Tag: C.J. Stroud

USA TODAY weighs in on who will replace Justin Fields this fall

Ohio State has to replace Justin Fields this fall and it appears to be a three-man competition. USA TODAY Sports says this guy will win out.

Yes, it’s true Ohio State fans. Justin Fileds off to the NFL and it feels like we all got robbed of what could have been an even better career in Columbus because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, it was fun while it lasted, and now it’s time to look at who his successor might be.

All indications point to a three-man race to replace Fields at the quarterback spot. The coaches have said that it’ll be an open competition between rising sophomores C.J. Stroud and Jack Miller, and the early enrollee, rising freshman Kyle McCord. A lot of times you can look at what happened when things were on the line to see where the early pecking order is, but that could all change when each guy gets his turn to show what he has with all the reps of spring ball and beyond.

The spotlight is now. We dove into handicapping this quarterback derby a little, but we’re not the only ones. In fact, Paul Myerberg from our mothership USA TODAY Sports also took a look at one of the most intriguing and high-profile position battles in all of college football.

Here is what he said.

NEXT … Who Myerberg believes will win the OSU QB competition

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Handicapping the Ohio State quarterback race for 2021

Ohio State will be choosing a quarterback among three talented guys to replace Justin Fields this fall. Here’s how all three stack up.

Ohio State lost one of its all-time best quarterbacks when Justin Fields announced his intentions to enter the 2021 NFL draft after the national championship game. It came as no surprise, but now it’s time to turn the page and find out who will replace one of the most dynamic players in all of college football.

For the Buckeyes, it looks like a three-ring QB competition, and what the group lacks in experience, it hopefully makes up for in talent. OSU has two highly-rated four-star guys coming back in C.J. Stroud and Jack Miller, and it also has five-star gunslinger Kyle McCord who will insert into the derby to push for that Cadillac position of the offense.

Head coach Ryan Day has said all along it will be an open competition this fall, so we’re taking him at his word. And with that, we’re handicapping the pros and cons of what we see from each as we try to figure out who might be the next face of the Ohio State offense. We start with a profile of each and then look in the crystal ball to determine who we believe starts in 2021.

NEXT … The dual-threat ability of C.J. Stroud

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ESPN ranks the best college football quarterback situations for next three years. Where is Ohio State?

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg ranked the best quarterback situations in college football for the next three years. Where does he have Ohio State?

It’s the Cadillac position at almost every school now. If you don’t have a supremely talented quarterback in today’s college game, it’s hard to win at the highest of levels. Just ask Michigan (too soon?).

As the game has evolved over the last fifteen years or so, the Buckeye program has too, and has now become a destination for some of the top-rated quarterback prospects in the nation. Just look at the signal-callers on the banks of the Olentangy, almost in progression. Troy Smith, Terrelle Pryor, Braxton Miller, J.T. Barrett, Dwayne Haskins, and Justin Fields.

Not bad eh?

But it’s not just the past. Ohio State is set up pretty good for the future as well under head coach Ryan Day. By the time next fall rolls around, Ohio State will have three high four or five-star quarterback caliber quarterbacks competing against each other to take over for the departed Justin Fields. That doesn’t even account for the nation’s top 2022 prospect, QB Quinn Ewers coming in the year after.

So yeah, the program is in pretty good shape over the next few years.

Adam Rittenberg of ESPN took a look (subscription required) at college football programs and how they are set up for the next three years under center and ranked them all. With what is in the cupboard or on the way, before even looking at the rankings, you have to feel pretty good about where Ohio State stands.

Let’s look at how Rittenberg thinks OSU stacks up with the rest of the country.

NEXT… Ohio State’s ranking at QB for the next three years according to ESPN

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Ohio State football’s most intriguing offseason question is this according to ESPN

ESPN identified the most intriguing offseason question for each of its 2021 preseason top 25 teams. Here’s what it said about Ohio State.

Ohio State came up just shy of its ultimate goal of winning a national championship. The Buckeyes put a muzzle on Dabo Swinney and Clemson, but then got taken behind the woodshed by Alabama down in Miami.

So now, things progress to the offseason with several question marks in Columbus and other places. The world of college football always has significant turnover and competition for new spots because of the nature of the yearly cycle of players leaving and entering programs.

But at a place like Ohio State, it’s often a matter of reloading as opposed to rebuilding. There’s no doubt that’ll be the expectation in 2021 with goals of winning every game, taking home a fifth straight Big Ten title, and making a run for the national championship once again.

