Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud selected in the first round of the NFL draft

Stroud is officially off the board in the 2023 NFL draft! #GoBucks

It’s official. After much speculation and nasty rumors, Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud becomes the third straight starting Buckeye signal-caller to go off the board in the first round of an NFL draft when he was selected by the Houston Texans with the second overall selection on Thursday night.

Stroud had just two years under center for Ohio State, but they were memorable ones. Not only did he make it to New York both years as a Heisman finalist, but he also will go down as one of the most accurate passers in Ohio State history.

His career numbers say it all. Stroud played in 27 games for the Buckeyes, losing just four times. He completed 575-of-830 passes (69.3%) for 8,123 yards and 85 touchdowns to just 12 interceptions while wearing the Scarlet and Gray. As good as he was on the field, he is a great role model off of it, often deferring to his teammates and coaches and always handling the media with grace and respect.

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He leaves Ohio State as No. 2 in passing yards in program history, has the second and third-best single-season passing yardage campaigns in the Buckeye record books, and the highest single-game passing yards total of any OSU player ever.

Dec. 31, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) throws a pass during the second half of the Peach Bowl in the College Football Playoff semifinal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Ohio State lost 42-41. Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

The Texans could be getting a major building block for its future, and who knows, maybe the best player in the 2023 draft when we look back years later.

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