Is the quarterback position a Buckeye strong suit? Or is there a depth issue?

If a college team returns a Heisman Trophy finalist as a quarterback (he completed 72% of his passes, threw for over 4400 yards, and scored 44 passing touchdowns), then at that position It seems silly to ask about potential problems with . CJ Stroud said he will be back in 2022 and is his best QB in the college game today. So what’s the problem?

Now, with the departure of 2021 backup quarterbacks Jack Miller III and Quinn Ewers, the problem may be depth.

2021 quarterback

As Ohio Starting last season, the quarterback’s problem wasn’t depth. Everyone competing for their first job was inexperienced. Four scholar QBs were on the roster. Two redshirt freshmen, Stroud and Miller, and he’s two real freshmen, Kyle he’s McCord and Ewers. Clearly, Ewers, who was still in high school and had not attended spring practice, was not a starting candidate. But what about the other three? they were working on it.

Both Stroud and McCord were great in the spring game, but it gradually became clear that Stroud would start and McCord would be his backup.

2022 quarterback

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Kyle McCord

We know all about Stroud’s season, but McCord looked good too. He played his third game for the Buckeyes last year against Akron. McCord achieved 319 yards on 13 of his 18 passes, averaging 17.7 yards per pass. In the first quarter, McCord hit Chris Olave on a 5-yard TD pass before connecting with Jackson-Smith-Nigba for a 34-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Not a bad debut for a true freshman.

At this point in the season, there were many Buckeye fans who thought McCord should be the starter. But after a week off, Stroud came back really strong and was very happy with the QB situation.

After the 2021 season, Miller and Ewers were both firmly behind Stroud and McCord, so they left. Ewers has a chance to be the starter for his Texas Longhorns this year. Miller appears to have lost the starter race in Florida to Anthony Richardson. But McCord was content to play another season as Stroud’s backup and waited for a chance to start in 2023. He’ll take a challenge from Devin Brown (see below), but a good season next year as a Buckeye starter will depend on whether McCord heads to the NFL at the end of the season or returns to Columbus for a fourth season. will give you choices.

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Devin Brown

I’ll admit I wasn’t all that impressed with Brown at Buckeye’s spring game this year. Nonetheless, coaches seem happy with what Brown has been doing with the Bucks so far.

Although originally from Arizona, Brown transferred to Corner Canyon High School in Draper, Utah, where he played his senior season. The four-star recruit was ranked 6th QB, 43rd in the 2022 class^rd Best Player Overall (Overall Ranking). He joined Southern Cal in his September of 2020, but the following year he left in late November, and recruiting efforts from Texas, Ole His Miss, Ohio, etc. began in a short period of time. rice field. Despite four quarterbacks still on the roster, Ryan Day probably knows he’s unlikely to keep it all and signs another potential star, Brown I was satisfied with that.

Reports from Recruit analysts all highlight Brown’s arm strength and sound mechanics, quick release and pass zip. The only criticism was with his touches, especially his ability to drop passes in tight spaces. As I remember, that issue was seen in Spring Games. With more reps practicing and more in front of the expert eyes of Day and quarterback coach Cory Dennis, I’m sure Brown is ready. expect to attend the Arkansas State game. It will be fun to see what he can do.

Heading into 2022, the Buckeyes are primed and in good shape with starters and backups. Devin Brown has great potential in the third slot but lacks experience. The Buckeyes have his two walk-on QBs in Mason Maggs and Chadley on the roster, but three scholarships let’s hope the players aren’t injured. The Bucks should all be healthy.

2023?

We all expect Stroud to announce NFL Draft After this season. McCord and Brown are expected to remain with this team until after spring practices and after spring games. At that point, non-starters may choose to try a transfer portal. It’s very difficult to completely stabilize a good quarterback. They all want to play, they want to start, they want to make a name for themselves.

For a while, it looked like Ohio State couldn’t get a commitment from a QB in the 2023 class. In the class of 2024 he will be the No. 1 quarterback and his No. 1 all-around player Dylan Raiola will be recruiting someone from his class ahead of him as he is already committed to OSU. It’s hard to come by.But Day now has 2023 commitments from Memphis native Brock Glenn and 335^th・High-ranking players in the overall class ranking. If either McCord or Brown decide to depart, Glenn may suddenly find himself in a backup role. Or maybe Day will see who he can bring in as a transfer.

long term

With Ryan Day’s success in producing an NFL-level QB, every top high school passer should consider the Bucks. They shouldn’t have any trouble landing great stuff. The problem is keeping them happy and on the roster. Today’s climate and today’s rules are not conducive to placing him three, or even he four blue chippers on a quarterback roster. As a result, depth problems always occur. Welcome to the new era.