Spring football is here.
After a roller coaster of a 2021 season, from the highest of highs at the Rose Bowl to the lowest of lows at home against Oregon and in Ann Arbor against Michigan, Ohio State is back on the practice field with high expectations once again.
In the weeks leading up to the spring game, we'll break down the roster, going position-by-position to see who's back for another season, who the Buckeyes lost and what the expectations will be heading into the Buckeyes' season opener Sept. 3 against Notre Dame.
Today, we take a look at Ohio State's quarterbacks.
2021 recapÂ
Ohio State didn't have a set quarterback heading into 2021.
With Justin Fields' departure to the NFL, the Buckeyes' quarterback room didn't have a single option that had ever thrown a collegiate pass: true freshmen Kyle McCord and Quinn Ewers, walk-ons J.P. Andrade and Jagger LaRoe and redshirt freshmen Jack Miller III and C.J. Stroud, who only had one 48-yard rushing touchdown in his career.
When Stroud was named the starter at quarterback, he began what statistically became one of the best at the position in Ohio State history, breaking school records for both completion percentage (71.9) and passer rating (181.4), coming within 396 yards of the Buckeyes' single-season passing yards record and six touchdowns away from the most passing touchdowns in a single season in two less games than the records Dwayne Haskins set in 2018.
He capped off his first season as a starter with a bang.
In his first appearance after being named as a Heisman finalist and finishing fourth, Stroud broke school and Rose Bowl records alike with his six-touchdown and 573-yard performance against Utah — the first Ohio State quarterback ever to eclipse 500 yards passing in a single game.
2022 outlookÂ
Departing: J.P Andrade, Jagger LaRoe, Jack Miller III, Quinn EwersÂ
After Stroud took control of the room in 2021, Ohio State saw a lot of movement with other quarterbacks.
Miller was the first to leave the room, announcing his entrance into the transfer portal the Sunday after the Buckeyes' loss to Michigan with only 14 pass attempts to his name, followed days later by Ewers, the No. 1 prospect in the 2021 class, who only attempted handoffs in his one appearance of the season in the final home game against Michigan State after reclassifying from the 2022 class.
Andrade and LaRoe, both walk-ons, entered the transfer portal after the season, leaving Ohio State with only three scholarship quarterbacks heading into 2022.
Returning: C.J. Stroud, Kyle McCordÂ
Despite losing Andrade, LaRoe, Miller and Ewers to the transfer portal, the Buckeyes return their No. 1 and No. 2 quarterbacks in 2022.
Stroud returns as the leader of the depth chart, looking to follow up his record-breaking freshman campaign with another Heisman finalist-type performance.
McCord, a former four-star quarterback, returns as Stroud's backup, starting one game for the redshirt freshman against Akron where he completed 13-of-18 passes for 319 yards and the first two touchdowns of his collegiate career, ending the season with a 65.8% completion rate and 416 passing yards through five games.
Incoming: Devin Brown, Chad Ray, Mason MaggsÂ
Returning only two scholarship players at the quarterback position, Devin Brown is the reason why Ohio State seems to feel comfortable with what it has at the premier position on offense.
The No. 4 quarterback in his class, the former four-star is a pro-style signal caller, who fits in the trend of quarterbacks head coach Ryan Day usually likes to mold, using his arm rather than his legs to move the ball downfield.
He's a development piece, but in a room with two other scholarship quarterbacks and two walk-ons coming in to fill out the room a bit, Brown will likely see playing time in up to four games before he redshirts his first season.
Projected starter: C.J. StroudÂ
There's no question here.
After a record-breaking redshirt freshman season, Stroud is returning to Ohio State with more to prove, fueled by his fourth-place finish in the Heisman race and falling to Michigan in the final regular season game, keeping the Buckeyes out of the College Football Playoff.
Throwing at Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave's Pro Day, Stroud joked that the practice session would help him feel prepared for when he would participate in his own at this time next year.
For a quarterback who came in with no expectations in 2021 and ended leading one of the country's top offenses, Stroud has all of the expectations to not only repeat that, but exceed it in 2022.
Spring practice storyline to watch
All eyes are on 2023.
With 2022 being likely Stroud's final season of college football — as pressure continues to build for him to lead the Buckeyes to a national title — the competition between Brown and McCord next spring and summer already seems to be looming.
With McCord solidified as the heir apparent to Stroud once he leaves heading into the spring, will Brown's talent and development over the course of his freshman season change that thinking heading into 2023?
