COLUMBUS – Ohio State coach Ryan Day says freshman C.J. Stroud will start at quarterback for the No. 4 Buckeyes in the opener against Minnesota Sept. 2.
Though he has yet to throw a pass in a college game, Stroud has been the apparent leader in the quarterback derby since spring practice.
“The body of work, between the spring and also through pre-season, he’s separated himself with his decision-making, his leadership skills, his accuracy,” Day told reporters Saturday.
He got the nod over fellow second-year player Jack Miller and true freshmen Kyle McCord and Quinn Ewers.
The 6-foot-3, 218-pound Stroud, from Rancho Cucamonga, California, played sparingly in mop-up duty last year behind Heisman-finalist Justin Fields in the pandemic-shortened season.
Team captains named
Day announced the six team captains for the 2021 season, as chosen by the team.
Led by the leading vote-getter – offensive tackle Thayer Munford — the captains are wide receiver Kamryn Babb, defensive tackle Haskell Garrett, defensive end Zach Harrison, linebacker Teradja Mitchell, and receiver Chris Olave.
All six of the players are a team captain for the first time, snapping a streak of seven consecutive seasons where player or players were repeat captains