C.J. Stroud reacts to Bryce Young winning Carolina Panthers starting job

C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young have both been elite quarterback prospects dating back to their high school days, where both players were among the top players in the nation at their position. Stroud starred at Rancho Cucamonga, while Young starred for the Mater Dei Monarchs.

Both players were remarkably dominant at the high school and college levels, and now they’re taking the next step in becoming the face of a franchise in the National Football League. Being such elite prospects for such a long time, both players have spent a tremendous amount of time around each other and they want to see each other succeed. Recently, current Houston Texans’ quarterback and former Ohio State star C.J. Stroud showed how well-schooled he is not only on the football field, but in the interview room, as he discussed Bryce Young winning the starting job for the Panthers.

“Yeah, that’s my brother, man. And I’m happy for him,” Stroud began. “But his situation is his situation and my situation is mine. So, I know I’ve gotta work on my end and do whatever I gotta do to make this team better. It’s not about starter, it’s who’s not the starter. It’s about getting better for we’re going against Baltimore. So, right now, we’re just building a team. It’s not about individuals.”

It’s a wise answer from Stroud and one that demonstrates how well-schooled he is in handling interview questions. Both Young and Stroud have been top quarterback prospects for several years not only because of their on-field ability, but because of their tremendous mental acumen.

C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young were two of the best quarterbacks in college football history

Stroud racked up an extensive amount of accolades during his prolific college football career with the Ohio State Buckeyes. The two-time Heisman Trophy finalist set 16 Ohio State passing and total offense records, and an additional three Big Ten records during his three years with the Buckeyes.

Additionally, Stroud led the nation in pass efficiency rating in 2022 (177.7) and was second in 2021 (186.6). That efficiency led to high-scoring affairs. Stroud ranked second nationally in TD passes in 2022 (41) and third in 2021 (44).

Young was the AP and Sporting News College Football Player of the Year in 2021, he was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2021, a consensus All-American in 2021 and a first-team All-SEC selection. He won the Maxwell, Davey O’Brien and Manning Awards in 2021, as well.

He also won the biggest individual honor in all of college football–the Heisman Trophy.

Young became the first quarterback in Alabama program history to win the Heisman Trophy and the fourth overall player in program history, joining Mark Ingram (2009), Derrick Henry (2015) and DeVonta Smith (2020). He claimed the award just one year after DeVonta Smith, making Alabama the third school in modern history to win consecutive Heisman Trophies (Oklahoma in 2017-18, USC in 2004-05).

In 2022, Young was named a second-team All-SEC selection.

It should be exciting to watch both players’ careers in the National Football League.

On3’s Steve Samra and Simon Gibbs also contributed to this article.