Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud Separating Himself Quarterback Competition

Head coach Ryan Day is not quite ready to name Stroud the Buckeyes' starter, though.

Although he’s not quite ready to name him the starter, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day acknowledged on Monday that redshirt freshman C.J. Stroud is beginning to separate himself in the Buckeyes’ ongoing quarterback competition.

"We're not going to name a starter today," Day said on Monday morning, “but I think there has been a little bit of  separation. I think that C.J. has kind of separated here over the last couple of weeks.

"I don't now how much, but every day, he's taking care of the football, he's making plays, he's being accurate with the football, he's being a leader and he's moving the team down the field and scoring touchdowns. Those are all things we're looking for."

The 6-foot-3 and 218-pound Stroud, a former four-star prospect from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., has competed this spring and fall with classmate Jack Miller and true freshman Kyle McCord for the starting job.

None of the three signal-callers have thrown a collegiate pass, though Stroud did have a 48-yard touchdown run in the win at Michigan State last fall. He also briefly replaced former quarterback Justin Fields when he went down with an injury in the Sugar Bowl victory over Clemson.

“I don’t think it was one point,” Day said. “It was the body of work over 26 practices. Our first game is around the corner and we have to start making some decisions.”

Day also noted that Stroud will take more of the first-team reps moving forward, but they’ll continue to spread opportunities among Miller, McCord and freshman Quinn Ewers, who practiced with the Buckeyes for the first time on Monday.

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