Ryan Day

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day announced Saturday that C.J. Stroud will be the Buckeyes' starting quarterback for their Week 1 game against Big Ten rival Minnesota on Sept. 2.

"He has separated himself with his leadership skills, accuracy," Day told reporters after Stroud competed with Jack Miller and Kyle McCord for the top spot on the QB depth chart.

Stroud became the presumptive starter after an impressive showing in OSU's spring game. He completed 14 of his 19 throws for 175 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

The Buckeyes began training camp with an open competition for the starting job, but Day made it clear Monday that Stroud was the front-runner based on his all-around performances.

"I don't know how much separation, I'm not sure, but every day he's been competing, he's been taking care of the football, making good decisions, he's been a leader," Day said. "Those are all some of the traits we've been looking for. Certainly moving the team down the field to score touchdowns is something we've been looking for."

Now the decision is official.

Stroud joined the Buckeyes out of Rancho Cucamonga High School in California as a 4-star prospect and the second-ranked pro-style quarterback in the 2020 recruiting class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.

He didn't make a major impact as a true freshman with Justin Fields, the No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears, guiding the Ohio State offense last year. That said, he did have one highlight-reel play, a 48-yard touchdown run late in a blowout win over Michigan State in December:

Stroud will be thrust right into a pressure-packed environment. His first start will come on the road against the Golden Gophers, and then the Buckeyes welcome 11th-ranked Oregon to The Horseshoe for a marquee clash in Week 2.

Although the schedule hits a lull between those two games and the heart of the Big Ten slate beginning in October, Ohio State can't afford a sluggish start if it wants to make a serious push toward a College Football Playoff berth.

Looking further ahead, Stroud's performance this season will be crucial if he wants to keep the starting spot for the remainder of his tenure because Quinn Ewers, the top-ranked quarterback in the 2022 class, recently reclassified to 2021 so he could join the Buckeyes for practice this year while also exploring NIL opportunities.

Ohio State opens the campaign as the No. 4 ranked team in the country.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said Monday that redshirt freshman C.J. Stroud is leading the Buckeyes' quarterback competition, but a decision about the Sept. 2 season opener against Minnesota hasn't been finalized.

"I don't know how much separation. I'm not sure, but every day he's been competing, he's been taking care of the football, making good decisions, he's been a leader," Day told reporters. "Those are all some of the traits we've been looking for. Certainly moving the team down the field to score touchdowns is something we've been looking for."

Stroud is battling Jack Miller and Kyle McCord to replace Justin Fields atop the OSU quarterback depth chart after Fields was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft.

Day noted the quarterbacks know where they stand heading into the final weeks of training camp, but he's stressed to all of them it'll be important to stay ready, regardless of where they stand when the campaign kicks off against the Golden Gophers.

"It's a long season, that's what I think all those guys understand and will continue to understand," he said. "We're talking about going all the way till January, so my experience is we're going to need everybody. One thing's for sure: There's going to be one starter in terms of that first play against Minnesota, and at that point, we'll see where it goes."

Stroud emerged from the Buckeyes' spring game as the favorite for the starting spot. He completed 14 of his 19 throws for 175 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, leading his squad to a 28-13 victory. 

The four-star prospect out of Rancho Cucamonga High School in California spent most of last year as a little-used reserve, but he did produce one electric play—a 48-yard touchdown run in a December blowout of Michigan State.

"I feel I can throw the ball with anyone," Stroud told reporters in early August. "I can run the ball with anyone. I feel like I'm one of the best players in the country."

Ohio State has also added Quinn Ewers, the top-ranked recruit in the 2022 class, to its practices as he's opted to skip his senior season of high school in order to enroll early to take advantage of the new name, image and likeness (NIL) rules.

Day called it a "unique situation," but he doesn't think Ewers' presence will impact this year's squad.

"It's just one of those things, we have to start embracing different situations like this, and I know our guys are going to do the same thing. They'll embrace him," Day said. "We've had high-profile guys come into the program, that happens here. He'll do a good job of working his way in, earning the respect of the team."

The Buckeyes, who ranked fourth in both the Coaches and Associated Press preseason polls, won't have much margin for error in the early going as they face Oregon (No. 11 AP, No. 12 Coaches) in Week 2 after opening against a Big Ten rival in Minnesota.

It'll increase the pressure on Stroud to make an instant impact if he holds off Miller and McCord to win the starting job.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day once again came to the defense of Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields ahead of the 2021 NFL draft:

This comes after Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported Fields has epilepsy, a neurological disorder that can cause seizures. A source told Rapoport and Pelissero that Fields was diagnosed as a youth and does not have seizures if he takes his medicine. Rapoport and Pelissero said the condition has not affected his football career to this point.

NFL teams reportedly learned he had epilepsy during the predraft process, and medical teams have already discussed treatment plans.

Bleacher Report's Scouting Department lists Fields as the No. 2 overall player in the class behind only fellow quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Fields has showcased his skill set over his past two years at Ohio State, totaling 63 passing touchdowns with only nine interceptions in 22 games. He also added 867 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns in this stretch.

Despite his obvious talent, his draft stock has seemingly dropped amid off-field question marks. There was a report about Fields' lack of work ethic, something Day called "a little reckless," per Peter King of NBC Sports.

