Yes, it’s true Ohio State fans. Justin Fileds off to the NFL and it feels like we all got robbed of what could have been an even better career in Columbus because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, it was fun while it lasted, and now it’s time to look at who his successor might be.
All indications point to a three-man race to replace Fields at the quarterback spot. The coaches have said that it’ll be an open competition between rising sophomores C.J. Stroud and Jack Miller, and the early enrollee, rising freshman Kyle McCord. A lot of times you can look at what happened when things were on the line to see where the early pecking order is, but that could all change when each guy gets his turn to show what he has with all the reps of spring ball and beyond.
The spotlight is now. We dove into handicapping this quarterback derby a little, but we’re not the only ones. In fact, Paul Myerberg from our mothership USA TODAY Sports also took a look at one of the most intriguing and high-profile position battles in all of college football.
Here is what he said.
NEXT … Who Myerberg believes will win the OSU QB competition
And the Winner will be … C.J Stroud
What Myerberg says
“Neither redshirt freshman attempted a pass behind Justin Fields in 2020, though Stroud did run for a 48-yard touchdown late in a romp over Michigan State. Stroud had also taken over as Fields’ backup by the tail end of last season. That may give him the edge as the Buckeyes make another run at the national title, but it’s too soon to count out Miller or McCord, a five-star prospect on campus for spring ball.”
“Prediction: Stroud. Ryan Day has said (and will continue to say) otherwise, but Stroud will enter the spring as the odds-on favorite to replace Fields. After he put some distance between himself and Miller over the course of last season, Stroud’s toughest competition may come from an incoming freshman recently named the National High School Coaches Association Player of the Year.”
NEXT … Who we say
And the Winner will be … C.J Stroud
What we say
We laid out our own case on the pros and cons of each of Ohio State’s quarterback combatants, but agree that Stroud seems to have the lead in both all-around athleticism and ability. That doesn’t mean that the gap can’t be made up, or that it hasn’t already, but he was clearly the guy the coaches trusted to be the backup late in the year in the few instances in which Fields was not on the field.
Ohio State football very early projected offensive depth chart for 2021
