NFL Draft Profile: Houston Texans Select Ohio State QB CJ Stroud
#7
Pos: QB
Ht: 6030
Wt: 214
Hand: 1000
Arm: 3258
Wing: 7738
40: 4.80
DOB: 10/3/2001
Hometown: Rancho Cucamonga, CA
High School: Rancho Cucamonga
Eligibility: 2023
C.J. Stroud
Ohio State Buckeyes
One Liner:
A mature, highly intelligent, pocket-passer who makes smart decisions, does a phenomenal job of reading through his progressions and understands when to add zip or touch.
Evaluation:
Known as the first one in, last one out, Stroud possesses all the intangibles that NFL decision-makers seek from a franchise quarterback—head coach Ryan Day has praised his work ethic and professional approach to the game on a daily basis. His cerebral awareness allows for the Buckeyes staff to open up the playbook. While he is capable of making all the throws, Stroud did endure some accuracy issues as a freshman early on, which may have been attributed to a separated joint in his throwing shoulder suffered during the first week of the 2021 season. He set an Ohio State and Rose Bowl single-game record with 573 passing yards in a come from behind victory over Utah and finished with 4,435 passing yards, along with 44 touchdowns (just six interceptions) during his first year as a starter. He harnessed some consistency issues as the season wore on and drew rave reviews at Ohio State pro day in 2022, where he threw to the Buckeyes draft-eligible wideouts. Stroud is an ascending star who is eligible for the 2023 NFL Draft and is expected to be contention as a potential first round pick.
Background:
The son of Kimberly Stroud. A devout Christian, Stroud’s faith journey started with his father, who was a pastor before going to prison. A five-star prospect out of high school; earned Elite 11 Finals MVP honors. Had a spectacular senior season for Rancho Cucamonga and head coach, throwing for 3,878 yards and 47 touchdowns in 13 games as a senior under coach Mark Verti.
Grade:
1st Round
Quotable
“He can handle a lot mentally. He’s extremely gifted and talented, but he’s equally as smart and equally aware of the field. HIs ability to see and put it all together is uniquely high, so I think we can put a little more on his plate. I think Ryan has a phenomenal amount of confidence in his ability, to trust his ability to get protections and get the ball out to the right guys and not force it. To me, that’s exciting about maybe how good C.J. could be because you like to think about a guy who started high, but you would like to think there’s a lot more in that ceiling. I’m interested in how far we can push he and some of other guys as year two, year three veterans and make another big jump and maybe do the things that truly great teams start to become.” – Ohio State OC Kevin Wilson on CJ Stroud
"C.J. has always had very good leadership skills. He's always had a voice. Once you go on the field and you show credibility that you can do it, you walk a little differently and guys look at you through a different lens. I think that's been the case. He's really approached it like a coach and that's what leaders do and that's what really good quarterbacks do." -- Ohio State HC Ryan Day on QB CJ Stroud
Latest News
03/31/22 – Ohio State has had only six spring football practices, but that’s been enough for new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to reach far back and pretty high in finding a comparison for quarterback C.J. Stroud. Most of Knowles' work so far against the Buckeyes’ high-powered offense has been in 7-on-7 drills. At times, he said, it has been “extremely, extremely frustrating” because of the difficulty in outwitting Stroud. “I remember when I was at Ole Miss with Eli Manning,” Knowles said, referring to 2003 when he was the Rebels’ linebackers coach. “He was the same way in that guys that are good – and C.J. is – they can diagnose.” Every defense has a vulnerability, and Knowles said Stroud is adept at exploiting it. “We’re trying to go off rotations and try to deceive the quarterback and show one picture and end up in another,” he said. “I think he does a great job of just figuring that out and getting rid of the ball, because there’s always a hole. “I talked with him today. He likes what we’re doing because it challenges him, I think.” As impressive as Stroud's 2021 season was, offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson believes he can become even better. “I think he's got a much higher ceiling than you've seen,” Wilson said. “I think he's unbelievably good. There's a high ceiling to be a special player.” [Source: The Columbus Dispatch]
03/26/22 – With two wide receivers projected to be first-round picks in next month’s NFL Draft, someone had to throw to Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave at Ohio State’s Pro Day on Wednesday. So, who better than redshirt sophomore quarterback C.J. Stroud, who completed a combined 135 passes for 1,994 yards and 25 touchdowns to the duo last season? “I knew that if we had C.J. with us, it would result in us looking crisp and clean,” Wilson said after his workout. “C.J.’s a special talent that brings something to the table that not a lot of people bring to the table. We wanted to have him out there with us to let him showcase what he could do because he’s really special.” Olave only added to that, calling Stroud a rare talent. “I say that from my heart,” Olave said. “I know he’s been through a lot and I’m glad he’s in the position he’s in today. The thing about him is he’s going to put God first all the time. I respect him as a person and as a leader, and I can’t wait to see his career take off.” [Source: SI.com]
03/22/22 – Ohio State redshirt sophomore quarterback C.J. Stroud is among the handful of players testing out the new Riddell Axiom helmet during spring practice. The helmet, which is Riddell’s first new design since the SpeedFlex in 2014, is the result of feedback from players, coaches and equipment managers with the goal of improving impact response and reducing head injuries. It uses a scanning app to capture the three-dimensional image of an athlete’s head and uses that to customize an internal system of pads for a personalized fit. Among the more visible changes are the flex panels on the front, back and sides that work to reduce impact on collisions, as well as the lack of a top bar on the facemask, which give athletes a clearer view of the field and full coverage eye protection. Both the facemask and optional visor are installed directly into the shell and can be easily removed, unlike other styles that use clips. [Source: SI.com]
