Tag: C.J. Stroud

Jun 14, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) drops back to throw during the Texans minicamp at the Houston Texans Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Texans, QB C.J. Stroud agree to $36.3M rookie contract

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Houston Texans and No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud reportedly reached agreement on a fully guaranteed four-year, $36.3 million rookie contract on Monday.

The quarterback receives his entire $23.38 million signing bonus up front, according to multiple reports.

No. 1 overall pick and fellow quarterback Bryce Young signed his rookie deal Saturday with the Carolina Panthers for $37.95 million, including a $24.6 million signing bonus.

Stroud, 21, finished third in the 2022 Heisman Trophy voting after passing for 3,688 yards with 41 touchdowns and six interceptions in 13 games for Ohio State.

Stroud will be competing with incumbent starter Davis Mills for the QB1 role in Houston when training camp opens on Wednesday.

–Field Level Media

Jan 8, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills (10) drops back to pass the ball in the first quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Texans: Open competition between QBs C.J. Stroud, Davis Mills

Posted on | by Field Level Media

A notable training camp battle is already brewing in Houston where new head coach DeMeco Ryans said the role of QB1 will be decided via open competition between Davis Mills and rookie C.J. Stroud.

It’s the third-round pick in 2021 (Mills) vs. the No. 2 overall pick in 2023 (Stroud).

“We’ll see where their process goes in training camp and see as the competition continues,” Ryans said Tuesday. “We’ll see who separates themselves.”

Tuesday was Day 1 of the Texans’ mandatory minicamp.

Stroud and Mills have rotated reps with the first team all throughout the offseason program, from OTAs to this week’s minicamp. Stroud ran the first team Tuesday because it was his turn.

“They’ve been rotating each week,” Ryans said. “As you guys came to practice, you’ve seen we’ve rotated those guys each week, and this just happened to be the week that C.J. was running with the ones.”

Mills, 24, has a track record, albeit on a losing team — he’s 5-19-1 as the Texans’ starter the past two seasons, under two different head coaches and offensive schemes. He’s thrown for 5,782 yards and 33 touchdowns against 25 interceptions in 28 games overall.

Stroud, 21, meanwhile, continues to learn the pro game.

“The best thing I’ve seen about C.J. with his improvement and his growth is he doesn’t make the same mistake twice,” Ryans said. “He learns from his mistakes, he puts those behind them, and he finds a way to continue to improve and get better.”

–Field Level Media

Dec 31, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) passes the ball against the Georgia Bulldogs during the third quarter of the 2022 Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud declares for NFL draft

Posted on | by Field Level Media

C.J. Stroud is turning pro.

The Ohio State quarterback declared for the 2023 NFL Draft on Monday, all but cementing his name being called in the top five in April. Monday is the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft

Field Level Media ranks Stroud as the No. 5 overall prospect in this year’s draft and the No. 3 quarterback behind Alabama’s Bryce Young and Kentucky’s Will Levis.

“This process has been difficult, and the decision, one of the hardest I’ve ever had to make. 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,” Stroud wrote, in part, in a Twitter post.

Stroud finished the regular season with 3,340 passing yards and 37 touchdowns against six interceptions, making him a Heisman finalist for the second consecutive year. He threw for 348 yards and four TDs in the College Football Playoff semifinals against Georgia on Dec. 31, a 42-41 loss to eventual champion Georgia.

Stroud, 21, cashed in big with NIL deals. He said in June he is driving a $200,000 Mercedes SUV as part of a deal with a Columbus, Ohio, dealership and signed a three-year, $1.4 million deal with GT Sports Marketing.

The Southern California native finishes his Ohio State career with 8,123 yards, 85 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 25 games (21-4) as a starter. He was a two-time Big Ten offensive player of the year and the first quarterback in conference history to have back-to-back seasons with 30 or more touchdown passes.

–Field Level Media

Dec 10, 2022; New York, NY, USA; Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams speaks to the media during a press conference in the Astor Ballroom at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York, NY, before the 2022 Heisman Trophy award ceremony. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

USC QB Caleb Williams wins 2022 Heisman Trophy

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Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams was named the 2022 winner of the Heisman Trophy in New York Saturday night.

