Ohio State Football: C.J. Stroud might run more in 2022

One of the biggest gripes that Ohio State football fans had with C.J. Stroud early in the 2021 season is the fact that he refused to run. It was like he was making a point not to be a threat with his legs. He even made a comment after about running saying he was going to make money with his arm not his legs.

That one-sided type of play hurt the Buckeyes late in the year. In fact, Stroud finished the season with negative rushing yards, mainly because of sacks. He still didn’t try to run and read-option keepers or scramble out of the pocket much at all.

There’s a chance that could change in 2022. While the Buckeyes still have a multitude of weapons around Stroud, running more with the quarterback still needs to at least be a threat. Ryan Day acknowledged this later in the year. I’m sure this is something they’ve been working on.

It won’t just help him in college either though. The NFL is moving towards having more mobile quarterbacks. I’m not saying Stroud needs to run for 100 yards every game. But I would like there to at least be a threat that he could keep the ball and get 8-10 yards sometimes.

That helps open the offense up and make it less predictable. We know that the Buckeyes need a less predictable offense. Showing he is willing to run at least four or five times a game will also show scouts his versatility as a player even if he isn’t that fast.

I wouldn’t be shocked to see Stroud keep the ball a handful of times in the opener against Notre Dame. Against a good team like that, the offense is going to have to show new wrinkles. That would certainly be something new that isn’t on tape.