Arguably the two biggest knocks on Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud had been that he wasn’t creating enough outside of structure and he didn’t threaten defenses with his legs (either by choice or as demanded by his coaches). He flipped both arguments against Georgia. At the risk of putting too much emphasis on one game, how significant was that showing to Stroud’s NFL outlook?
Dane Brugler: NFL scouts focus on the body of work, not single-game performances. But when a prospect puts something new on tape (and not just any tape, but in the biggest game of his career), it forces a reevaluation. Against Georgia in the playoffs, Stroud played his best game in an Ohio State jersey. All of last season and through the 2022 regular season, Stroud proved he can be a surgical passer but was inconsistent when required to move the pocket, change throwing platforms or scramble. It’s not that he was incapable of those things — just that he didn’t appear comfortable. Against the Bulldogs, he showed impressive composure which allowed him to stay in rhythm from the pocket and when on the move.
In his first 27 games at Ohio State, Stroud forced one missed tackle; against Georgia, he forced three. Earlier this season, Stroud set a career high with three scrambles against Penn State; against Georgia, he had six. Again, teams grade prospects — especially quarterbacks — based on the body of work, but this was the type of performance that will increase a team’s comfort level in drafting Stroud early.
Nick Baumgardner: There is a part of me that wishes Stroud (with NIL money in his pocket, of course) could spend another year learning at Ohio State with Ryan Day and all those receivers because I really think the biggest critiques of his game — which are all fair — are time-on-task issues. The inability to consistently handle pressure, or even for a different coverage than expected or a wrong route, has been the issue.
As Dane wrote, though, it’s not that he hates to run or doesn’t know how to run. It’s about him being comfortable enough to slow his brain down to sort through his options. He’s only 21. He’s still growing into the player he’s going to become.
The Georgia game was a big step, but it’s also one (important) piece in a giant puzzle. If you were uncertain about why he’s had some of those issues, the playoff loss might have checked off a few boxes. However, I’m still concerned about where his confidence and comfortability will be next season if he’s drafted by a desperate franchise looking for immediate results. There’s so much to like about Stroud’s game, but he’s young and played in a very QB-friendly system in Columbus. It may take time.
Diante Lee: Dane made a similar point, but what matters most is that Stroud added a significant data point to his evaluation. It’s one thing to manage collapsing pockets and escape from unblocked pressure, but Stroud turning dead-to-rights sacks into explosive plays against Georgia will mean something in the greater evaluation of his college career.
I was astounded by how effectively Stroud managed plays as things broke down, his balance and mechanics when throwing on the run and the handful of times he recognized he could tuck and run. On the other hand, I now have to go back to reevaluate how and why he’d had such an issue managing pressure before that game. I know the Ohio State offense to be more vertical in the passing game than others, and it asks its quarterback to hold the ball as receivers work to open grass. But that means that the quarterback has to use his legs as his own checkdown, a frustration many had with Justin Fields when he played for Day.
Stroud is still learning and growing as a player. If he can commit more often to punishing defenses with his legs, there’s still reason to believe he can be the best quarterback in this draft class. For the most optimistic front office, this was a peek into Stroud’s ceiling. That kind of creation out of structure wins tough games on Sundays.
