Non-baseball post: CJ Stroud - nice knowing you

 As the deadline approaches for CJ Stroud to declare for the NFL Draft, I am getting nervous.

Schools like Ohio State, ones that get high quality recruits, need to give those guys a chance and in a reasonable time.

The development path for a star player generally goes something like this: play a little as a freshman, get in the rotation as a sophomore, ball out as a junior, head off to the NFL.  Fringe NFL players will likely stay for their senior years but the big stars...the system is set for them to be gone in 3 years.

So you recruit for them being gone.  You bring in high level recruits who you groom to play in a certain year.

But what happens if that star player decides he wants to stay an extra year?

This creates a backup and guys who THOUGHT they were going to get to play as sophomores or juniors now wind up sitting another year.

Enter the transfer portal.

That is why this CJ Stroud thing is worrisome.  Kyle McCord is set to start this coming year.  But what happens if CJ Stroud decides to come back like Chris Olave did last year?  It creates a logjam where McCord KNOWS he won't be playing for another year...his junior year.  

But what can a college coach do?  His job is to win.  Do we expect Ryan Day to say "Hey, CJ, I love you man but you staying an extra year could cause me to lose McCord and Brown and we can't afford that long term."  Of course not.  Clearly this team would have an easier path to success with Stroud as their QB.   What would the alumni/fans want?  The certainty of Stroud or the uncertainty but extreme potential of McCord?  Ditto for the fans who fill the stadiums.  Ditto for the image of the university and of the football team which, to some extent, drives future recruiting.

Everybody who matters wants a winner and Stroud provides more certainty of a winner.

But, to me, that is NOT what matters most.   What matters most is to keep your 5- and 4-star recruits and give them their shot.  

There has to be a better way for sustained success of a college football program than screwing over your recruits by making them sit an extra year.

I think it is time for Day to tell CJ, "Thanks for your service.  Have a great NFL career".  It's Kyle McCord time and college coaches making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year with the resources that Ohio State has should be able to get the team back to the playoffs and to beat Michigan while giving the reigns to the more uncertain but uber-talented McCord.

So, CJ, time to move on.  We love you and have enjoyed wathcing you play.  Be sure to come back and see us.