OSU's Stroud is headed to the NFL

Star quarterback C.J. Stroud is taking his talents from Ohio State to the Lone Star State.

The latest: Stroud was drafted No. 2 overall last night by the Houston Texans.

• He will join former OSU QBs Justin Fields (Chicago Bears) and Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals) in the NFL.
• Fellow Buckeye Paris Johnson Jr., an offensive tackle, was drafted No. 6 by the Arizona Cardinals.

State of play: The two-time Heisman Trophy finalist threw 85 touchdowns for the Buckeyes against just 12 interceptions in 2021 and 2022.

• His career passer rating — which combines five major QB stats — is the fourth best in college football history.
• Being drafted second, he overcame reports from some NFL personnel that he was difficult to coach. He also faced questions about his alleged poor results on a pre-draft cognition test.

What he's saying: "I'm not a test taker, I play football," Stroud responded, a quote reminiscent of fellow Buckeye QB Cardale Jones' famous line about being in college to play football, not school.

The bottom line: Stroud never defeated the team up north, but he remains a true Buckeye great and now has the chance to prove himself as a Texan.