Ohio State football: Why new quarterback is already in a great spot

The Ohio State football team is losing one of the best quarterbacks talent-wise that the team has ever seen. Whoever wins the starting spot next season will have very big shoes to fill. However, they are already in a great spot to succeed right off of the bat.

There are three major players who are fighting for the starting quarterback job this offseason. Those players being C.J. Stroud, Jack Miller II, and Kyle McCord.

All three players could easily be the starting quarterback of any division one team and Buckeye fans should trust that they will be in good hands no matter who the coaching staff goes with at the starting spot.

According to Coop Ledford from Scarlet and Game, “Stroud is a 6’2 pro-style QB from Rancho Cucamonga, California. He was recruited as a four-star player out of high school, and the #2 pro-style QB in the country. Stroud committed to Ohio State over multiple PAC-12 teams and also received interest from Georgia, Oregon, and Michigan”.

Stroud didn’t throw a pass in the 2020 season. In the matchup against Michigan State, he did have a 48-yard touchdown run.

The next player in the QB competition is Jack Miller II. Miller II and Stroud are nearly the same build and play the same style of quarterback. Miller II did not throw a single pass during his freshman season, however, he did run the ball twice for 23 yards and a touchdown. Unless he has a big offseason, it is likely that Miller II will still be on the bench or playing for another school in the 2021 season.

The final contender for the starting spot is Kyle McCord. According to Coop Ledford, “McCord will be the new guy on campus in 2021. The incoming freshman stands at 6’3, 215 pounds, and is a five-star recruit who is ranked as the third-best pro-style QB in the country.

He is a top-25 player nationally, regardless of position”. It is unlikely that McCord will be starting as a true freshman unless he turns heads during the offseason.

It is likely that C.J. Stroud will be the starting quarterback for the Buckeyes going into the 2021 season. Buckeye fans should be very excited about this. He has already taken full advantage of every opportunity that he was given in his freshman season. Also being mentored by Justin Fields during his first season with the Buckeyes should have taught him how to fill the shoes of Fields.

Along with this, Stroud will have a handful of weapons coming back for the Buckeyes that will take a lot of the weight of the offense off of the shoulders of Stroud.

Master Teague will be returning for his final season with the Buckeyes after a relatively disappointing and injury-riddled season last year.

Also, Stroud will have a number one receiver in Chris Olave returning for his senior season. This will give Stroud a reliable target that he can lean on while he is getting adjusted at playing football against such a high level of competition.