CJ Stroud: Ohio State Football Star Must Win Heisman Trophy

Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud is as soon as once more a finalist for the Heisman award. After ending fourth in voting final season, he now has his sights set on taking the award house this 2022.

The 2022 Heisman class options a number of elite skills. Stroud can be going in opposition to TCU’s Max Duggan, Georgia’s Stetson Bennett, and USC’s Caleb Williams.

In the course of the 2021 season, CJ Stroud proved simply how good he could be. Whereas main Ohio State to an 11-2 report, and a Rose Bowl victory over Utah, Stroud put collectively one of many higher seasons in Ohio State historical past.

Stroud completed the 2021 marketing campaign throwing for 4,435 passing yards, 44 touchdowns and simply six interceptions.

With the success that CJ Stroud discovered final season, it’s value noting who he was surrounded by. Stroud has the luxurious of throwing to 2 first-round skills in Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. Star vast receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was additionally within the combine. This pass-catching trio mixed for 230 receptions for 3,600 receiving yards and 35 touchdowns.

Following the success of his 2021 season, expectations had been sky-high for CJ Stroud heading into 2022. Even with the lack of each Olave and Wilson, he was as soon as once more anticipated to place up massive numbers. And he did precisely that.

Why CJ Stroud Should Win Heisman Trophy

In 2022, with an injury-riddled group round him, CJ Stroud led Ohio State to an 11-1 report and a visit to the faculty soccer playoffs. A Peach Bowl victory over Stetson Bennett and the Georgia Bulldogs would earn Ohio State a visit to the nationwide championship.

All through the 2022 season, CJ Stroud and Ohio State ran via their schedule. In the end, they received 11 straight video games, taking down notable groups similar to Notre Dame and Penn State. Their one and solely loss got here to Michigan within the ultimate week of the common season. In a one-sided recreation, Ohio State fell 45-23.

Even in Ohio State’s lone lack of the season, Stroud in the end left every part on the sphere. He threw for 349 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions within the recreation.

Trying previous their lone loss, CJ Stroud as soon as once more led Ohio State to an elite season. The offense averaged 44.5 factors per recreation, the second most in all of division one.

Heading into the playoffs, Stroud has thrown for 3,340 passing yards, 37 touchdowns, and simply six interceptions.

A lot of the success that Stroud discovered this season got here with out his go-to goal from the 2021 season. Jaxon Smith-Njigba was restricted to only three video games with a hamstring harm. When on the sphere, he recorded simply 5 receptions for 43 receiving yards.

Within the place of Smith-Njigba, CJ Stroud turned to the subsequent move catcher on the roster. This proved to be rising star Marvin Harrison Jr.

Harrison completed the season catching 72 passes for 1,157 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. There may be an argument to be made that the offensive duo of CJ Stroud and Marvin Harrison Jr. was the perfect within the nation.

Subsequent to Harrison, Emeka Egbuka additionally broke out. Stroud and Egbuka linked 66 occasions for 1,039 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns.

When taking a look at what Stroud was capable of do on a weekly foundation, his Heisman marketing campaign grows even stronger. Whereas working virtually completely from the pocket, Stroud was capable of choose aside even the perfect defenses. He threw for greater than 340 passing yards in 5 of their 11 video games. Together with this, he had six video games with 4 or extra passing touchdowns.

At occasions all through the season, Stroud seemed to be by far the perfect quarterback within the nation. From weeks two via seven, he threw for 1,800 yards, 26 touchdowns, and simply 4 interceptions.

When wanting on the latest historical past of Ohio State quarterbacks, there have been a number of notable gamers to take the sphere. Justin Fields, Dwayne Haskins, J.T Barrett, Cardale Jones, and Braxton Miller all put collectively elite resumes. However there’s an argument to be made that Stroud is in the end the perfect of the bunch.

CJ Stroud, whereas dealing with off in opposition to elite candidates, has achieved greater than sufficient to take house the 2022 Heisman trophy. With every quarterback placing collectively a powerful marketing campaign, there’s a dialogue to be made for all of them. However Stroud has managed to separate himself from the pack on a number of events. Incomes the Heisman might be the proper segway into the playoffs for this Ohio State staff that’s presently on a mission. It might additionally assist cement Stroud’s legacy among the many greatest quarterbacks in latest historical past. Together with his eyes probably set on the NFL Draft, that is additionally probably his final alternative to take house the award.