Scarlet Sunrise: C.J. Stroud continues to make history early in rookie season
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C.J. Stroud continues to make history early in rookie season
C.J. Stroud is still interception free. The former Ohio State star and No. 2 overall pick is four games in with the Houston Texans, and he’s attempted the third-most passes without a pick among all rookies starting their NFL careers. Ever.
Stroud (151 attempts) trails only Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (152) and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (176) in that category.
Stroud is currently fourth in the league with 1,212 passing yards. He’s thrown for more than 200 yards in each game this season, twice eclipsing the 300-yard mark, including this past Sunday in a 30-6 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Stroud now has the second-most passing yards by a quarterback making his first four starts to kick off an NFL career, according to ESPN. He passed up Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Andrew Luck while guiding the Texans to their second win, and the organization’s best start since 2019.
The only quarterback with more passing yards in his first four starts is Cam Newton (1,386).
Stroud, who is completing 62.3% of his passes with six touchdowns on the season, is an early pick for NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, and he’s blazing a trail for Ohio State rookie quarterbacks in the league.
The Buckeyes have developed talented quarterbacks, but converting that talent into Day One NFL success has proved difficult time and time again.
Stroud is bucking that trend, and he’s doing so while the Texans have had multiple offensive line starters sidelined throughout the first month of the season.
Three Storylines to track as Buckeyes return to action this week, host Maryland
Ohio State is back to action after an off week in Week 5. The Buckeyes are 4-0 and No. 4 in the AP Top 25 but still have a lot to prove with Big Ten East foes Michigan at No. 2 and Penn State at No. 6.
It’s Homecoming Weekend in Columbus, and Ohio State will host a Maryland team that is 5-0 for the first time since 2001. The Terrapins have outscored their opponents, 193-66, so far this season.
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Lettermen Row has three storylines for the Week 6 matchup as the Buckeyes look to continue their winning ways after a week of regrouping in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
Check it out here.
RELATED
Early expected visitors for Ohio State-Maryland
Homecoming Weekend offers a timely recruiting opportunity for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State is coming off an off week in which its staff hit the recruiting trail. The Buckeyes will have a chance to immediately see the benefit of that work Saturday against Maryland.
Even though Ohio State won’t have its biggest visitor list of the season — that will come in two weeks when the Buckeyes host Penn State in a top-10 matchup — the program will still have notable 2024 commits and 2025 targets in attendance.
That group even includes an Ohio State basketball target in the 2025 cycle that everyone will be watching for.
Lettermen Row has five initial visitors we’re expecting to see inside Ohio Stadium this weekend — go here for the list.
Counting down
Buckeyes vs. Maryland: 4 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 53 days
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