But what’s the most intriguing offseason question the Buckeyes face? ESPN tried to answer that question for all of the top 25 teams it ranked in the way-too-early preseason, and of course, OSU was a part of all of that. So what did ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren say was the most intriguing question?

NEXT … Ohio State’s most intriguing offseason question per ESPN

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Three Ohio State football players appear in the very early BetMGM Heisman odds

The popular BetMGM Sportsbook has published its very early 2021 Heisman odds and there are three Ohio State players included in the mix.

When you follow a team like Ohio State, you live and breathe college football year around. When one season ends, you quickly turn the page to another and look ahead to what’s in store for the following year.

The Buckeyes may have lost the ultimate prize against Alabama down in Miami, but there’s still reason to be hopeful for the future of the program. That’s because head coach Ryan Day has continued to recruit at an elite level, and the cupboard is anything but bare in Columbus despite losing guys like Justin Fields and other key members of the team.

The populate BetMGM Sportsbook has also turned the page to the 2021 season already, posting both odds for winning the national title, as well as future Heisman odds.

The odds at this point are wide-ranging since there’s a lot of unknowns with position battles and all, but they are still fun to look at. They are even more interesting because the website has three Ohio State players included in the 49 it has set early odds on.

The Buckeyes may not have a front-runner like the past few seasons, but someone could come off the radar and quickly jump up in the race if OSU has the kind of season on offense we’ve been accustomed to.

So who are the three OSU players included in the odds? The best odds have been set with quarterback Jack Miller III with +1,600 odds. That’s a very respectable eighth-best odds, with running back Master Teague appearing at No. 12 with +2,800 odds. The other Buckeye finishing it off behind those two is fellow quarterback C.J. Stroud with +5,000 (No. 32).

That’s a bit surprising because many around the Ohio State program expect Stroud to have a wee-bit of an advantage over Miller, but we’ll have to let it all play out. We also can’t forget about five-star QB Kyle McCord who will also throw his hat in the ring as a true freshman.

These things can obviously be way off base this far away from practice and games, but if you’re into that sort of thing, have fun with it all. It’s sure to change as things move through spring and summer.

And while we’re at it, here are the top five odds according to BetMGM:

Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma QB – +300
D.J. Uiagalelei, Clemson QB – +500
J.T. Daniels, Georgia QB – +600
Sam Howell, North Carolina QB – +700
Bryce Young, Alabama QB – +700

You can view the rest of the list at your leisure.

 

Ohio State football very early projected offensive depth chart for 2021

Now that the 2020 college football season is over, here’s a very early look at the projected offensive two-deep depth chart for Ohio State.

The crazy, unpredictable college football season is over, and Ohio State finished just short of its ninth national championship in program history, losing to Alabama in the CFP national championship game.

Now, we’re looking ahead to next season because — well, that’s what we do. College football is king on the banks of the Olentangy, so it doesn’t take long to turn the page, especially after what we all witnessed down in Miami. We could use a little forward look instead of dwelling on all that went wrong just a stone’s throw from South Beach.

On that note, we decided to look ahead at a projected two-deep depth chart for a run to special things next year for Ryan Day and Ohio State, and we’re starting with the offensive side of the ball. We must remember that there are a lot of guys that still have to make a decision on their future with the NFL, so we’re taking our best shot here on some of this. But don’t worry, we’ll update things periodically as we know more.

So with more disclaimers than a credit card terms and conditions pamphlet, here’s what we believe the offensive depth chart could look like for Ohio State in the fall of 2021.

QB C.J. Stroud loses his black stripe for Ohio State

Ohio State freshman quarterback C.J. Stroud joined the list of Buckeye newcomers that shed their black stripe on Wednesday.

Another day, another couple of Ohio State newcomers “officially” becoming a part of the Buckeye brotherhood by shedding their black stripes. We saw quarterback Jack Miller receive the honor Wednesday, but his colleague ad fellow combatant for the backup spot behind Justin Fields, C.J. Stroud, was also recognized.

There’s a lot of buzz surrounding Stroud. He gained some serious momentum at the tail-end of the 2020 recruiting cycle, eventually garnering five-star status according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

At 6-foot, 2-inches, and 194-pounds, the freshman out of Rancho Cucamonga, Califonia is a dual-threat athlete that fits the mold of today’s athletic quarterback. He’ll be pushing hard to be the future of the position under center.

The honor of losing his black-stripe was not lost on Stroud.

“First of all, I want to thank — all glory to God,” said Stroud. “I always appreciate everybody out here. Appreciate my unit. Thank you to the coaching staff. Thank you to Kayla for getting my weight up. Go Bucks!”

