Scarlet Sunrise: C.J. Stroud drawing rave reviews in early months with Houston Texans

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C.J. Stroud drawing rave reviews in early months with Houston Texans

Former Buckeyes star C.J. Stroud has narratives to rewrite this year, and he’s apparently off to a great start. Stroud was not only the subject of pre-draft critique because of his reported low S2 Cognition test scores, but he’s also facing the stereotype that Ohio State quarterbacks aren’t made for the NFL.

Stroud, who was taken No. 2 overall by the Houston Texans this year, is the highest-drafted quarterback in Buckeyes history. He’s a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist and two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.

If Chicago Bears dual threat, and former Buckeyes standout, Justin Fields doesn’t beat him to the punch, Stroud has a good chance of giving Ohio State some much-needed NFL grace at the position — especially if he continues to impress like he has been in his first few months with the Texans.

“Stroud’s ball placement has stood out throughout the spring, as his passes have rarely been off target. Veteran quarterback Case Keenum has been impressed with Stroud’s presence and said, ‘I would have thought he had been here a year, been in the league, been a four-, five-year vet.'”

D.J. Bien-Aime, ESPN

ESPN Texans reporter D.J. Bien-Aime noted earlier this month that Stroud had yet to “exclusively” rep with the ones. Instead, he was splitting snaps with Davis Mills, who has started 26 games for Houston over the last two years but posted a mere 5-19-1 record in that span.

Bien-Aime wrote that “it’s only a matter of time” before Stroud officially takes over as the No. 1 option.

Keenum isn’t alone in his praise of Stroud. Texans wide receiver Noah Brown, who played at Ohio State from 2014-16, was asked to compare Stroud to Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. After all, Brown played with Prescott the last five seasons.

“They’re both great quarterbacks — great arm talent,” Brown said, via Sports Illustrated/Texans Daily. “That’s a great class to be in. I think he has all the potential to live up to that, maybe even surpass it. So, you know, I’m rooting for C.J. and I’m willing to have his back on anything.” 

Stroud is getting rave reviews from the other side of the ball as well.

“He’s a ballplayer, I’ll tell you that. He made some great throws,” Texans free safety Jimmie Ward told Jim Rome. “He’s able to come and make these throws so confident, and it’s just crazy.”

Ward continued: “It’s amazing to me to see it, a guy so young to come and get some reps versus the ones and make great throws. He has a lot of power in his arm, too. So that’s been promising to see.”

What commitment of Damarion Witten means for Ohio State

Ohio State received a pair of commitments from 2024 Glenville High School (Cleveland, Ohio) prospects Saturday: the first came from four-star cornerback Bryce West, and then four-star tight end Damarion Witten pledged to the Buckeyes.

ICYMI: What commitment of Bryce West means for Ohio State

Both commitments were significant for Ohio State. But Witten’s marks a potential turning of the tide. The Buckeyes have been trying to nail down a two-tight end class for a while, and Keenan Bailey is close to pulling that off in his first year running the room.

Remember, four-star Chattanooga (Tenn) Baylor School tight end Max LeBlanc committed back in April.

Lettermen Row has more on what Witten’s commitment means for the Buckeyes, plus what he brings to the table athletically. For the full breakdown, go here.

Five Questions as Buckeyes put together potentially dominant defensive line

As our position-by-position preview series mows along, Lettermen Row has turned the page to the defensive side of the ball, where we’ll kick things off with the defensive line.

The room is once again led by longtime D-Line coach Larry Johnson. Depth is a bit of a concern at both defensive end and defensive tackle. That said, at the top of those positions is first-round talent.

To put the wheels in motion for our “Defensive Line Week,” we are posing — and then elaborating on — five questions about the room.

Check it out here.

RELATED

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• Tale of the Tape: Knowing the basics of Buckeyes defensive tackles

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Indiana: 67 days

Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 151 days

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