For years Ohio State quarterbacks have faced disappointment and unmet expectations when transitioning from college to the high expectations of the NFL. Despite a high-powered nationally-ranked program, Ohio State has failed at seeing their marquee signal callers succeed at the professional level.
Yet Houston Texans rookie C.J. Stroud may be changing that, putting to end the talk of a curse or a weakness in a program always in the national title hunt.
Why do so many talented young men shine as Buckeyes yet fail to transition to the NFL over the past 40 years? Some call it a curse and others say it’s just Ohio State isn’t good at producing quarterbacks. Whatever the reason, Stroud is making people perhaps change their view that his alma mater isn’t capable of birthing an NFL star.
C.J. Stroud enters MVP chat amidst the curse narrative
Ohio State rookie C.J. Stroud has taken the NFL by storm this season. Bringing a combination of football and leadership skills far beyond his years, the Texans’ first-round pick in 2023 is distinguishing himself from other young quarterbacks around the NFL. His precision, decision-making abilities and leadership qualities have already made an impact in his rookie season. Stroud simply doesn’t act or play like a rookie.
While he may have all the football intelligence in the world, is it all leading to results on the field? You bet it is.
Consider these eye-popping statistics in just one-half of his rookie season: Stroud has broken the NFL rookie record by throwing 470 yards in a single game and achieved the highest passer rating (147.8) ever recorded by a rookie quarterback. He has now joined a group of players that includes legends such as Peyton Manning and Y.A. Tittle as only the sixth player to accumulate over 450 yards and five touchdowns without throwing any interceptions in a game.
Additionally, Stroud leads the league with a touchdown to interception ratio of 15:2 and he has also set a new NFL record, for the most pass attempts (191) without throwing an interception at the start of his career.
Stroud is fresh off an impressive come-from-behind 30-27 win against the Cincinnati Bengals this weekend where he went toe-to-toe with Joe Burrow and topped him. Stroud threw for 356 yards and completed 23-of-39 passes with one touchdown in the air and one on the ground. Stroud even overcame a late-game interception, just his second thrown turnover of the season, that could have allowed the Bengals to take the lead late.
NFL analyst and talk show host Rich Eisen has already given the title of best rookie QB of the season to Stroud. In high praise, Eisen acknowledged recently he believes, without question, Stroud is the best rookie quarterback in the NFL.
“This fight is over, unless (Chicago Bears’) Tyson Bagent or (Las Vegas Raiders’) Aidan O’Connell make a run, which I doubt it,” Eisen said on his The Rich Eisen Show. “Stroud has the Texans in position to threaten in their division. This fight is over and it’s due to C.J. Stroud looking the part, showing his heart and his ability.”
The consensus so far through one half of his first season is that Stroud is simply a generational talent. While he is proving to be a poised and successful pro, he’s not the first to be hyped coming out of Columbus.
Recent hopes for Buckeye quarterbacks in the NFL dashed
Currently the top-ranked college football team in the national championship hunt, Ohio State has been known for producing NFL players at almost every position. In recent years, we have seen the Buckeyes flourish at the next level. Players like wide receivers Mike Thomas, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Curtis Samuel, defensive stars Nick Bosa, Jeff Okudah, Chase Young and Sam Hubbard just to name a few.
But for all that success with placing impact players at the NFL level, this success hasn’t extended to their quarterbacks. Despite 12 quarterbacks being drafted into the NFL from Ohio State since 1980, none have been able to make a lasting impact that equaled the level of success seen at the college level.
Since 2011, Ohio State has produced five quarterbacks who were drafted into the NFL. Their combined record: 13-39.
Two recent examples that highlight the struggle of Ohio State quarterbacks and why the talk of a curse for Buckeye signal-callers still persists are the struggles of Dwayne Haskins and Justin Fields.
Haskins was a Heisman Trophy finalist and a first round pick of the Washington Commanders in the 2019 NFL Draft, going 15th overall. Haskins started just 13 games in his career passing for just 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions and for just 2,800 yards passing in his brief career. Failing to find success with the Commanders, he was 3-10 during his short tenure and the team released him after two seasons. Haskins was attempting a comeback in 2021 with the Pittsburgh Steelers when he was killed in an accident on a Florida highway.
The other example, Justin Fields, is another highly regarded Ohio State quarterback drafted in the first round by the Chicago Bears in 2021. Fields, who was both a Big Ten Player of the Year and a Heisman finalist, brought with his selection a lot of anticipation and optimism.
In 33 games as a pro, Fields has a 6-25 record and has passed for over 5,300 yards with more touchdowns (35) than interceptions (27) but has struggled with consistency and confidently running an NFL offense.
Former Chicago Bears director of player personnel Josh Lucas said Fields’ struggles aren’t fatal, offering hope he, too, could be an Ohio State success story in the NFL.
“It looks extremely fixable,” Lucas told The Athletic earlier this season. “He needs to be more confident. And to me, he’s just not very confident yet. But it’s got to get better each week going forward. It doesn’t look to me like a guy that can’t play the position.”
Reflecting on the longer history of Buckeye quarterbacks in the NFL reveals names like Art Schlichter, selected fourth overall in 1982, and Troy Smith, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2006. Both had promising beginnings and then struggled to transfer their skills to the NFL. Another Ohio State quarterback, Terrelle Pryor, a third-round pick of the Oakland Raiders in 2011, found his niche as a receiver rather than continuing as a quarterback.
Mike Tomczak stands out as an exception among Ohio State quarterbacks in terms of success in the NFL. Tomczak was an undrafted free agent who went on to have a 15 season career after signing with the Chicago Bears out of college and finished his career with a winning record (42-31) and appeared in over 185 games.
C.J. Stroud is redefining narrative about Ohio State QBs in the NFL
Stroud’s early accomplishments in the NFL are not just impressive, they are reshaping the perception of Ohio State quarterbacks at the next level — for now.
Ohio State’s reputation for its lack of producing successful NFL quarterbacks has been well documented and the years are littered with examples of talented college stars who just couldn’t make it in the league. But now, Stroud’s rise to prominence is an indication that this supposed curse is perhaps vanquished. While he was chosen as the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft largely due to Bryce Young’s Heisman victory and Alabama’s recent national pedigree, there was no denying Stroud’s inherent talent which could have easily made him the top pick.
I recall talking extensively about Stroud in the pre-draft months on my radio show and podcast. Whenever someone would mention this Ohio State quarterback slight, I would simply respond you scout the player, not the helmet. The fact remains in today’s college football nomenclature, programs are no longer position factories. Okay, maybe Iowa is still “Tight End U,” but there are no quarterback factories.
When compared to Ohio State quarterbacks of the past four decades, Stroud stands out prominently. His journey with the Texans goes beyond setting records, it aims to dismantle long standing stereotypes surrounding Buckeyes quarterbacks in the NFL.
His rapid ascent raises a question: Does Stroud’s success signal a new era for Ohio State quarterbacks in the NFL? Or will he be an outlier? Consistency and repetition will be paramount if Stroud is to build a remarkable career off of his unprecedented start.
If Stroud continues on his path, perhaps talks of a curse and quarterbacks from Ohio State might just be put to rest once and for all.