C.J. Stroud enters this NFL season carrying more than the usual quarterback pressure.
He is not just trying to steady his own career after a rocky stretch since his rookie year. He is also trying to push back against a long-running problem for Ohio State: the Buckeyes have produced plenty of NFL talent, but quarterback has been the stubborn exception.
Stroud looked like the answer right away. His rookie season with the Texans changed the conversation in a hurry, as he led Houston to the AFC South title and a home playoff win while looking like a franchise quarterback in the making. For a moment, he seemed ready to knock down the old OSU quarterback narrative for good.
That momentum has faded. Since then, Stroud has not matched the expectations that came with that breakout year, and the public view has shifted with it. He went from being one of the league’s bright young stars to being seen by some as the main reason Houston has stalled.
That is why this season matters so much. Stroud is effectively playing for his place in the short-term future of a Super Bowl-caliber team, but the stakes go beyond Houston. He is also trying to help repair the reputation of Ohio State quarterbacks in the NFL, something he has not really done since that rookie surge.
The numbers behind the Buckeyes’ quarterback track record are rough. Since 1971, only one of the 17 Ohio State quarterbacks drafted has made a Pro Bowl, and that was Stroud. He was selected as a replacement for the Pro Bowl games because Patrick Mahomes played in Super Bowl 58.
That wrinkle does not erase Stroud’s achievement, but it does show how thin the list is. Without that replacement selection, schools like Northern Iowa, Morehead State, and Alcorn State would have more Pro Bowl quarterbacks than Ohio State.
The Buckeyes have also had four quarterbacks go in the first round, and the names before Stroud tell the story. Art Schlichter, Dwayne Haskins and Justin Fields all came before him, and none has come close to matching what Stroud did as a rookie.
Schlichter is the clearest bust of the group, drafted in 1982 and out of the NFL after three seasons because of poor play and a major gambling addiction that led to his ban. Haskins, who died before his career could fully play out, cannot fairly be labeled the same way. Fields is still in the league, now entering his sixth season on his fourth team, but he has not established himself as a long-term answer and is viewed more as a short-term fix.
There is one more stat that hangs over this whole discussion: Ohio State has had only one quarterback reach a Super Bowl, and Mike Tomczak was not even the starter.
All of that is why Stroud’s season carries so much weight. Even after the regression, he remains the best quarterback product Ohio State has sent to the NFL by a wide margin. If he can get back to the level he flashed early on, it would not solve the Buckeyes’ quarterback problem overnight, but it would move the conversation in a better direction.
The Texans’ offensive setup is not perfect, but Stroud does not need to do everything himself. Their defense can carry a lot, as long as he plays smart, protects the ball and avoids the kind of collapse that saw him throw four interceptions in a playoff game. If he does that, Houston has a real path to a Super Bowl.
And beyond Houston, that matters for the next wave of Buckeye quarterbacks too. Players like Julian Sayin, Tavien St.
Clair and Luke Fahey could use some positive history at the position. Stroud has the chance to give them exactly that.
In Other News...
Former Buckeye Air Noland Is Another Quarterback Warning For Ohio State
Air Nolands path since leaving Columbus is another reminder of how quickly a quarterbacks trajectory can change once he exits Ohio States orbit. The former Buckeye transferred to South Carolina and then to Memphis, where he reportedly came up short in a competition for the starting job, a sharp turn for a player who once looked like part of the programs future.
For Ohio State, the broader lesson is less about one transfer and more about how unforgiving the position can be. Ryan Day has long been willing to use the portal to keep the room stocked, but the Buckeyes also appear to have real stability on hand with Julian Sayin and young options such as Tavien St. Clair and Luke Fahey waiting behind him. Nolands latest stop only underscores how hard it is to find the right fit, and how valuable it is when the Buckeyes do. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State's New Kicker Just Took An Important Step Forward
Connor Hawkins is moving quickly into the middle of Ohio States kicking picture after officially shedding his black stripe, the symbolic step that marks full integration into the Buckeyes program. The Baylor transfer arrives in Columbus with real experience, too, having gone 18 of 23 on field goals in his career and staying perfect on extra points last season, the kind of rsum Ohio State was hoping to add to a room where every reliable kick matters.
The timing also fits into a broader week of early-season recognition around the program, with freshmen Chris Henry Jr., Cincere Johnson and Jay Timmons all landing on the 37-player watch list for the Alexander Freshman of the Year Award. For Hawkins, though, the bigger storyline is more immediate: he has cleared an important first hurdle in establishing himself, and now the next steps will determine how soon he can turn that momentum into a meaningful role. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremiah Smith Thinks Ohio State's Next Heisman Threat Is Emerging
Jeremiah Smith enters the season carrying Heisman-level expectations of his own, but the Ohio State receiver is already looking beyond his individual spotlight. He has been vocal about freshman running back Legend Bey, a newcomer whose path has not been smooth after an injury, a team rules violation and even a temporary loss of his jersey number, all of which have made his first months in Columbus more about adjustment than hype.
Still, Beys trajectory has started to turn in a more promising direction, and Smith believes the freshmans ceiling is high enough to eventually put him in the Heisman conversation. The latest sign of progress came when Bey had his black stripe removed, a small but meaningful step that marks official Buckeye status and suggests Ohio State sees him moving in the right direction, even if the bigger payoff is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]