C.J. Stroud responds to S2 test rumors ahead of NFL Draft

Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud has been put through the wringer the last few weeks. His draft stock has been in question, largely because of his rumored performance on the S2 Cognition test.

According to the test’s site, the S2 Cognition “is the only sports evaluation that scientifically measures an athlete’s game-speed cognitive abilities down to a millisecond level — and provides tailored, on-field drills designed by top-level coaches to measurably improve performance.”

S2 Cognition co-founders Brandon Ally and Scott Wylie have been testing NFL prospects since the 2016 NFL Draft, as reported by The Athletic, but the test hasn’t stolen headlines until now. Leaked scores, which notably suggest Stroud’s significant struggles on the test, are a big reason why.

Stroud, once the betting favorite for the No. 1 overall pick, is now at risk of sliding down the top 10. The two-time Heisman Trophy finalist quarterback was available to the media Wednesday while taking part in the NFL Play Football clinic in Kansas City ahead of Thursday night’s draft.

“I’m not a test taker,” Stroud said, via The Charlotte Observer, when asked about his reportedly low S2 Cognition scores. “I play football. … At the end of the day, man, I don’t got nothing to prove to nobody. I’m not going to sit here and explain how I process football. The people who are making the picks know what I can do.”

Stroud continued, via the Observer: “I know what I can do. I know I can process well. If I’m not the smartest quarterback in the draft, I know I’m one of the smartest quarterbacks in the NFL when I step in there tomorrow. I don’t think you can play at Ohio State and not be smart. … If you don’t trust and believe in me, all I can tell you is, ‘Watch this.'”

Head coach Ryan Day joined the ESPN College GameDay crew Thursday before the draft and mentioned that he met with people at S2 over Zoom Thursday to learn more about the test and how it works.

“First off, it’s really based off eye reaction, and then reaction based on pressing buttons on what you see on a screen,” Day explained on GameDay. “There’s 10 different tests that go along with this. To just take a number that’s been thrown out there and leaked, which they told me, all of them weren’t exactly accurate — it’s a little irresponsible because there’s not a lot of context that goes with what’s going on. So it was great for me to learn what went on with that test.”

Day went on to praise Stroud’s feel of the pocket and his processing of reads. Day emphasized that Stroud isn’t a finished product, and it’s his “huge ceiling” that makes him such a valuable prospect.

Stroud posted an 85:12 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his two seasons as the Buckeyes starting quarterback. He developed a reputation for throwing with great anticipation and precision. Naturally, part of that equation was processing reads and coverages.

In a nutshell, Stroud’s surgical dissection of defenses in college contradicts his rumored S2 Cognition scores. Time will tell if those rumors, and others, affect his draft position.

Buckeyes expecting impressive first round at NFL Draft

Ohio State is expected to have three players picked Thursday night in the first round of the NFL Draft. The Buckeyes lead the nation with 87 first-round selections all-time. The next closest school is USC with 84, but the Trojans are projected to have only one pick in the opening round this year: wide receiver Jordan Addison, who started his career at Pitt and won the Biletnikoff Award there.

Meanwhile, all signs are pointing toward former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud, offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba hearing their names called Thursday.

It would be another superb first round for the Buckeyes, who have made a habit of taking center stage on Day One of the NFL Draft. The Lettermen Row crew of Spencer Holbrook, Tim May and Andy Backstrom previewed what could be on the horizon for the Buckeyes’ prospects this weekend in Kansas City.

Check it out here, or you can watch below:

Buckeyes OL Ben Christman enters transfer portal

Ohio State third-year offensive lineman Ben Christman entered the transfer portal Wednesday. Christman became the third Buckeyes player, and the second in as many days, to put his name into the portal during the spring transfer window, which spans from April 15 to April 30.

Second-year wide receiver Caleb Burton and fourth-year place kicker Jake Seibert have also made the decision to look elsewhere this month. Ohio State has yet to add a player during the spring transfer window. The Buckeyes did, however, bring aboard six scholarship transfers during the winter window.

To read about what Christman entering the portal means for Ohio State, go here.

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Indiana: 129 days

Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 213 days

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