Former Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud To Start Preseason Game For Houston Texans

C.J. Stroud could be named the Texans' starting quarterback following Thursday's performance in Foxborough.

C.J. Stroud is getting his first crack at running an NFL-style offense on Thursday night. And it could end the debate on which gunslinger is actually leading the race for the Houston Texans. 

First-year Texans coach DeMeco Ryans announced Stroud would start Thursday's preseason game against the New England Patriots. Since Friday, Stroud, the No. 2 pick in April's draft, has taken all the first-team reps during training camp practice. 

“But everybody will get reps,” Ryans told NFL Network. “And once we come back, we’ll watch it and see where guys are.” 

The news was expected after the former Ohio State quarterback's growth with the offense. Since taking over as the primary signal-caller with the first unit, the former Buckeye has built a rapport with the receivers, finding a balance between quick throws and deep shots downfield. 

"Stroud is doing a great job, and he’s improving just like we asked all of our guys," Ryans told the local media Friday. "When it comes to development and what do you expect from training camp – what do I expect from camp? I expect everybody to be better than they were the day before. That’s the main that I’m seeing out of a lot of guys, and today it was really nice to see new guys stepping up and making plays." 

First-round picks often are expected to eventually take over as the full-time starter before the end of their rookie season. When training camp broke, Stroud evenly split reps with third-year passer Davis Mills. 

Mills, who started 26 games over the previous two seasons, is likely viewed as the "safety net" behind Stroud barring injury or regression in practice. But with Stroud's development in the huddle and knowledge of the playbook, he could be relegated to the No. 2 role moving closer to the regular season. 

Ryans, a former Pro Bowl linebacker for the AFC South franchise, mentioned that while Stroud has progressed in reps against teammates, he needs to see it against an opponent before naming a starter. 

"That's when you can really judge on where a guy is based on game situations," Ryans said Saturday of evaluating Stroud. "Practice is one thing, but guys have to get out and get the real competition in a game."

During his two seasons as Ohio State's starter, Stroud threw for over 8,100 yards and 85 touchdowns against 12 interceptions while completing 69.3 percent of his throws. He finished 22-4 as a starter and led the Buckeyes to a College Football Playoff berth while being named a Heisman finalist in both 2021 and 2022. 

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