"The whole idea that he doesn't have a very good work ethic? I mean, to me, that's crazy," Day said.

The coach clarified that Fields was often in the building early to improve his game despite the report he was the "last one in."

In March, Day offered even more praise for the quarterback who led his team to the national title game, per Adam Rittenberg of ESPN:

"Whatever they teach in terms of a scheme, he's going to pick that up very, very quickly. And he's very, very competitive. So when you combine the talent, the size, the arm strength, his competitiveness, his toughness, his intelligence, it kind of checks all the boxes. If you were trying to design a quarterback, to me, Justin fits that prototype."

Lawrence is expected to go No. 1 overall followed by Zach Wilson at No. 2. The San Francisco 49ers are also likely to pick a quarterback, potentially choosing between Fields, Mac Jones and Trey Lance.

While NFL teams will make their own decisions in the draft, Day's opinion of Fields is clear.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day pushed back on the narrative surrounding Justin Fields' work ethic, saying it's "reckless" to criticize someone he feels was a sensational locker room leader for the Buckeyes.

Day spoke at length with Peter King of NBC Sports about the situation:

"The whole idea that he doesn't have a very good work ethic? I mean, to me, that's crazy. He got done with the Clemson game [the loss in the College Football Playoff in the 2019 season], and he came back and all he did was work to get back to that game. And when those other guys are opting out, what's he do? He petitions to have a season. He put together this petition that the Big Ten athletes all signed saying that they want to play, but they want to play safely and that they don't accept canceling the season. It was all led by Justin Fields. Where was everybody else? Where were the guys who were opting out then? You know, you don't love the game if you're doing something like that. This kid loves the game.

"I heard something about the last one to come in, first one to leave. First off, the scouts weren't in our building all year. Last one in? Every morning, at least every morning we could be in the building, early, he's in with [football sports performance czar] Mickey Marotti. The guys who were self-motivated and could do things on their own, those were the ones who made it. He was unbelievable. He changed his diet, he got stronger. He did better than most."

ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky took criticism last week for passing along information from sources who called Fields "a last-guy-in, first-guy-out type of quarterback" during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. Orlovsky has since apologized for the comments and spoke to Fields privately about the matter, saying he "wasn't good enough in that moment." 

The comments did not come directly from Orlovsky, but his sources seemed to have the opposite information from everyone at Ohio State. Buckeyes coaches and players have praised Fields' leadership and work ethic, and Day is correct in noting the Big Ten may not have had a 2020 season without Fields leading a coalition of players. 

However, Day's own comments to King were reckless in saying players who opted out of the 2020 season do not "love" football. Several players opted out over health concerns during a worldwide pandemic; their decision has nothing to do with the love of the game. Some of those players may have had concerns about their physical well-being—both in terms of the virus and avoiding injury in a pandemic season—while not receiving a salary in a multibillion-dollar industry.

It was unfair of Day ($6 million salary) to question any player with whom he is not familiar, just as it was Orlovsky's sources to question Fields.

The criticism of Fields did not seem to stick; if anything, it's led to more people praising his work ethic in an effort to end the bad narrative. Fields could go as high as No. 3 in this month's NFL draft and will certainly be taken in the top half of the first round. While it's not clear if he'll wind up being a superstar as a pro, odds are his success (or lack thereof) will not come because of a lack of work ethic.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day provided a strong endorsement of Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields, one of the top prospects in the 2021 NFL draft.

Day called Fields "a great player and a great person" on Friday:

The narrative around Fields' draft stock has changed frequently over the past few months.

He peaked on New Year's Day when he threw six touchdown passes in OSU's blowout victory over Trevor Lawrence, the presumptive No. 1 overall pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Fields has come under scrutiny as of late, however, including ESPN's Dan Orlovsky saying on the Pat McAfee Show (h/t Jeremy Layton of the New York Post) he wasn't hearing positive things from sources about the quarterback's worth ethic:

"One, I have heard that he is a last-guy-in, first-guy-out type of quarterback. Like, not the maniacal work ethic. I've even heard it compared to Justin Herbert, where it was like, dude, when Justin Herbert showed up, he was like a psychopath when it came to working and get ready for the draft. Or even at school, like, 'Give me more, I want to work non-stop.' And I've heard that there are issues with Justin Fields' work ethic.

"The second thing is ... Where is his desire to go be a great quarterback? I think that there's a desire to be a big-time athlete, from what is expressed to me, but where is his desire to be a great quarterback? And to be great, you gotta be willing to find the things that you are not good at and just freaking grind on them."

Fields' numbers at Ohio State were nothing short of outstanding. He completed 68.4 percent of his throws for 5,701 yards with 67 touchdowns and just nine interceptions across 34 appearances. He added 1,133 rushing yards and 19 scores on the ground.

Normally, those type of numbers at a Power Five program combined with his dual-threat playmaking ability, which is a perfect fit for the current trend of NFL offenses, would make him a top-five lock.

This year is a little different because there's a lot of depth in the quarterback class. Along with Lawrence and Fields, BYU's Zach Wilson, Alabama's Mac Jones and North Dakota State's Trey Lance are all potential top-10 selections come April 29.

So, questions like the ones raised by Orlovsky must be answered to prevent the risk of sliding down the draft board, and that's probably why Day decided to speak out against the rumors.