Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has impressed in his first year in the NFL. He has led Houston to a winning season and a chance to make the playoffs after they went 4-12, 4-13, and 3-13-1 in the previous three seasons.
This is not the first time Stroud has turned heads, as he had a very successful college career.
C.J. Stroud’s College Career
Stroud attended Rancho Cucamonga High School. As a senior, he was the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin Offensive Player of the Year after passing for 3,878 yards and 47 touchdowns and was selected to play in the 2020 All-American Bowl. Initially considered a three-star recruit, Stroud finished high school as the third-highest-rated quarterback of his class.
He committed to Ohio State University out of high school.
Stroud spent his true freshman year at Ohio State redshirting as a backup to Justin Fields. He played just eight total snaps in 2020, throwing no passes, but he did score a 48-yard rushing touchdown against Michigan State.
Stroud was named the starting quarterback as a redshirt freshman following the departure of Fields to the 2021 NFL Draft. He was chosen over freshmen Kyle McCord, Quinn Ewers, and fellow redshirt freshman Jack Miller III.
Stroud led the team to a 10-2 record in 2021 and took home many honors. He earned first-team All-Big Ten Honors, was named the Big 10 Quarterback of the Year, won Big Ten Freshman of the Week six times, and was a finalist for both the Davey O’Brien Award and the Heisman Trophy.
He finished the 2021 season with 4,435 passing yards, 44 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
Stroud entered the 2022 season as one of the best players in college football and was a favorite to win the Heisman. On Oct. 8, 2022, Stroud threw six touchdown passes against Michigan State, setting a conference record for most six passing touchdown games in a career with three, and passing Justin Fields to move to second place on the Ohio State career passing TDs list.
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He again was named a finalist for the Heisman trophy for his season. He finished third in the voting behind winner Caleb Williams from USC and Max Duggan from TCU.
He finished the 2022 season with 3,688 passing yards, 41 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
On Jan. 16, 2023, Stroud announced that he would forgo his remaining two years of college eligibility and enter the 2023 NFL Draft.
Stroud’s NFL Career
Stroud was selected by the Houston Texans with the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on April 27, 2023, becoming the highest-drafted quarterback in Ohio State’s history.
Stroud made his NFL debut in Week 1 as the Texans took on the Baltimore Ravens. He threw for 242 yards in the 25-9 loss. In Week 2, Stroud threw his first two NFL touchdowns and finished with 384 passing yards in the 20–31 loss. His 384 yards are the second most in a single game by a Texans rookie quarterback.
The next week, Stroud led the Texans to a 37-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars as he finished 20 of 30 for 280 yards and two touchdowns.
Stroud was named the Offensive Rookie of the Month for September as he finished with 78 completions on 121 attempts for 906 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions.
In Week 14 against the New York Jets, Stroud suffered a concussion during the fourth quarter in Week 14 against the New York Jets as the Texans lost 30-6. After a two-game absence, Stroud made his return in Week 17 against the Tennessee Titans, completing 24 of 32 passes for 213 yards and one touchdown in a 26–3 victory.
The Texans currently sit at 9-7 and will take on the Indianapolis Colts in the regular-season finale on Saturday.
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