Ohio State redshirt sophomore quarterback C.J. Stroud announced on Monday morning he will forgo his final three years of eligibility and declare for the 2023 NFL Draft, where he is projected to be a top-10 pick.
A former four-star prospect from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Stroud finishes his career as the only two-time Heisman Trophy finalist in school history after throwing for 8,123 yards and 85 touchdowns in 25 games as a starter.
He was also a two-time Big Ten offensive player and quarterback of the year and a finalist for the Maxwell Award, Manning Award, Davey O’Brien Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year and Johnny Unitas Gold Arm Award.
Stroud – who is also the only player in Big Ten history to be named the conference’s offensive player, quarterback and freshman of the year – set or tied 16 school records, as he most notably threw for 573 yards and six touchdowns in the 2021 Rose Bowl win over Utah.
This fall, Stroud became the first player in Big Ten history with back-to-back 30 touchdown seasons. His 85 career passing touchdowns rank second in school history behind J.T. Barrett’s conference-best 104 touchdowns from 2013-17.
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Stroud, who went 21-4 as a starter with one College Football Playoff appearance, will likely become the third Buckeye quarterback to be selected in the first round in the last five years, joining Dwayne Haskins in 2019 and Justin Fields in 2021.
He could become the highest-drafted quarterback in school history, surpassing Art Schlichter, who went No. 4 overall to the Baltimore Colts in the 1982 NFL Draft. The only other Ohio State quarterback drafted in the first round was Don Scott in 1941.
Sophomore Kyle McCord and freshman Devin Brown will compete this spring and fall to replace Stroud. McCord has thrown for 606 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games, including one start when Stroud was rehabbing a shoulder injury, while Brown has yet to attempt a pass.
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