Scarlet Sunrise: C.J. Stroud takes over as clear-cut Heisman favorite

Good morning, Ohio State fans, and welcome to the Scarlet Sunrise. Football will always be our focus, but every day we’ll cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Ohio State football, recruiting, basketball and more in Scarlet Sunrise.

C.J. Stroud takes over as clear-cut Heisman favorite

C.J. Stroud has incredible expectations to be great this fall for Ohio State. And those expectations are clearly spelled out for him.

Stroud is the clear-cut Heisman Trophy winner heading into the final two months of the offseason, pulling out ahead of Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and USC quarterback Caleb Williams.

Buckeyes tailback TreVeyon Henderson currently has the sixth-best odds to win the ultimate individual award in college football. But he has nowhere near the same odds Stroud does.

Such is life as the record-breaking quarterback at Ohio State. Stroud has been dealing with those expectations all offseason, so he should be ready for this fall.

The updated Heisman Trophy odds, according to VegasInsider.

• C.J. Stroud – Ohio State: +200
• Bryce Young – Alabama: +350
• Caleb Williams – USC: +800
• Bijan Robinson – Texas: +1600
• Quinn Ewers – Texas: +2000
• TreVeyon Henderson – Ohio State: +2000

Lettermen Row kicks off Linebackers Week

The standard isn’t changing inside the linebackers room at Ohio State. Sure, there is a new defensive coordinator coupling as a linebackers coach. And yes, the defense will look completely different than the unit has been used to for years.

But the Silver Bullets are still expected to be the Silver Bullets. And the depth of the unit will be tested again this fall after a disappointing fall a year ago.

The Buckeyes have the talent to be an elite unit behind the defensive line. And they have the coach to get them to a championship level. Now it’s just about figuring out who fits where — and how it will all come together for Jim Knowles and the Buckeyes linebackers.

The Buckeyes have a chance to get back to a championship level with their linebackers unit, one that underwhelmed last season. That’s where the breakdown begins as Lettermen Row is kicking off the seventh positional week of the summer with the new-look linebackers.

READ: Five Questions as Buckeyes prepare to unleash new-look linebackers unit

READ: How Buckeyes linebackers fare in name, image, likeness landscape

Buckeyes remain in top two of latest recruiting rankings

The Fourth of July weekend was an eventful one on the recruiting trail, with nearly a dozen On3 Consensus blue-chip prospects coming off the board. Ohio State was not among those programs to earn a commitment on the holiday.

Those commitments, as well as a flurry of decisions coming in the past few weeks, have shaken up the Team Recruiting Rankings as we head into July, one of the busiest months of the recruiting calendar.

As it stands now, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Texas have the nation’s top three recruiting classes and lead the rankings. But national powers like Alabama, Georgia, and Clemson are right on their heels. See the full top 25 below.

Ohio State is currently No. 2 in the rankings, just barely behind Notre Dame. Don’t expect those rankings to stay that way for long.

Are you subscribed yet?

Are you ready to get all your latest Ohio State news in one place? Become a member of Lettermen Row today. With your Lettermen Row/On3+ membership, you’ll not only have access to the everything that’s happening with the Buckeyes, but you’ll also be able to peruse other fan sites within the network to hear just how rivals are feeling about Ohio State, as well. Make sure to follow along on Twitter, Instagram and on Youtube for all the latest Buckeyes news you need to know.

Already signed up? Don’t forget to join us in the Lettermen Lounge to talk about the latest Ohio State sports news.