College Football

Ohio State Pro Day: C.J. Stroud steals the show

Published Mar. 23, 2022 9:22 p.m. ET

Ohio State Pro Day was supposed to be a showcase for potential first-round wide receivers Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave.

But a player who isn't currently draft-eligible ended up stealing the show.

Rising sophomore quarterback C.J. Stroud left a lasting impression throwing the ball to his departing wide receivers, looking the part of a potential top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

This should come as no surprise considering the dominance Stroud displayed as a freshman in 2021, stepping into the shoes left behind by 2021 first-round draft pick Justin Fields.

Stroud rewrote the Ohio State record books in his first year as a starter, passing for 4,435 yards, 44 passing touchdowns and only six interceptions. It all culminated with his 573-yard and six passing touchdown performance in the Rose Bowl, which came without Wilson and Olave, who both elected to sit out and prepare for the upcoming NFL Draft.

It should come as no surprise that Wilson and Olave turned in their most productive seasons at Ohio State this past season with Stroud throwing them the ball.

Wilson recorded career highs in receptions (70), receiving yards (1,058) and receiving touchdowns (12). The same goes for Olave, who recorded 65 receptions for 936 yards and 13 receiving touchdowns, all career bests in his four years at Ohio State.

The chemistry he developed with Stroud has him hopeful that his Pro Day isn't the last time he is able to connect with Stroud on the field, and Stroud shares the same feelings.

Stroud will enter the 2022 college football season as one of the early Heisman favorites, and if the Ohio State Pro Day was any indication, he is headed toward being a favorite to go first overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.