The ball was snapped as the clock struck midnight and the kick went wide left as the new year rang in. On one sideline, the Bulldogs were celebrating and storming the field. On the other, CJ Stroud and the rest of the Buckeyes had their heads down, knowing how close they had come to a finals berth. It was not all for nothing though, as Stroud put on a performance that we had not yet seen of him that may very well solidify his status as the first pick of the 2023 draft.

CJ Stroud draft concerns

Much like the other top quarterbacks in this class, Stroud has question marks that you do not usually see from a projected first overall pick. First, he comes from a very boring offense run by Ryan Day. It is a screen-heavy, one-read offense that has led to some bad tendencies. Mostly the fact that he stares down his first read way too much and has trouble looking off of it. Most of the time it does not prove to be an issue because of the talent he has had around him. At the NFL though, this could be a massive problem.

The other main issue, and perhaps the biggest, was his unwillingness to put his body on the line. Yes, Stroud does not want to get hurt, but he still did not appear to play hard at times. He would have nothing but green grass to take off and run and he would just take a couple yards and go out of bounds. 

How CJ Stroud changed the narrative

The game vs Georgia was an instant classic and Stroud was able to address all of the concerns in one game. The offense was not screen happy and he was able to progress through reads constantly, sometimes even going to his 4th or later reads. It was a high functioning offense that gave the Georgia defense one of the biggest tests they have ever faced. 

More importantly, Stroud showed heart. He took off whenever it was available and played with urgency and hustle in ways that he had not. Even the announcers lamented this multiple times, stating how this is a brand new version of Stroud. He left everything on the field and did everything he could to get Ohio State to the playoff finals. While the team came up short, plays like this showed just how much potential he possesses and why he should be the number one quarterback in this class.

CJ Stroud finds Marvin Harrison Jr. for his 2nd touchdown and Georgia is facing its largest deficit of the season 😳pic.twitter.com/U3lGz8hVGE

— 247Sports (@247Sports) January 1, 2023