Watch the brief ceremony and words of gratitude below thanks to the official Twitter account of Ohio State Football.

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What quarterbacks will battle it out after Justin Fields moves on from the program?

We’ve either seen last days of Justin Fields, or the upcoming season will be it. What quarterback will take the reigns for Ohio State?

With Justin Fields still deciding on whether he will play if there is a spring season for the Buckeyes, and Gunnar Hoak a graduate transfer, there needs to be some clarity for the quarterback depth beyond this year. There are some interesting names, headlined by C.J. Stroud. While Stroud may have the inside track after Fields and Hoak, there will be a competition.

Of course, when you look at the Buckeyes depth chart and roster the first name that jumps out behind Fields and Hoak is Stroud. Stroud was the second-ranked pro-style quarterback coming out of high school. He was well known for his ability to protect the ball and his high completion percentage, and most think he is the future of the quarterback position after Fields.

The next name that stands out is Jack Miller. Miller was the fourteenth ranked pro-style quarterback coming out of high school. He holds most passing records for the state of Arizona, and his high school QBR was over 110. Miller will give Stroud a run for his money, and whoever loses out on the starting gig could easily look for a starting job elsewhere if he wanted.

Oh, the transfer portal — the gift that keeps on giving.

Also, don’t sleep on incoming freshman Kyle McCord. He has risen up the prep rankings and now has a five-star ranking according to several recruiting services. He shined at the Elite 11 Camp earlier this year and has shown poise, and an ability to fit balls into tight windows.

And more or less, your next quarterback in Columbus will come from that group of names.

While Stroud, Miller, and McCord will have the limelight, the rest of the crew including Jagger LaRoe, Danny Vanatsky, and J.P. Andrade will duke it out in the depth chart should casualty or transfers strike.

A spring season would allow some of them to see game action and let Ryan Day start the process for 2021. It may not be ideal, but it could help the Buckeyes push for the playoffs next season.

 

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USA TODAY ranks three Ohio State 2020 commitments in its top 25 of the class

USA TODAY has ranked the top 25 high school commitments for the 2020 class, and Ohio State has three players on the list.

By all accounts and measures, the Ohio State football program has signed another recruiting class. According to most recruiting websites, the 2020 recruiting cycle resulted in one of the top five classes in the nation for the Buckeyes.

USA TODAY did their own ranking of the top 25 high school players that signed on the dotted line for this year, and the Buckeyes have three appearing on the list. Wide receiver Julian Fleming checks in at No. 5, offensive lineman Paris Johnson, Jr., is rated No. 10, and quarterback C.J. Stroud appears at No. 19 overall.

That’s a lot of talent at the top, but the Buckeyes can’t boast about having the most players signed on the list. That honor goes to Clemson who has four players among the top 25 according to USA TODAY.

Here’s what Jason Jordan of USA TODAY says about the three top 25 players that signed with Ohio State.

Julian Fleming

Fleming is a matchup nightmare for most corners because of his elite athleticism and speed (4.3). Fleming also boasts a 43-inch vertical leap.

Paris Johnson, Jr.

Johnson has great footwork for his size and anchors down and gets great position on the line. Johnson has great hands and uses his strong upper body to keep defensive linemen at bay.

C.J. Stroud

Rich get richer as Stroud picked Ohio State on Wednesday. Stroud is a skilled passer with the precision to hit tight windows as well deep balls. Stroud’s timing is impeccable, and his reads tend to be the right call.

 

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Ohio State football has four five-star commits in final 247Sports rankings

The final 247Sports recruiting rankings are out and Ohio State will finish with four 5-star recruits when it’s all said and done.

We always knew Ohio State had some top-end talent in its 2020 recruiting class, and now the star-ratings reflect that — at least according to the 247Sports ratings that were just finalized. There are just 32 five-star athletes meaning they are the very top of the top. And in Ohio State’s case, it has four players out of those 32.

The five-stars include the overall No. 4 recruit, wide receiver Julian Fleming, No. 8, offensive tackle Paris Johnson, Jr., Jr, No. 15, another receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and No. 29, quarterback C.J. Stroud. Both Smith-Njigba and Stroud are newly minted five-star athletes giving OSU a bit of a boost in the quality at the top according to the rankings.

With the change and update, only Clemson has more five-star players than OSU with five. Alabama also has four.

The overall class remains the No. 5 rated class in the composite rankings for 2020, and with Ohio State having already inked almost all of its class during the early signing period, it will not be moving up at all. If anything, it could slide a position or two.

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Either way, the talent in this class is a very, very good one — especially at the top end.

 

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