And there it is. Ohio State Buckeyes star quarterback CJ Stroud has officially announced his decision to enter the 2023 NFL Draft, which means he will be leaving Ohio State football for the greener pastures in the pros.
Almost immediately, Twitter exploded with reactions to Stroud foregoing his remaining eligibility to play in college with Ohio State football.
NFL Bound! Thank you @CJ7STROUD pic.twitter.com/p3E4S1Pl8Y
— Barstool Ohio State (@BarstoolOSU) January 16, 2023
As expected, CJ Stroud has declared for the NFL Draft. He'll be the third consecutive Buckeye quarterback to be picked in the first round. https://t.co/F0fkbsTjRP
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 16, 2023
🚨 CJ Stroud has declared for the 2023 NFL Draft. https://t.co/CHIbqGhJGF
— OddsStack (@OddsStack) January 16, 2023
THE DREAM IS ALIVE pic.twitter.com/A522fEG4fw
— 🔥🪨 KC 💨💧 (@LETHALLATU) January 16, 2023
There will not be any shortage of NFL interest in CJ Stroud, whose stint with Ohio State football was a memorable one even though he was not able to lead the Buckeyes to a national championship victory. Stroud is expected to be one of the first quarterbacks to be selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, which has the Chicago Bears on the clock first.
Article Continues BelowThe Bears have another former Ohio State football quarterback as a starter in the form of Justin Fields, and it's worth speculating whether Chicago will use that pick to take a signal-caller or trade it to another QB-needy franchise. The Houston Texans will the second to pick, and they are also a team who could benefit from a young quarterback with the potential to turn the fate of the team around.
— Andrew ⚜️ (@Saint_XLI) January 16, 2023
https://twitter.com/Jordan_Reid/status/1615022139932909568
The 2023 NFL Draft quarterback class is headed by two names: CJ Stroud and Bryce Young of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Regardless of who gets picked first, both quarterbacks will have equal pressure to excel in the NFL, as they're likely to be viewed as the messiah of their respective landing spots.
In three seasons with Ohio State football, Stroud accumulated 8,123 passing yards and 85 touchdowns against only 12 interceptions.