Ohio State third-year quarterback CJ Stroud (7) pumps his fist following a downfield completion. In what could be his final college game, Stroud threw for 348 on 23 completions. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor
Two-time Big Ten Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year C.J. Stroud was selected by the Houston Texans as the No. 2 overall pick in the first round of the NFL Draft Thursday.
Since his declaration to the draft Jan. 16, the two-time Heisman Trophy finalist has been the center of a lot of discussion regarding where he’d land and how soon he’d be taken.
As a two-year starter, Stroud went 21-4, had 8,123 total passing yards and threw 85 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. These stats earned him the Big Ten Quarterback of the Year for both the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Stroud’s 2022 campaign earned him First Team All-Big Ten honors as he led the conference in total offense with 3,414 total yards and led the Buckeyes to finish No. 9 nationally in total offense and No. 2 in scoring offense with an average of 44.2 points per game. He was also a finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, the Maxwell Award and the Dave O’Brien Award.
Last season ended with arguably Stroud’s best overall performance as a Buckeye in a 42-41 College Football Playoff loss to Georgia. He threw for 348 yards, four touchdowns and rushed for 34 yards.
As a redshirt freshman in 2021, Stroud and the Buckeyes were No. 1 in total and scoring offense. He set multiple Big Ten records, including season passing yards with 3,193 and 34 touchdown passes in conference games only and broke previous program bests in his first season as a starter, becoming the first 500-yard passer in his six-touchdown Rose Bowl performance.
The Texans have been in search of a franchise quarterback, and the 6-foot-3, 214-pound Second Team All-American Stroud showed he can be just that over his Buckeye career.
