After a long quarterback competition in Columbus, the wait is finally over. Ohio State HC Ryan Day announced on Saturday that C.J. Stroud will be the Buckeyes’ starter week 1 against Minnesota on Sep. 2nd. Stroud, a redshirt freshman, won the three-way battle over fellow redshirt freshman Jack Miller III and the true freshman, five-star recruit Kyle McCord.
Following Justin Field’s departure for the NFL, it was known the quarterback job in Columbus was up for grabs. But much of the intel as to who would become the Buckeyes’ next signal-caller was kept in house. Not one QB on the roster has thrown a collegiate pass, making projections for those on the outside looking in very difficult. Besides Day’s word, the public’s only foretelling sign was when Stroud took emergency snaps last year after Fields went down briefly with injuries against Michigan State and Clemson. Nonetheless, Stroud still had to earn the job this offseason over a polished Miller and a talented McCord who enrolled early this spring to compete for the position. Throughout camp, Coach Day reiterated the battle was tight and all three QBs were playing well. However, it always seemed Stroud had an unspoken lead on the competition. On Saturday, those speculations were confirmed, and he was officially named the starter.
C.J. Stroud is a 19-year-old from Rancho Cucamonga, California. He was mostly underlooked as a recruit coming out of high school until he won the 2019 Elite 11 MVP, an annual competition for the nation’s top rising senior high school quarterbacks. Shortly thereafter, Stroud’s stock sky-rocketed, and he ultimately ended up signing with the Buckeyes. Now Stroud will be handed the keys to the convertible that is the Ohio State offense and told to drive.
Similar to Justin Fields, Stroud is a big frame measuring in at 6-foot-3 and 218-pounds. While he is not expected to be as threatening a runner as Fields, Stroud is very athletic in the pocket and his legs are more than capable in the ground game (as seen in his 48-yard touchdown run against Michigan State last year). Overall, Stroud is a more typical pro-style QB, a very cerebral player possessing great accuracy and exceptional instincts. This combination allows him to deliver timely throws anywhere on the field. A quality that nicely suits Ohio State’s offense where Coach Day likes to spread the field and get the ball to his athletes in space. Stroud’s leadership abilities also seem to be unusually high for someone his age, a characteristic both Day and Trent Dilfer of the Elite 11 have alluded to. Physically, Stroud has all the tools to be a solid college quarterback, but it’s what’s above his shoulders that could make him the cream of the crop.
Perhaps the biggest bode of confidence in Stroud’s abilities come from WR Chris Olave and TE Jeremy Ruckert. Both players surprisingly chose to return to Columbus for their senior year despite being projected as early-round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft. As pass catchers, their success and eventual placement in the 2021 Draft rely heavily on the man throwing them the ball. After a star like Justin Fields leaves, it would be understandable why the two would opt to move on with him. However, both Olave and Ruckert elected to stay, investing a large portion of their fate in the hands of someone who has never thrown a collegiate pass. If the two veteran stars did not have confidence in Field’s predecessor, they would have been gone.
While Stroud did earn the nod to start the season opener, it does not mean he will be granted immunity. As talented as he is, Ohio State currently has one of the best QB rooms in program history. Miller and McCord are more than capable of starting themselves, whether it’s at Ohio State or somewhere else, and according to Bill Landis at The Athletic, Day has painted the situation as a season-long competition. A week 2 date against No. 12 Oregon looms, and if Stroud is shaky week 1 against the Gophers, it is possible Miller or McCord could see time.
To make matters even more complicated, the No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2022, Quinn Ewers, recently reclassified as a 2021. Ewers is the highest-rated recruit Ohio State has ever signed and is already practicing with the Buckeyes after forgoing his senior year of high school. While it is not expected for Ewers to play this season, his presence is worth noting. With Stroud being named the starter, and Ewers joining the program early, many believe Miller or McCord may eventually transfer. But Day said Saturday he expects both to remain in the program for the time being. Depending on how things shake out, one of them could be the starter at the season’s end. But for now, it is Stroud’s job to lose.
With a short leash and high expectations, C.J. Stroud’s situation is a difficult one. But it is the baggage that comes along with being the starting quarterback at a program like Ohio State. Stroud has faced pressure before and has always seemed to rise to the occasion. Now in one of college football’s biggest roles, expect him to do it again.
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