The 88th winner in the award’s history earning 544 first-place votes, Williams threw for 4,075 yards with 37 touchdowns for the 11-2 Trojans. He also rushed for 372 yards and 10 touchdowns, throwing just four interceptions as the Trojans went 8-1 in the Pac-12.

Williams and USC will face Tulane in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2.

“This is really awesome to be up here,” Williams said. “To now be a part of this historic fraternity is truly an honor and something I will cherish for the rest of my life.”

The four finalists, all named Monday, were all quarterbacks: Georgia’s Stetson Bennett, TCU’s Max Duggan, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Williams.

Williams entered the evening as the runaway favorite for the award, despite being the only finalist to miss the College Football Playoff.

“Guess you can’t win them all,” Williams quipped.

Still, all four finalists led their respective teams to a current top-10 ranking, with Williams emerging as a frontrunner due to his propensity for electric plays.

In his acceptance speech, Williams made a point to thank each of his individual offensive linemen, who were all in attendance at the ceremony.

“It is important to surround yourself with a good team, and good people you can trust,” he said, as he also thanked family and former coaches and teammates.

Williams had 2,031 total points in winning the award. Finishing second in the voting was Duggan, who nabbed 1,420 points.

Duggan, who began the year as a backup, helped lead No. 3 TCU to a perfect regular-season record and a berth in the CFP, throwing for 3,321 yards with 30 touchdowns against four interceptions. He also memorably led the Horned Frogs back against Kansas State fighting through exhaustion in an eventual overtime loss in the Big 12 championship game.

Stroud, who finished third with 539 points, entered the season as the favorite for the award. He helped the No. 4 Buckeyes make the Playoff by throwing for 3,340 yards with 37 touchdowns against just six picks.

Finishing fourth was Bennett (349 points), who leads the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs (13-0, 8-0 Southeastern Conference). He’ll look to grab a second straight national title after throwing for 3,425 yards and 20 TDs.

Ohio State (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten) will face Georgia in the Peach Bowl Dec. 31 to determine who secures a spot in the CFP title game.

TCU (12-1, 9-0 Big 12) will face No. 2 Michigan on Dec. 31 in the other CFP semifinal.

The rest of the top ten vote-getters included Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker, Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, Michigan running back Blake Corum, Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., Texas running back Bijan Robinson and North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye.

–Field Level Media

Dec 2, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) throws against the Utah Utes during the second half in the PAC-12 Football Championship at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

C.J. Stroud, Caleb Williams among four QBs named Heisman finalists

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Georgia’s Stetson Bennett, TCU’s Max Duggan, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Southern California’s Caleb Williams were named finalists for the Heisman Trophy on Monday.

The winner will be announced Saturday in New York.

All four quarterbacks led their respective teams to a top-10 ranking this season, and Bennett, Duggan and Stroud will be playing in the College Football Playoff.

Williams, the only finalist to miss the CFP, is the favorite to take home the award after throwing for 4,075 yards with 37 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also rushed for 372 yards and 10 TDs as the No. 10 Trojans went 11-2 (8-1 Pac-12). USC will face Tulane in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2.

The top-ranked Bulldogs (13-0, 8-0 Southeastern Conference) will look to claim back-to-back national championships behind Bennett, who threw for 3,425 yards, 20 TDs and six interceptions.

After entering the season as the favorite to win the Heisman, Stroud finished with 3,340 passing yards with 37 touchdowns against six interceptions. The No. 4 Buckeyes (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten) will face Georgia in the Peach Bowl Dec. 31 to determine who secures a spot in the CFP title game.

Duggan helped No. 3 TCU exceed expectations, as the Horned Frogs went 12-1 with a perfect 9-0 record in Big 12 play before losing in the Big 12 championship game. Duggan threw for 3,321 yards, 30 TDs and four interceptions. He also found the end zone six times on the ground.

