ATLANTA — Three years later, CJ Stroud sees it coming full circle.
The schools that recruited him until the 11e meeting time in a College Football Playoff Semifinals Saturday.
It was Ohio State, which prevailed in the recruiting battle for Southern California’s prized quarterback, and Georgia, which finished second.
“It’s kind of come 360 degrees to play them now,” Stroud said. “I’m excited to do this.”
Before Stroud emerged as a record passer for the Buckeyes and led them to their third-place finish in the playoffs in four seasons, he was heavily pursued by Georgia as they searched for their successor in Jake Fromm.
Like many programs, the Bulldogs landed on Stroud’s radar in 2019 after winning the Finals MVP of the Elite 11, a premier competition for high school quarterbacks.
“It put him on more of a national stage,” said Mark Verti, who coached him at Rancho Cucamonga High School.
Stroud had received scholarship offers from Power Five conference schools before this summer, but none of them would be considered blue bloods.
The late interest was largely the product of circumstances. Stroud didn’t start for his high school’s varsity team until he was a junior.
It took breaking into the camp circuit and a successful senior season for all coaches to take note.
When Georgia assessed Stroud, she was drawn to his demeanor as much as his precise right arm.
“He’s got a really good disposition about him,” Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said. “He’s not really high, not really low, not really emotional. He keeps a cool head, which for me as a quarterback is one of the main qualities you can find.
Stroud traveled to Georgia when he hosted Texas A&M for a game in November 2019 before officially traveling to Michigan and Ohio State the following month. All three schools were among its finalists.
Part of the Bulldogs’ push for Stroud before he committed to the Buckeyes early in the signing period involved a home visit from staff which included Smart and running backs coach Dell McGee.
“I loved his mom, man,” Smart said. What a wonderful woman. She is awesome.”
Looking back on their visit, Stroud said “they were very respectful.” He reconnected with Smart at Heisman Trophy Ceremony earlier this month.
Verti wasn’t surprised that Stroud was drawn to three consistently top-ranked programs. While the trio had brought other top rookies into their quarterback rooms, creating a deeper depth board and a steeper climb to buy playing time, Stroud was unimpressed with the competitions. potential.
“It shows he’s not afraid to go against anywhere,” Verti said. “He loves competition and he has confidence that he will go to any school to compete.”
What separated Ohio State in the final weeks of recruiting Stroud were views on the field. He was influenced by Ryan Day’s background in quarterback development.
As Stroud settled on the Buckeyes, it came at a time when Justin Fields had taken over from Dwayne Haskins and kept them among the most successful offense in the nation, while the Bulldogs suffered their second lowest season in the tenure of Smart in 2019. Fields had even transferred from Georgia.
“I don’t think Georgia did anything wrong on the offensive side of the ball,” Stroud said, “but I don’t think they saw a player like me on that side. explained that they were going to change the attack a bit, because they have always had dynamic receivers, tight ends, ball carriers.
The Bulldogs revamped their offense for the following season. Smart hired Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Todd Monken to replace James Coley, who left for Texas A&M. Monken remained Georgia’s offensive coordinator.
“It was close,” Stroud said, “but I’m happy with where I went, and I’m going to ride with this until I die. I feel like I made the right decision.”
After trying to make Stroud his starting quarterback, Smart will now oversee a defense trying to stop him.
“He’s always had tremendous arm strength, touch and punching speed,” Smart said, “but he’s become a complete quarterback in their system.”
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Contact him at jkaufman@dispatch.com or on Twitter @joeyrkaufman.
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