Since the end of last season, he has been projected as a top 10 or better pick in the 2023 draft, but speculation arose over the past few days he might consider another year at Ohio State, particularly in the new world in which college athletes can make large sums of money off their name, image and likeness while in school.
Proverbs 3:5,6 pic.twitter.com/FdA2ftqQFJ
— CJ Stroud (@CJ7STROUD) January 16, 2023
The curiosity grew as a handful of teammates made their intentions known last week, leaving only Stroud, a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist, to confirm his.
Although the deadline to file early-entry paperwork with the NFL is Monday, players are under no obligation to announce publicly if they did so. The league publishes a list of early-entry players Jan. 20.
“The process has been difficult, and the decision, one of the hardest I’ve ever had to make,” Stroud said in the announcement posted to Twitter. “As a kid, I dreamed of playing football at the highest level and after much prayer, I’ve made the decision that it’s time to turn those dreams into a reality.”
Left tackle Paris Johnson Jr., center Luke Wypler, receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and safety Ronnie Hickman have declared they are entering the draft while linebackers Tommy Eichenberg and Steele, tight end Cade Stover and Chambers are are retuning for another year.
Right guard Matt Jones is also staying at Ohio State for a sixth season thanks to the extra year of eligibility offered to players who played through the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Although Stroud was 0-2 against Michigan and did not play in a Big Ten Championship Game as a starter, he leaves Ohio State as one of the all-time greats from a statistical standpoint.
The California native is the Big Ten’s all-time leader in pass efficiency (182.4) and the first player in conference history to throw for more than 30 touchdowns in back to back seasons.
He threw for 4,435 yards in 2021, a total that is second at Ohio State only to Dwayne Haskins’ Big Ten record 4,831 in 2018.
Stroud’s 44 touchdown passes, 317 completions and 441 pass attempts that season also trail only Haskins at Ohio State, and his 41 touchdown passes this season are tied with Justin Fields for third-most.
Stroud set the Ohio State single-season passing efficiency record (186.6) in 2021 and posted the No. 3 mark last season (177.7).
Stroud’s 3,688 passing yards last season are third in OSU history behind his 2021 season and Haskins, and he trails only J.T. Barrett in career passing yards with 8,123 (Barrett had 9,434) and completions with 575 (Barrett had 769).
Stroud is fifth in career completions at Ohio State with 830.
He also set a program and Rose Bowl record with 573 passing yards in a victory over Utah at the end of the 2021 season.
About the Author
