See How Many Former Ohio State Football Stars Cracked NFL’s Top-25 Under 25

If you were wondering, the answer is one. One former Ohio State Buckeyes star cracked Pro Football Focus’ top-25 under 25 rankings, and that player is Houston Texans’ standout quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Despite having a down season last year, partially due to things not in his control, Stroud is expected to bounce back, and he has the talent around him to do so, especially after the Texans used two of their top three selections to take wide receivers.

That said, there certainly could be some frustration here. The Buckeyes have numerous stars that have either broken onto the scene or are getting ready to that certainly could’ve been on this list. The list really focuses on players who are already developed stars, not those who are primed to make the jump.

For Buckeyes fans, think of a player like Marvin Harrison Jr., who could have cracked this list but didn’t have a sensational rookie season. Now, the real snub is Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the 23-year-old receiver who is about to be the top weapon for the Seattle Seahawks in 2025. JSN ended last season with 1,130 receiving yards, and he should easily build on that this upcoming season.

As for Stroud, he helped captain the Texans to the playoffs last season and even took down the Los Angeles Chargers in the playoffs. Nonetheless, he only came in at No. 12, the second quarterback on the list, only behind Washington Commanders’ Jayden Daniels.

Here’s an excerpt of what PFF said on Stroud.

“Due to that solid play, and the nature of the position, Stroud ranks behind only Jayden Daniels on this list in average PFF WAR generated over the past three seasons, and it’s worth noting that he did so on a larger sample size. Stroud will turn just 24 years old during the 2025 season, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone if Year 3 is his best season yet,” Jonathan Marci wrote.

The Buckeyes should be able to add more to the list next season as Emeka Egbuka is primed for a strong rookie season in Tampa Bay, and JSN is also a breakout candidate, potentially showing as one of the best receivers in the league. Expect Stroud to continue to outperform expectations on him as well with revamped offense in Houston.