C.J. Stroud to His Critics: ‘I’ve Been the Best Player in College Football’

The Ohio State quarterback says he is willing to run and proved it in the Peach Bowl. Plus, Florida’s Anthony Richardson could put up one of the fastest 40 times for a signal-caller.

In a quarterback class loaded at the top, it sometimes seems C.J. Stroud could be forgotten amongst the four top signal-callers. The draft’s version of controversy surrounds the other three. Is Will Levis actually for real? Is Anthony Richardson more than his bonkers athleticism? And can decision-makers get around Bryce Young’s size. Then there’s Stroud, who, depending on who you ask, has the highest floor of all four prospects. To the extent a prospect can be a safe bet at the QB position, the Ohio State product is that guy in this group.

Stroud talked about his decision to enter the draft Friday in Indianapolis at the NFL scouting combine was more difficult than one might have expected. He waited until the declaration deadline (Jan. 16) to throw his name in the ring, hinting at the whispers coming out of Columbus that he seriously considered returning to school due to the unfinished business of a career in which he left without a win over Michigan, a Big Ten championship or a playoff win despite illustrious performances throwing the ball. But during the draft process, there is also a can’t or won’t question around Stroud’s willingness to run.

“I’ll be honest. I told [NFL teams] like I’ll tell y’all, I didn’t [run] a lot in college and I should’ve. It’s something I do regret,” Stroud said. “I feel like I could have done it a lot more. I think if you turn on the film and you really watch what I do and you really look at it game to game, I have used my athleticism not only in the Georgia game, but I did it a lot. I’ve done it in every other game. I’ve had tough third-down runs. I’ve had tough fourth-down runs. There are times when I didn’t run the ball and maybe I should’ve, but I feel like that’s something that I’ve learned and I feel like that’s what football is about. It’s about stepping back up to the plate and going back and working hard and fixing those problems.”

It was clear in the Peach Bowl against Georgia and a rain-soaked regular-season game against Northwestern, that when Stroud needs to run, he certainly can and it adds a devastating dimension to his game. He said the reason he wears jersey No. 7 is because of Michael Vick, but it was Vick’s underrated ability to stay in the pocket that resonated with him as a fellow Black quarterback, in addition to Deshaun Watson’s playing style. Stroud’s key trait is accuracy and ball placement, and his ability to throw guys open.

“My coach, Tojo Munford, he forced me to stay in the pocket; he forced me to be accurate,” Stroud said. “Also, my high school coach, coach [Mark] Verti, we used to do little bubble screens, and if I didn’t hit the top shoulder, I had to do 10 push-ups and small things like that. It forced me to be accurate and not only just on deep shots but on bubble screens, slants and outs, being friendly to my receivers.”

Stroud enters the home stretch of the draft process with supreme confidence about what he’s done and what he will do.

“You can put on my film. I think I’ve been the best player in college football two years in a row, and I think I’ve consistently done that. I think, honestly, I haven’t even touched my potential yet. I have a lot more to get better at and I have a lot more to prove to not only y’all but to myself. That’s something that I plan to do because I honestly don’t think I got close in college yet.”

Just how fast will Anthony Richardson run?

Richardson is expected to blow the roof off Lucas Oil Stadium when he works out Saturday. Sources around the Florida program suggest he’s bulked up and added more than 10 pounds, with expectations to have a vertical jump of 44 inches and running a 4.4 40-yard dash (which would be on the short list for fastest times by a QB). But when asked how fast he expects to run, he played it coy.

“My target time is definitely fast,” Richardson said. “I’m not trying to put any numbers out there. I’ll showcase that tomorrow.”

While some players opt out of workouts at the combine, Richardson figures he’s trained for everything, so why not put it on display, and NFL scouts are salivating at the thoughts. Originally, Richardson idolized Cam Newton—whom some have compared him to given his size, speed and arm strength. But as Richardson got older, he started calling himself Cam Jackson as Lamar Jackson entered the league, and the Florida QB started borrowing from his game as well. Richardson has spent his draft prep tying his feet to his hips and refining his throwing motion. At times some of his fastball throws were too hot to handle for his receivers, although Richardson quipped “they better catch it” if his receivers complain about how hard he throws.

Richardson is the most intriguing prospect of the four QBs, with the most room to grow and the highest potential. Getting him there will take repeated reps that he hasn’t had too many of as only a one-year starter, but don’t call him a project quarterback no matter where he’s drafted.

“I don’t even know what that means,” Richardson said.

Young knows what you’re worried about

With the Alabama signal-caller, the questions are always going to be about how big he is. There’s no getting around it, and he knows that.

“I’ve been this size—respectfully—my whole life. I know what I am and I know what I can do. It’s fair. Everyone can speculate and ask whatever questions are necessary, but I’m gonna keep controlling what I can control.”

His Bama teammates, when asked, are also quick to back their man up, including tight end Cameron Latu, who, even before the question could be finished, was ready to answer.

“There’s no concerns; dude can play ball,” Latu said. “He won the Heisman for a reason. He’s my quarterback and he’s a player, man.”

Best quotes from the combine Friday

• Quarterback Levis ranking fruits: “Pineapple, for sure, No. 1. Clementines No. 2; that’s a sleeper. And then it’s basic, but I gotta go apple.”
• Tight end Luke Musgrave on his passion for skiing: “I’ve been skiing since I could walk; it’s my mom’s big sport. Definitely helped me a lot. I got big quads because of it and I’m really thankful that I did it.”
• Tight end Tucker Kraft on the personalities at the position in the league: “I do believe tight end is the people’s position,” Kraft said. “Hang loose and have fun. I think when you turn on a tight end, and you witness their personality firsthand, that’s something that other teams want to emulate. They want to have that kind of guy in their locker room. I was fortunate enough this combine prep to be working out in the same place where they host Tight End U, so I got to have all that skill eval. There’s vets coming in and out of the building while we’re working out, so yeah, I think the tight ends aren’t just changing; the tight ends are changing the game of football.”
• Wide receiver Zay Flowers on his favorite route to run one-on-one: “Any route.”
• Quarterback Hendon Hooker on being a sneakerhead: “The sneaker market these days is ridiculous. I’ve been a sneakerhead since seventh grade. To see Js [Jordans] go up to $700 is absurd. To see Dunks go up from $100 when they’re released to $400 is absurd. Get something simple to start off. You can never go wrong with cool grays, and they just rereleased so somebody has them in stock.”