Ohio State Quarterback C.J. Stroud Says Georgia Finished Second In His Recruitment

"It was close, but I’m glad where I went and I’ll ride with that until I die."

Less than a month before C.J. Stroud signed with Ohio State, the former four-star quarterback from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., took an official visit to Georgia. He also welcomed Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart for an in-home visit, which made things interesting for the Buckeyes down the stretch.

“They were very respectful and I enjoyed my time up there,” Stroud said during his media availability on Tuesday. “They were second in my recruitment, but I feel I made the right decision to come to Ohio State. It was close, but I’m glad where I went and I’ll ride with that until I die.”

Smart, running backs coach/area recruiter Dell McGee and former offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach James Coley conducted that in-home visit with Stroud and his mother, and even though he ended up signing with Ohio State in the class of 2020, the visit left a lasting impression on Georgia's staff.

“I loved his mom, man. What a tremendous woman. She’s awesome,” Smart said on Monday. “Went all the way across the country and got to sit in his home and visit with him. He has a really good disposition about him. He’s not real high, not real low, not real emotional. He keeps a really level head, which to me – at quarterback – is the No. 1 quality you can find.

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“He came on a visit to our place, as well, and got to see him at the Heisman. He’s just matured. To see him grow, he’s always had tremendous arm strength and touch and velocity on throws, but he’s become a complete quarterback there in their system.”

As Smart mentioned, the two reconnected at the Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York City earlier this month, when Stroud – who finished third behind USC’s Caleb Williams and TCU’s Max Duggan – was joined by Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett, who finished fourth.

“He’s a good dude, definitely a great coach, so nothing but respect from both sides,” Stroud said. “It’s kind of come around full 360 to be playing them now, so I’m excited to do that.”

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