Ohio State continues to craft the mission plan for the 2023 season at a deliberate pace, largely due to a massive question mark at the quarterback position.
CJ Stroud, the No. 2 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, left the gaping vacancy for the Buckeyes when he opted to leave Columbus after two seasons as the starter. The decision came on the heels of a heartbreaking end to the season with a one-point loss to Georgia in the CFP semifinals.
“We’ve been in this situation quite a few times at Ohio State and just not knowing who the quarterback is going to be going into the season,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Wednesday at Big Ten Media Days. “You had a new one with Dwayne (Haskins), had a new one with Justin (Fields), had a new one with CJ (Stroud), and now here we are again.”
Day didn’t rule out playing multiple quarterbacks in the first game of the season, which is a rare conference opener at Indiana.
“When you go into these situations, you’d like for someone to emerge during camp, but who knows if that’s going to happen or not?” Day said. “You’d like to see somebody emerge, and then you name them, just like we’ve done with CJ and Justin and Dwayne. If that doesn’t happen, then maybe that is the case. We’ll have to evaluate it from there.”
Ohio State was 11-2 last season and returns a conference-best 16 players who received All-Big Ten notice.
Five-star recruit Kyle McCord lost the previous QB battle for the Buckeyes in 2021, when Stroud was named the starter. He’s competing primarily with sophomore Devin Brown, although Day pointed out the team’s depth at the position has never been better.
“They both had very good summers. They both have shown leadership,” Day said. “Now it’s going to be time to go put it on the field. We obviously would like for someone to emerge here quickly. We’ll kind of have to see once we get on the field.”
Help on the field exists in the form of Heisman Trophy candidate Marvin Harrison Jr. The junior All-American wide receiver, son of Colts Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, lived in the weight room in the offseason with a goal of fending off injuries like the ankle issue that nagged him for 10 weeks in 2022.
Harrison has looked the part of a future NFL receiver in every possible way at 6-foot-4, and that included a nod to his father by wearing royal blue tie and Colts-colors Louis Vuitton shoes to complete his suit for a media day appearance on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
His goals for 2023 aren’t centered around turning pro just yet.
“It starts with beating that team up north,” Harrison Jr. said, referring to Michigan. “We haven’t beat them the past two years. When you come to Ohio State, that’s the first goal we have as a program. It starts there, beating that team up north. And then it’s going to the Big Ten championship, winning that, and going on to win the national championship. When you come to Ohio State, it’s natty or bust. You can’t really have a down year or lose any games. An undefeated season, that’s a successful season.”
–Field Level Media
