C.J. Stroud named Heisman Trophy finalist, earns trip to New York
COLUMBUS — After a remarkable season as a first-year starter for Ohio State, C.J. Stroud is a finalist for one of the top awards in all of sports.
Stroud was named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy on Monday night. He and three other elite college football players are the final four in the running for the ultimate individual prize in college football.
He is the fourth Ohio State player in the last four years to be a finalist, joining Dwayne Haskins in 2018 and Chase Young and Justin Fields in 2019.
Stroud finished the regular season completing 71 percent of his passes for 3,862 yards, 38 touchdown passes and just five interceptions for Ohio State. He carried an offense the struggled to run the ball at times, forcing the Buckeyes to rely on an elite passing game. Stroud topped 400 yards passing in four different games.
Even in the two losses, Stroud shined, totaling 878 passing yards and five touchdowns in the defeats. It’s hard to put those games on the quarterback with performances like that.
Stroud continued to grow throughout the season to become a Heisman finalist.
“I think his play speaks for itself,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “And what he did this year, I think he really grew. And the way he played midway through the year and toward the end was very, very good. You know, we didn’t win the last game, obviously. But, you know, there was some games that he was only in there for the first half of some of those. So maybe his numbers would have been even higher if he had played all those games. But I thought he really played well. And I think he deserves to be in New York.
Stroud is joined by the favorite to win the award Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and quarterback Kenny Pickett from Pittsburgh as finalists who will be in New York City this weekend for the ceremony. Young is expected to win after torching Georgia last weekend in the SEC Championship Game.
Stroud isn’t likely going to win the Heisman. But his freshman campaign certainly was impressive enough to garner attention and give him a trip to the ceremony.
He’ll have a chance to get back there next year, maybe even win it. He can only continue to get better after a record-setting first season as the starter for the Buckeyes.
