Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud named finalist for Manning Award
COLUMBUS — Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud has been one of the best at his position in all of college football this season.
He is now being honored as such.
Stroud was named one of the 10 finalists for the Manning Award, given annually to the country’s top quarterback by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, on Friday morning.
Stroud is joined by Matt Corral from Ole Miss, Bryce Young from Alabama, Kenny Pickett from Pittsburgh, Carson Strong from Nevada, Bailey Zappe from Western Kentucky, Will Rogers from Mississippi State, Desmond Ridder from Cincinnati, Brennan Armstrong from Virginia and Sam Hartman from Wake Forest.
The winner will be revealed after bowl season. The Manning Award is the only quarterback honor to take bowl stats into consideration for the winner.
And if Stroud has a bowl performance like the other 11 games he has played in this season for the Buckeyes, he has a good chance to win the it in his first season as a starter. So far, Stroud has completed 71 percent of his passes for 3,862 yards, 38 touchdown passes and just five interceptions for Ohio State.
“He’s accurate down field, he doesn’t make guys work for the ball,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said of Stroud. “He plays catch and certainly our receivers are excellent and they create a lot of separation and make a lot of plays.
“But C.J. is special.”
The folks who hand out awards seem to agree. Stroud swept the Big Ten offensive awards, winning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Quarterback of the Year earlier this week. He’s also in the running to be a finalist for the Heisman Trophy after his impressive first season as Ohio State signal-caller.
The awards keep coming for C.J. Stroud. That’s what happens after proving himself to be one of the best at his position in all of college football.