The Frogs face No. 2 Michigan on Dec. 31 in the other CFP semifinal.

Notable players who weren’t invited to New York included Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, who was gunning for his second straight Heisman, and Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker, who led the Volunteers to a brief stay at No. 1 in the CFP rankings but saw his dynamic season cut short in November when he tore his ACL.

–Field Level Media

Dec 4, 2021; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young (9) gestures prior to the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Bryce Young favored to claim Alabama’s first Heisman at QB

Posted on | by Field Level Media

An Alabama quarterback has never won the coveted Heisman Trophy.

Bryce Young has become very aware of that fact in recent days and the sophomore is the favorite to become the first when the Heisman is handed out on Saturday in New York.

The other finalists are Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett and Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Young had a fabulous season and guided Alabama to the No. 1 seed in the upcoming College Football Playoff. The first-year starter has a solid chance at ending the drought when the winner is announced.

“It’s something I don’t take for granted,” Young said earlier this week. “To even get an opportunity to go after an accomplishment like this, I’m truly grateful to be in the position that I am.”

The Crimson Tide have had some recent quarterback close calls with AJ McCarron (2013) and Tua Tagovailoa (2018) finishing second, and Mac Jones (2020) finishing third. Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith won the award last season.

Young has thrown for 4,322 yards and 40 touchdowns against just four interceptions. His last showing certainly resonated with voters as he threw for 421 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-24 win over then-No. 1 Georgia in the SEC title game.

The candidacy of Hutchinson has flourished late in the season due to three-sack efforts against Penn State and Ohio State and leading the 42-3 steamrolling of Iowa in the Big Ten title game.

Hutchinson fractured an ankle 13 months ago or he otherwise might have been off to the NFL. Instead, he returned and has etched his name into Michigan lore with a school-record 14 sacks and overall tenacious play.

The biggest hurdle for Hutchinson is that only one primarily defensive player has won the award. Of course, Michigan claims that player in 1997 winner Charles Woodson.

The last defensive player to finish in the Top 3 was Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o (second in 2012). Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh only finished fourth despite a monster season in 2009. Also of note is that Pitt defensive end Hugh Green finished second in 1980 after terrorizing opponents.

But Michigan’s appearance in the CFP for the first time also might earn Hutchinson more votes.

“There’s no question that we’re not in the position that we’re in today without Aidan Hutchison,” Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh said.

Pickett also made a strong late-season push and has surpassed some big records along the way while helping the Panthers win the ACC title.

He set school career marks of 12,303 yards and 81 touchdowns — the latter stood for 39 years after being set by legendary Dan Marino. His 42 passing touchdowns this season broke the ACC mark of 41 set by Clemson’s Deshaun Watson in 2016.

Pickett considered leaving for the NFL after last season but wasn’t thrilled with draft projections. Now he is looked at as a high pick in the first round.

Pickett, who passed for 4,319 yards and seven interceptions, also is looking to join running back Tony Dorsett (1976) as the school’s lone Heisman winner.

“It is an incredible honor to be named a Heisman Trophy finalist,” Pickett said. “I’m so proud to represent our university this weekend in New York City. This honor is about our entire program and all of my teammates and coaches. Just like our ACC Championship, we did this together.”

Stroud also is a first-year starter and passed for 3,862 yards, 38 touchdowns and five interceptions for an Ohio State squad that led the nation in scoring (45.5 points per game) and total offense (551.4 yards per game).

He topped 400 passing yards on four occasions and was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.

“It’s really cool. It’s a blessing,” Stroud told reporters Wednesday of being a finalist. “I never knew it would be this, honestly. I’m just truly blessed and blessed to be around these great people. “I love my teammates to death. Without them, I wouldn’t be here.”

Among the players who didn’t receive an invitation were Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral (20 passing touchdowns, 11 rushing), Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III (second nationally with 1,636 rushing yards) and Alabama linebacker Will Anderson (nation-leading 15.5 sacks).

–Field Level Media

Dec 4, 2021; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young (9) passes against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Heisman finalists: Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Kenny Pickett, Aidan Hutchinson

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud, Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett and Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson were named finalists for the Heisman Trophy on Monday and will attend the presentation ceremony Saturday in New York.

