Ohio State rookie C.J. Stroud may be 0-2 in the NFL for a bottom-of-the-league franchise but has shown he can be a starter in the league for the long haul.

The Ohio State Buckeyes have a history of having great quarterback play, especially across the past decade. The talented list is long and full of guys who were consistently top of the conference, the nation, and in Heisman contention.

Many names come to mind, from Braxton Miller and J.T Barrett, to Dwayne Haskins and Justin Fields. Fields has shown flashes, especially as a runner, but as of late has been very up and down for a struggling Chicago Bears team.

C.J. Stroud, the quarterback for the Buckeyes in 2021 and 2022, was selected 2nd overall in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans and has the potential to change the narrative surrounding Ohio State quarterback play in the NFL.

Yes, many Ohio State fans claim Joe Burrow, a top five NFL Quarterback who spent some time at Ohio State, but he only had 39 passing attempts in his career with the Buckeyes. Stroud has the build, arm, and talent to be an NFL quarterback for a long time and prove that quarterbacks can be developed and successful at the next level after attending Ohio State.

Two weeks into the 2023 NFL season, Stroud has shown early flashes that he can be the real deal, even on one of the worst teams in the league with a bad offensive line and mediocre at best weapons.

In his two years as a college starter Stroud had 8,123 passing yards, 85 touchdowns, and just 12 interceptions in 25 games as a Buckeye. He ranks second in school history in both passing yards and passing touchdowns, a tremendous feat at such a historically successful football school.

Stroud’s first game in the pros was up and down but a solid start as he faced a good Baltimore Ravens defense on the road. He finished 28/44 good for a 63.6 completion percentage, with 242 passing yards and 20 rushing yards. He did not find the endzone but also did not throw an interception.

In week two, a home game against the Indianapolis Colts, Stroud entered the game with a sore shoulder and the Texans were missing four out of their five starting offensive lineman. That didn’t stop him from going 30/47 (63.8%) through the air for 384 passing yards and two touchdowns to Nico Collins and Tank Dell. He has gotten sacked 11 times through two games and has taken some hits, but has shown tremendous toughness, throwing power, and the ability to take challenges head on in the league.

With security at the position, young wideouts and a running back growing into their roles, and an offensive line only going to get healthier (and can’t get much worse), Buckeye fans should be excited and proud of Stroud, who exemplifies being a Buckeye as well as anyone.