3 football standouts Ryan Day produced in his career ft. C.J Stroud
Ryan Day has been in charge of the Ohio State Buckeyes since the 2019 season. During his time in charge, he coached players who have later become standout players in the NFL.
Here are three players whom Ryan Day has produced and has became standout players in the NFL once they left the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Three standout players that Ryan Day has produced
#1 C.J Stroud
C.J Stroud has very quickly become one of the NFL's top stars. While he was with the Buckeyes, his strong athletic playstyle was seen. After not playing during the 2020 season, Stroud won the starting quarterback role for the 2021 season, and was dominate during his time in the role.
In his two seasons, Stroud threw for 8,123 yards and 85 touchdowns. He broke numerous Buckeyes records as the starter but was never able to hand Ohio State a national championship.
The success that Stroud had in this position made him a hot draft prospect and ended up being the second pick of the 2023 NFL draft going to the Houston Texans.
In his rookie season, Stroud has turned around the struggling Texans team. They went from having the worst record in the NFL during the 2022 season to winning the AFC South and making the playoffs in 2023.
The pressure of the playoffs had no effect on Stroud, who was perfect during the wildcard game against the Cleveland Browns, scoring three touchdowns and becoming the youngest quarterback to win a playoff game in NFL history.
While the Texans could not win the Super Bowl, Stroud won the Rookie of the Year award and is set for another strong season in 2024.
#2 Garrett Wilson
Garrett Wilson was a wide receiver on the Buckeyes team between 2019-2021. During that period, he was able to develop into a strong player able to make a difference in the NFL.
Wilson was drafted by the New York Jets as the 10th pick of the 2022 NFL draft and was able to quickly make a difference to a Jets side that had struggled for the last decade.
In his first season, Wilson recorded over 1,000 receiving yards, which is a Jets record for a rookie player. For his accomplishments during the 2022 season, Wilson was awarded the offensive rookie of the year award.
He was able to repeat his performances from his rookie year in his second year with the Jets and will hope to do this again in 2024, as the New York Jets, with Aaron Rodgers as quarterback, try to break their 13-seaon long playoff drought.
#3 Justin Fields
A controversial choice for some, but Justin Fields was impressive during his earlier days with the Chicago Bears.
Drafted as the 11th pick of the 2021 NFL draft, Fields became a quarterback who was known less for his ability to throw the ball but for his abilities to rush with the ball, and his all around mobility as a quarterback.
The 178 rushing yards that Fields made against the Miami Dolphins in 2021 is a record for a quarterback. He would end the season with over 1,000 rushing yards, becoming only the third quarterback in NFL history to achieve the feat.
However, Field could never convert his strong running game into a strong passing game, and the Bears struggled because of that. Fields was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers before the 2024 NFL draft, and will have to fight with experience quarterback Russell Wilson for the starters job.
Who do you think is the best player Ryan Day has produced?