Young led the perennial power Crimson Tide to the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff with their win over Georgia in the SEC championship game Saturday. Young amassed 461 total yards in the game (421 passing) to set an SEC title game record.

Young ranks fourth in Division I in passing yards (4,322) and second in passing touchdowns (43) while throwing only four interceptions.

Stroud led the Buckeyes to a 10-2 record and a berth in the Rose Bowl. The redshirt freshman has totaled 3,862 passing yards, 38 touchdowns and five interceptions in 12 games.

Pickett burst onto the national scene in his senior season, throwing multiple touchdown passes in every game and leading Pitt to its first ACC championship. He ranks fifth in the nation in passing yards (4,319) and third in passing touchdowns (42), nearly identical numbers to Young.

Hutchinson set a program record with 14 sacks and helped the Wolverines win their first Big Ten title since 2004, locking up their first CFP appearance as well. Hutchinson won the Big Ten Championship Game MVP award Saturday when he recorded four tackles, one sack and seven quarterback pressures in a 42-3 beatdown of Iowa.

Hutchinson will vie to become the second defensive player to win the Heisman, following in the path of another Michigan star, cornerback Charles Woodson, in 1997.

Missing from the list of finalists was Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III, who was thought to be a Heisman front-runner earlier in the season when he helped the Spartans to an 8-0 start and scored five touchdowns in a win over Michigan. Walker ranks second in the nation with 1,636 rushing yards.

–Field Level Media

Sep 18, 2021; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

Ohio State to sit QB C.J. Stroud (shoulder) vs. Akron

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Ohio State coach Ryan Day said quarterback C.J. Stroud will only be used in an emergency situation on Saturday against Akron due to soreness in his right shoulder.

Appearing Thursday on his weekly radio show, Day said Stroud has taken the last few days off practice to rest his injured shoulder.

Day said quarterbacks Jack Miller III and Kyle McCord will have to be ready when the 10th-ranked Buckeyes (2-1) host the Zips (1-2) in a nonconference game in Columbus.

“Kyle and Jack have done a good job, and so the plan right now is to probably — we’ll see how today goes — but probably use C.J. in somewhat of an emergency capacity on Saturday and play some of those other guys,” Day said on 97.1 The Fan in Columbus.

Stroud, a redshirt freshman, has completed 63 of 101 passes for 963 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions through three games in his first season as the Ohio State starter.

“It hurts, but life hurts,” Stroud said following last Saturday’s 41-20 win against Tulsa. “Winning is tough. I just have to grind through it.”

Miller, a redshirt freshman, appeared in two games last season, scoring on a 21-yard run in a win against Nebraska. McCord, a true freshman and a five-star recruit in the Class of 2021, has not yet appeared in a game.

–Field Level Media

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) jogs during warm-ups for football training camp at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center in Columbus on Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021. Ohio State Football Training Camp

C.J. Stroud named Ohio State starting quarterback

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C.J. Stroud will start at quarterback for Ohio State when the Buckeyes open the season Sept. 2 at Minnesota.

Coach Ryan Day made the announcement Saturday morning. He’d been mostly tight-lipped during summer practices as Stroud battled for the position with fellow redshirt freshman Jack Miller and freshman Kyle McCord.

Stroud, a 6-foot-3 Southern Californian, was the No. 2 pro-style QB prospect in the Class of 2020, per the 247Sports composite. Miller, from Scottsdale, Ariz., was ranked No. 13 in the same class.

McCord, a five-star prospect from Mount Laurel, N.J., was the No. 6-ranked quarterback in the 2021 class.

Stroud appeared in three games in the abbreviated 2020 season, backing up Justin Fields. His season highlight was a 48-yard rushing touchdown against Michigan State.

In the spring game, he completed 16 of 22 pass attempts for 185 yards and two touchdowns.

Miller also had a rushing touchdown last season, scoring on a 2-yard run against Nebraska.

–Field Level Media