Buckeyes QB C.J. Stroud Almost Returned to Ohio State 'It Was Really Hard'

C.J. Stroud looks to be a top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft following back-to-back Heisman finalist seasons.

Author:
Casey Smith
Mar 3, 2023 11:41 AM EST

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Former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud was almost a Buckeye for another year.

Stroud waited until the final day to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft and he said at the NFL Scouting Combine Friday that he was strongly considering returning to Ohio State for a fourth year.

"I was honestly going to come back to school," Stroud said at the combine.

But in the end, departing for the NFL was "a smart decision" for him.

"It was really hard for me to leave a place like Ohio State, where it takes time to get to where I was at," Stroud said. "It takes a lot of homework, a lot of trust and a lot of building camaraderie off the field. That's something you can't throw in the trash right away. I don't feel like I did that."

The Inland Empire, CA. native said there were goals he had that he didn't accomplish that weighed into his decision.

"Not beating That Team Up North, not winning a national championship. Those were two goals of mine," Stroud said. "And then, of course, not winning the Heisman was, I feel, because of those losses. That kind of hurts. I feel like I could have won two Heismans back-to-back if I were to win those two games."

Stroud finished his career as one of the most prolific signal-callers in program history.

His 8,123 passing yards and 85 touchdowns both rank second in program history, while setting the single-game passing yards record in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2022, against the Utah Utes and is the only Ohio State quarterback with three games with at least six touchdown passes.

Now, Stroud looks ahead to the NFL where he is a projected top-five pick. He said despite not achieving the goals he set in college, he is excited about the future.

"At the end of the day, man, it's a part of God's plan, and I don't question that," Stroud said. "It put a little more fire on me, another chip on my shoulder. I'm excited to go to the league and do better things than that because that wasn't in God's plan, so let's see what the league has for me now."