*C.J. Stroud, Ohio State Football News: Draft Scout Player News

08/03/22 - QB *C.J. Stroud, rSo/2023, Ohio State

Tyler Nubin and his fellow Minnesota defenders had little intel on which to base their game plan for Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud in last season's opener. A little film from the Buckeyes' spring game. Some scouting reports from the recruiting scene. Stroud did not throw a pass in 2020 as a true freshman. He attempted 22 that night against the Golden Gophers. Nubin said the quarterback they faced was no novice. "He's ultra-talented, man," Nubin said. "His arm talent is something I honestly had not seen in a while." Stroud threw for 294 yards and four touchdowns with one interception against Minnesota. That night, especially a much cleaner second half, set the stage for a season that culminated in a trip to New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist and a blistering Rose Bowl performance.

Stroud led Big Ten quarterbacks in pass efficiency rating by almost 30 points. That mark of 186.56 was the highest in the conference since Wisconsin's Russell Wilson posted a 191.78 in 2011. Wilson, though, did that as a fifth-year player and fourth-year starter. Setting aside early struggles related to a sore right shoulder, Stroud debuted as, if not a finished product, certainly a more complete one. Asking around various defensive players at Big Ten Media Days this week, a consensus formed that Stroud did not look, act or think like a Big Ten quarterback. "He's just more of a pro quarterback compared to the other guys, from where he puts the ball to how he stands in the pocket and the poise - just looking like a pro football player," Nebraska cornerback Quinton Newsome said. "It's something you can see on film, but you don't really know until you're going against him." - Cleveland Plain Dealer

rSo/2023