Ohio State landed a commitment from one of the nation’s top-rated signal callers when Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., four-star quarterback C.J. Stroud pledged his services to the Buckeyes on Wednesday afternoon, the first day of college football’s Early Signing Period.
The 6-3, 194-pound Stroud — who is considered the second-best pro-style quarterback and No. 83 prospect overall in the class of 2020 — landed an offer from the Buckeyes following his unofficial visit for the 34-10 win over Michigan State on Oct. 5 then returned for an official visit with his mother the weekend of Dec. 14. He picked the Buckeyes over finalists Georgia and Michigan despite what likely would have been a quicker path to playing time with the Bulldogs and Wolverines
Ohio State already held a commitment from Scottsdale (Ariz.) Chaparral four-star signal caller Jack Miller, who also signed with the Buckeyes that same afternoon. It marks the first time the program signed two quarterbacks in the same cycle since Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne five-star Braxton Miller and Cleveland Glenville three-star Cardale Jones faxed in their letters of intent in 2011.
Ohio State needed to sign two quarterbacks this cycle for depth purposes, with just two scholarship signal callers returning next fall in starter Justin Fields and graduate transfer Gunnar Hoak. But the fact that both Miller and Stroud are highly regarded prospects makes the coup even more impressive.
“You like to have four quarterbacks,” head coach Ryan Day said on Dec. 16. “It’s almost impossible now to have four quarterbacks on your roster that are on scholarship because they all want to play right now. The great thing about coming to Ohio State is you know you’re going to get developed at a high level.”
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