Buckeyes see 'separation' as C.J. Stroud stays ahead in quarterback race

On3 imageby:Austin Ward08/16/21

AWardSports

COLUMBUS — C.J. Stroud was already at the head of the line for Ohio State.

He’s still not officially tabbed as the next starting quarterback for the Buckeyes, but that time appears to be coming quickly.

Coming out of a key scrimmage and nearly right on time according to the blueprint coach Ryan Day established in the preseason, the Buckeyes offered the strongest hints yet that Stroud would take the first-team reps moving forward in preparation for the season opener at Minnesota. The former five-star recruit has been the odds-on favorite all year after earning the backup job as a true freshman, but Ohio State has been largely content to let a three-man battle play out — until now.

“I would say right now we’re not going to name a starter [Monday],” Day said after a rainy practice at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. “But I do think there has been a little bit of separation. I think C.J. has separated here a little bit over the last couple weeks, but we’ll see what this week brings.

C.J. Stroud-Ohio State-Buckeyes-Ohio State football
Ohio State will hand the keys to the offense to C.J. Stroud. (Birm/Lettermen Row)

“We’re certainly not making any decisions right now, but we have seen some separation, yes. I don’t think it’s any one thing, but over time we’ve had 26 practices now including the spring, and it’s just a body of work over time.”

That resumé isn’t complete yet, but so far it appears to be validating the projections that have swirled around him all year. Stroud has avoided all of those conversations at this point, never publicly touted his candidacy and instead continuing to embrace an underdog mentality that has fueled his rise from little-known prospect in California into one of the highest-profile passers in the nation.

By the end of his first year in the program, Stroud was the first guy off the bench in championship games whenever starter Justin Fields was forced to the sideline. But that didn’t ensure him anything in a loaded competition against freshman Kyle McCord and classmate Jack Miller.

“Nah, I feel like I’m last, like I’m in the back,” Stroud said before training camp opened. “I take that mindset, because I’ve had that mindset since I was little to have a chip on my shoulder. That’s just kind of where I come from — always the underdog. I like that feeling. So, even if I am the frontrunner, it really doesn’t matter to me.

“I just want to be able to go out there and play the game that I love.”

That opportunity is likely coming for C.J. Stroud. And he’s even more solidly in position now to take the first snap of the season for Ohio State.

You may also like