Ohio State football: 1 offensive and 1 defensive player poised for break out in 2021

With big names off to the NFL, it’s the next wave of talent that’s ready to become household names at Ohio State. These Buckeyes are ready to break out.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are in a familiar position entering the 2021 college football season: replacing four and five-star talent with more four and five-star talent. It is a luxury that they have year in and year out, that produces near-perfect seasons and conference titles, and all that is missing is a national championship. And despite the major names that have departed to the NFL, those same expectations are and will always remain the same.

So as Ohio State looks to win their first national title since 2014, what exactly does the Buckeyes’ 2021 schedule have in store for them?

Well, for starters they open up the season significantly harder than usual. Rather than taking on a few teams from the MAC, they open up with a cross-divisional conference game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers and then play host to the Oregon Ducks just nine days later. Then after a tune-up game versus Tulsa, they go into their usual conference obstacle course, with Indiana and Penn State at the heart of it, and Michigan at the tail-end.

So are this year’s Buckeyes up for the test? Are they the team that can get them over the hump and back to hoisting a national championship trophy? If so, they will need a guy on each side of the ball to step up and breakout to get them to that point.

C.J. Stroud ready to take the reigns as QB1

One thing that the Buckeyes have never been short on is talent at the quarterback position. If there’s a question about this Ohio State team, it’s who wins the starting quarterback job with Justin Fields now in the NFL. But C.J. Stroud appears to have the inside track at winning the job.

Stroud, a former five-star recruit, only appeared in just two games last year, barely, but in his limited play, he made quite the first impression with his one and only rush of the season, which went for a 48-yard touchdown.

Stroud possesses the same qualities as his predecessor: big arm, accuracy and the ability to be able to get outside of the pocket and make throws on the run. And as it was seen in his first career touchdown, Stroud can get things done and make big plays with his feet.

At Ohio State, there is no such thing as a reloading year, especially on offense, and being a breakout player for the Buckeyes in 2021 is all Stroud can be, and nothing less.