Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans has been keeping his cards close to his chest regarding Houston's quarterback battle between C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills, but recent praise for the rookie bodes well for Stroud's Week 1 starting chances.

Stroud has been practicing exclusively with the first team for the Texans, and his head coach has come away impressed, according to Aaron Wilson of Click2Houston.com.

“With Stroud, what I’ve seen is improvement,” Ryans said. “Each day, that’s what we ask from all our players is seeking improvement and that’s what you’ve seen from him. He continues to improve and that’s good to see.”

“We’ll see when games come,” Ryans said. “That’s when you can really judge on where a guy is based on game situations. Practice is one thing, but guys have to get out and get the real competition in a game.”

While it sounds like Ryans is leaving the opportunity for incumbent starter Davis Mills to compete for the Texans quarterback job in the preseason, Stroud has received first-team reps and impressed during practice on a steady basis.

Stroud, the No.2 pick in this year's NFL Draft, was a two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year at Ohio State. Over two seasons, Stroud compiled an 85-12 touchdown-to-interception ratio and was considered one of the most NFL-ready quarterbacks in his draft class.

The Texans struggled last year with Davis Mills at the helm, ranking 31st in the NFL in scoring and total yards. Mills also led the league in interceptions with 15.

It sounds like it's only a matter of time before Stroud gets the same official QB1 designation that No.1 overall pick Bryce Young recently received with the Carolina Panthers.

But for now, C.J. Stroud earning big praise from DeMeco Ryans should have Texans fans excited about the future before the real games begin.