Ohio State To Put More On Quarterback C.J. Stroud’s Plate In 2022

"It is exciting going into the season having somebody who’s played a whole year under his belt.”

Unlike last spring, there’s no quarterback battle inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, as redshirt sophomore C.J. Stroud is the unquestioned starter at Ohio State following a record-setting campaign in 2021.

Stroud entered the year having never thrown a college pass, then threw for 4,435 yards and 44 touchdowns to be named a Heisman Trophy finalist and the Big Ten player, quarterback and freshman of the year. And now that he’s one of the top signal-callers in college football, the Buckeyes are ready to give him more control over the offense.

“He’s got a whole year under his belt,” head coach Ryan Day said during his first media availability of the spring on Tuesday morning. “You were kind of learning what to do, now you kind of learn why you do it. It’s just a deeper understanding of things.

“There’s Rolodex of plays under his belt, so we’re going to look at some new concepts, some things he can handle and maybe put a little more on his plate at the line of scrimmage and different things. It is exciting going into the season having somebody who’s played a whole year under his belt.”

Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson echoed those sentiments, particularly when it comes to calling audibles and protection, as those were made from the sideline last season so that Stroud wasn’t overthinking it in first year behind center.

“He can handle a lot mentally,” Wilson said. “He’s extremely gifted and talented, but he’s equally as smart and equally aware of the field. HIs ability to see and put it all together is uniquely high, so I think we can put a little more on his plate. I think Ryan has a phenomenal amount of confidence in his ability, to trust his ability to get protections and get the ball out to the right guys and not force it.

“To me, that’s exciting about maybe how good C.J. could be because you like to think about a guy who started high, but you would like to think there’s a lot more in that ceiling. I’m interested in how far we can push he and some of other guys as year two, year three veterans and make another big jump and maybe do the things that truly great teams start to become.”

While it would be easy for Stroud – or anyone entrenched as a starter, for that matter – to get complacent, the coaches are confident he’ll put in the work this spring to get better. After all, there are still areas for him to improve in order to take his game to the next level.

“I think when you dive into C.J., you realize he’s highly motivated,” Day said. “Just the way he came out and played in the Rose Bowl, you can see that he comes out with the mindset that he has something to prove every day. He does. That’s just the way he’s wired,.

“I think that’s what gives him the opportunity to be great. Is he great yet? No, he’s not, but he’s on his way there. I think it’s that approach of ‘I have to prove myself every single day.’ I think that’s just the way he was brought up, the way the things have happened in his life, and I expect him to be that way this spring and into the preseason and into next year because there’s still a lot to prove.”

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