand that, at Ohio State, the quarterback's expected to win games. I don't think at all it's his fault that we lost that game at Ann Arbor.

"So I think it was unfair, definitely. I love Kyle to death, and I wish him nothing but the best. I just thought it was unfortunate the way he ended his career here."

McCord dealt with questions for much of the season about whether he could be a viable successor to Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud, the first two starting quarterbacks in Ryan Day's tenure at Ohio State, who would both later become first-round draft picks. McCord seemed to soften those concerns when he led Ohio State to a game-winning touchdown drive in the final minutes of its 17-14 win over Notre Dame in South Bend.

But the question of whether McCord could help Ohio State make it back to the College Football Playoff still loomed. McCord didn't have his best showing in the loss to Michigan, completing 18 of 30 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns, while also throwing two interceptions. Both turnovers proved to be costly, as one set up Michigan for the game's opening score and the second sealed the win for the Wolverines.

Quarterback Devin Brown, who was beat out by McCord for the starting job at the beginning of the season and who will start for the Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl, also expressed sympathy for his former teammate.

"He went through a lot, and I feel for the guy," Brown said. "There was a lot of tough moments. And he grew throughout his career here and built as a leader and built as a player. Being able to sit behind him and watch him grow really helped me look back and kind of think about the things I should work on and grow from."

[Read more: College football transfer portal needs: 16 teams, 16 perfect fits]

McCord put up some strong passing numbers across the board in his lone season as a starter in Columbus. The junior was second in the Big Ten in passing yards (3,170) and passing touchdowns (24), but fell short of the Heisman-caliber play of Fields and Stroud before him. 

Still, Sawyer believes that McCord dealt with the situation as well as he could, especially considering he played with an ankle injury for a good portion of the season. 

"I think he handled it as best as you could 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. It's hard to see. I feel bad for him, as a friend and as a teammate."

McCord could end up remaining in the Big Ten after he transfers out of Ohio State. He's reportedly scheduled to visit Nebraska (along with former Ohio State receiver Julian Fleming) as the Cornhuskers try to swing a pair of big moves at quarterback. 

As for what Ohio State will do next at quarterback, that seems to be unclear. Brown still has a few years of eligibility left, as he'll be a redshirt sophomore next season. But Ohio State has also been heavily linked to Washington State transfer Cameron Ward, who is considered to be the top quarterback to hit the transfer portal this offseason. 

FOX Sports' college football writers believe that Texas backup quarterback Maalik Murphy might be the option for Ohio State at quarterback this offseason, though the redshirt freshman hasn't entered the transfer portal yet as the Longhorns seek to win the national championship.