Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud 'Excited to Play Against' College Teammate Chris Olave
Houston Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud is only a few months past his days at Ohio State, but Sunday's matchup against the New Orleans Saints will feature receiver Chris Olave, who he hasn't played with since 2021.
Stroud and Olave played one season together as starters. The receiver hauled in 65 of Stroud's targets for 936 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Despite not being third on the team in receptions and yards, Olave was selected with the 11th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He had a very successful rookie year, as he logged over 1,000 receiving yards and instantly became the Saints' main weapon.
Stroud opened up about his former teammate's success in Ohio and the NFL during Wednesday's press conference.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Chris Olave (2) celebrates with Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) after he scores a touchdown
© Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
"Chris is that guy, man," Stroud said. "In my opinion, he's definitely a top-5 or top-10 receiver in this league. He shows out week-in and week-out. That's my guy for life, he's a good dude. I still talk to him every once in a while and I'm excited to see him and play against him."
The 21-year-old has noticed that teams try to take away Olave's big-play ability by "doubling him or giving space" to get a head start on deep routes, but the receiver makes it difficult for defensive backs with one of his best attributes.
"I think he's very slept on with his route-running," Stroud said. "He's got very clean body language. He's virtually fast and makes every route look the same, which is very hard on defensive backs. He plays at one speed, which is really really fast. I think his hands are underrated too. He catches everything even if he gets one hand on it."
The Texans and Saints technically played each other already this year in the preseason, but Olave wasn't in uniform. After a couple years of brotherhood and friendship, Stroud and Olave will be adversaries until the final whistle on Sunday, starting at 12 p.m CT.
