Ohio State Buckeyes: Quarterbacks say all the right things on eve of training camp

“We’re all brothers,” said C.J. Stroud, the perceived leader as the preseason gets underway this morning. “We all love each other.”

Fellow redshirt freshman Jack Miller III sounded much the same.

“We all push each other every single day, and I think that’s how you get the best out of each other in a competition like this with guys that are just as good as you,” Miller said.

The youngest of the trio, true freshman Kyle McCord, got the message, too.

“I definitely feel like we all thrive off each other, and the competition is bringing out the best in all of us,” McCord said. “Coming in, I didn’t really know how the room was going to be, but they took me under their wing right away so it was a good deal.”

While two players vying for a quarterback job can be hectic enough, three’s a crowd — and it is expected to become four soon.

That’s because Quinn Ewers of Southlake (Texas) Carroll announced Monday he is finishing work toward his high school degree and skipping his senior season to enroll at Ohio State.

The No. 1-ranked overall player in the class of 2022 is expected to be eligible right away, though the school had not announced his addition to the roster as of press time.

That made Tuesday a little tricky as he was not to be addressed by name, but everyone present was aware of the situation.

None of the three expressed concern, though Miller conceded the situation it creates is unique.

“You come to Ohio State to be in that room with the best guys in the country, so now we’re doing it,” he said.

Perhaps getting a jump on work toward an advanced degree in media relations, the Arizona native also deftly handled a question about whether or not there can be too many talented quarterbacks on one team at a time.

“In my opinion there isn’t,” he said. “I’m sure other people might have theirs, but I like competition, and I like going at it every single day. It’s definitely something I enjoy.”

If anyone had a right to be put off by the situation, it would be Miller. He committed more than three years ago and has never wavered as Day continued to collect talent.

First came the National Signing Day addition of Stroud, a late-rising recruit from California who signed with Miller in December 2019 even though Miller had committed not one but two summers earlier.

They spent the last year as co-understudies to Justin Fields, who was taken in the first round of the NFL Draft in April by the Chicago Bears, and McCord joined the team earlier this year in time to go through spring practice.

“I knew exactly what it was going to be when I came in, so I came in with that mindset nothing is going to be given to me,” said McCord, a five-star prospect from Philadelphia St. Joseph’s. “Everything has to be earned. I’m at the same place mentally as when I came in. It’s been a challenge at some points, but I feel like I’m very dialed in.”

Of course, the man who has to ultimately deal with the situation is head coach Ryan Day. He made a brief appearance after the players headed back to the locker room and continued to keep his cards close to the vest.

Day has avoided giving much impression about his view of the race since it started, though Stroud has been considered the frontrunner because he briefly relieved Fields when the starter was injured in the Sugar Bowl against Clemson.

Day couldn’t talk about the Ewers situation directly, but he indicated the sweat equity the other three gained since January will not be forgotten.

“First off, there’s a lot of hard work that’s been put in by these guys over the last 11 weeks,” Day said, referring to the period that followed the spring game. “I know there’s been a lot of talk in the media, but this is about this team. This team has worked hard this summer to create leadership and get ready to play in this first game, so they’re just excited to get back to work tomorrow. I certainly know you’ve got to ask that type of question, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. Right now the focus is on this team and practice No. 1 tomorrow.”

Day reiterated a message delivered during Big Ten Media Days: The race won’t necessarily be over once a starter for the opener against Minnesota has been named.

“In order for us to win championships and get to where we want to get to, that room has to be strong,” Day said. “They’ve all put themselves in a great position. The way we look at it, this is really practice No. 16 tomorrow. There have already been 15 practices leading up to now, and then they’re going to continue to compete. I’m really proud of where they’re at physically. I’m proud of where they’re at in terms of understanding the offense. Now we’ve got to see how we execute over the next couple of days, but there’s been a lot of good work.”