Ohio State redshirt freshman quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) throws a pass to a teammate during the Ohio State spring game on April 17. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
This story has been updated for the BuckeyeBound edition.
With Justin Fields headed to the NFL, the next quarterback at Ohio State has some pretty big shoes to fill, and the Ohio State Spring Game was the first opportunity for the country to see what the Buckeyes’ signal-callers can do.
Head coach Ryan Day has said that it’s a three-way battle between redshirt freshmen C.J. Stroud and Jack Miller and true freshman Kyle McCord, and that the Spring Game was another opportunity for the three to learn and for Day to take notes on their abilities.
“Some good, some not so good, a lot of learning opportunities there,” Day said. “We tried to get a little bit of a two-minute going at the end of the half, redzone stuff, all learning. You can see when you watch the video there’s flashes here and there, there’s just learning opportunities.”
Jack Miller
It was evident early that Day wanted to let his quarterbacks show off their arm talent, as Team Buckeye’s first drive saw nine passes in 13 plays, led by Miller at the helm.
The Scottsdale, Arizona, native marched the offense down the field, completing seven passes to five different receivers. The drive stalled, however, when Miller threw an interception in the redzone on a ball that drifted to the middle of the field when it should’ve been to junior wide receiver Garrett Wilson’s outside shoulder.
The pick was the only blemish on Miller’s day as he finished 17-for-30 with 128 yards — the only of the three to not find the endzone.
Miller did a good job progressing through his reads and checking the ball down when needed. He completed eight of his passes to the likes of freshmen running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Evan Pryor, freshman tight end Sam Hart and sophomore tight end Cade Stover.
“We talk about it all the time, you can’t go out there and win the job on one play. It doesn’t work that way, and so if you’re trying to force the action, you’re going to get yourself jammed up,” Day said. “Throwing the ball away, that’s a great rep. And it doesn’t feel like it at the time when you’re competing for a starting quarterback position, but those are good reps.”
Last season, Miller did not attempt a pass, but ran twice for 23 yards and a touchdown.
C.J. Stroud
Stroud was next to take snaps, slinging a pair of dimes on his first two throws to freshman receiver Emeka Egbuka and senior wideout Chris Olave for 15 and 40 yards, respectively.
Just two plays later, Stroud found freshman wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. on a slant for a 5-yard touchdown, fitting the ball into a tight window of three Team Buckeye defenders.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Stroud is the most mobile of the three quarterbacks, scampering for a 48-yard touchdown in a mop-up role against Michigan State Dec. 5, 2020. Like Miller, he also didn’t attempt a pass last season in his limited time.
“They’re young too, so they think everything has to be perfect, but they need to take things slow,” senior offensive tackle Thayer Munford said. “I believe that whoever is going to be behind us in the fall, behind me in the fall, is going to do tremendous.”
Despite Stroud’s in-game inexperience, he certainly looked the part of an Ohio State starting quarterback, as his second touchdown of the game looked like a carbon copy of a play that Day used to run frequently with Fields.
Stroud rolled to his right, throwing a 5-yard out route to a waiting Olave who made the sure-handed grab near the boundary, dotting his foot down in bounds for the score.
The Rancho Cucamonga, California, native finished the day a solid 16-for-22 for 185 yards and two touchdowns.
Kyle McCord
The final of the trio of Buckeye gunslingers was McCord who, despite having yet to take a snap at the college level, stepped in and made an impressive statement.
On his first pass, the true freshman showed off his arm strength, delivering a 55-yard strike to Wilson who showed off his undisputed athleticism, high-pointing the ball to come down with the grab.
Despite completing the least number of passes of the group, seven of his 12 went for 10 or more yards — a testament to his record-breaking 6,887 passing yards he set at St. Joseph’s Prep. McCord was ranked the No. 27 player and the third-best pro-style quarterback in the class of 2021, according to 247Sports.
The Philadelphia native got the ball with 5:03 remaining in the first half and marched Team Buckeye 75 yards down the field in 3:52. He capped off the drive with a 15-yard strike to sophomore wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
His final throw — and second touchdown — of the day was a 12-yard touchdown to redshirt freshman tight end Joe Royer with 5:00 left in the 4th quarter, capping off a 12-for-17, 184-yard performance in style.
McCord has yet to lose his black stripe — a tradition started by former head coach Urban Meyer to signify a true freshman has earned the right to call himself a Buckeye — but his performance in the Spring Game was a step in the right direction for him.
The upcoming season will be the first time Ohio State will start a quarterback who has not thrown a pass in college since 1952.
If the Spring Game was any indication, the Buckeyes are in good hands moving forward with Fields’ successor under center. The trio proved that despite their inexperience, they can make a variety of throws, making Day’s job even tougher.
“All those things are being taken in consideration, because it’s not about winning the day, it’s about winning the job so that you can go now help us win,” Day said.
Day said it’s time for the three to work to earn their right as the starter and lead Ohio State on its quest to get back to the National Championship.
“Now the race is on over the next few months to figure out who can make the next strides so that they’re further along,” Day said. “It’s been a lot of progress made across the board, but still a long way to go before we play against Minnesota.”
