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Seahawks Draft: Ohio State announcer talks stars Stroud, Smith-Njigba
Ohio State is a perennial school soccer powerhouse that produces prime NFL Draft prospects, and that ought to be the case once more in a yr through which the Seahawks decide twice within the first spherical and 4 instances within the first two rounds.
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The Buckeyes, who made it to the School Soccer Playoffs final season, will lose top-end expertise throughout the board, however most significantly, Ohio State is ready to lose quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Stroud is a 6-foot-3 quarterback who accomplished roughly 70% of his passes in two seasons beginning for the Buckeyes and he tossed 85 touchdowns to simply 12 interceptions. Stroud is seen by most draft consultants as one of many two to a few finest QBs within the 2023 draft.
The Seahawks will seemingly retain Geno Smith in free company, however given that is the very best decide the group will make below Pete Carroll and John Schneider, drafting a quarterback to sit down behind Smith isn’t out of the query.
So to assist break down Stroud’s sport, Seattle Sports activities’ Wyman and Bob enlisted Ohio State announcer Paul Keels, who joined the present on Friday.
“I believe there’s lots of cause to place confidence in what he can do,” Keels mentioned.
Keels famous that when Stroud first grew to become a starter in 2021, he’d by no means thrown a move on the school stage.
“His first yr as a starter, he missed a sport to permit a bit little bit of a shoulder downside to get proper, and when he got here again after that, he simply took off and performed just like the form of all-conference and award-winning quarterback that he was acknowledged for,” he mentioned.
Stroud could make all of the throws, Keels mentioned, and he was somebody who benefited from enjoying with elite expertise throughout the board, particularly at broad receiver.
“Greater than something, a man that benefited – and never to remove from any of his abilities – however he benefited from having nice receivers round him, a very good operating assault, high quality offensive lineman and a decent finish menace as properly,” he mentioned. “What we noticed from his first yr as a starter to final yr (is he) actually form of continued his evolution as a quarterback.”
When requested about the place Stroud wants to enhance on the subsequent stage, Keels talked about the power to indicate he can run the soccer. That was one thing Stroud didn’t do a lot of in school, however he did showcase that ability in his remaining sport.
“The factor you didn’t see, but it surely confirmed up within the nationwide semifinal sport towards Georgia, was the power to run,” Keels mentioned. “It was one thing whether or not he was reluctant to do it, the coaches have been reluctant to show him, you noticed him late in that Georgia sport present the power to make huge performs along with his toes.”
“If there’s something that individuals would possibly need to scrutinize – and it’s actually splitting hairs – it’s can he be a man that may decide up robust yards on the bottom whenever you would possibly actually need him to do it? As a result of it was one thing he didn’t actually must do a lot at Ohio State,” Keels later added.
So far as Stroud’s character, Keels had glowing opinions there.
“He’s a man that actually appears to have had a very good connection along with his coaches at Ohio State, specifically (head coach) Ryan Day,” he mentioned, later including, “The opposite factor I believe that may actually assist him on this course of is he’s such a cultured younger man. Such a high quality man, very humble, very team-oriented. And you understand how now with the best way the method goes with evaluating these school gamers, their character turns into a part of the choice course of. And I believe that’s what’s going to assist him at the least get extra consideration, in addition to what he does along with his soccer abilities.”
Star WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
The Buckeyes have produced lots of nice receivers in latest reminiscence, with each Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave going early within the first spherical final yr.
However the man who out-produced these two in 2021 is on this yr’s draft, and that’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who CBS Sports activities’ Ryan Wilson lately mocked to the Seahawks at No. 20 total.
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Smith-Njigba was a third-team All-American in 2021 for the Buckeyes, and he ended that yr with a bang as he hauled in 15 receptions for 347 yards within the Rose Bowl towards Utah.
However he solely performed three video games in 2022 and caught simply 5 passes as a consequence of a hamstring harm.
“Yeah, that’s gonna be the largest query as a result of he basically didn’t play final season,” Keels mentioned. “He obtained damage within the opening sport towards Notre Dame, tried to come back again, however by no means may fairly do it.”
When Smith-Njigba is on the sector, although, he’s a dynamic participant.
“Definitely a game-changing sort of broad receiver, a man that that actually created complications for opposing defensive coordinator,” Keels mentioned.
However like with Stroud, Smith-Njigba benefited from having elite expertise round him at receiver as he labored alongside Wilson and Olave.
“For those who’re a defensive teaching workers, it’s virtually like ‘decide your poison’ in relation to move protection,” Keels mentioned.
“I bear in mind his first sport he performed at Ohio State,” Keels later recalled. ” … He made a landing catch with a toe faucet on the again line of the endzone that was only a factor of magnificence to observe, and the form of play that not many soccer gamers could make. So he’s a man — if wholesome and when wholesome — he could be a game-changing sort of broad receiver.”
Hearken to the total dialogue with Keels at this hyperlink or within the participant under.
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