Skull Session: C.J. Stroud Didn't Go to the NFL to Take Tests, JSN Calls Stroud "the Best Player in This Draft" and Ohio State's Suit Game is Always Strong

By Chase Brown on April 27, 2023 at 5:00 am
C.J. Stroud
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After months of anticipation, the NFL draft is finally here.

If you were to start the 2014 film "Draft Day," starring Kevin Costner, Jennifer Garner and the late Chadwick Boseman, who plays the Ohio State linebacker Costner's character selects in the first round, at 6:10 p.m. on Thursday, the movie would finish at the start of the real-life NFL draft in Kansas City, Missouri, at 8 p.m.

Something to think about. 

Let's have a good Thursday, shall we?

 “I'M NOT A TEST TAKER.” C.J. Stroud has spoken. On the day before the NFL draft, the former Ohio State quarterback addressed reports about his S2 Cognition test scores and, with that, his intelligence, processing and reaction time – qualities Stroud believes he consistently showed when he played for the Buckeyes.

“I know what I can do on the field. I know I can process very well. I know I'm very smart. You can’t play at Ohio State and not be smart,” Stroud told reporters, including Eleven Warriors' own Dan Hope, on Wednesday. “The S2 test, man, it is what it is. It happened. And I'm willing to stick up (for the score), and I don’t have no excuses. I know what I can do on that field, though.”

Stroud built upon those comments in a video captured by Charlotte Observer columnist Scott Fowler. Stroud explained that the test scores do not define him as a prospect, as NFL franchises who have studied him in recent years understand what he offers on the field, which he believes means far more than a test.

"...I am not a test taker. I play football. At the end of the day, I don’t have nothing to prove to nobody. I’m not gonna sit here and explain how I process football. The people who are making the picks know what I can do, so that’s all that matters to me. There’s a whole bunch of people who know how to coach better, know how to play quarterback better, know how to do everything on social media. But the man in the arena, that’s what tough is stepping into the arena 10 toes. And I’m going to stand on that. I know what I can do, I know what I can process. If I’m not the smartest quarterback in this draft, I know I’m one of the smartest quarterbacks in the NFL when I step in there tomorrow. I have confidence in myself. I don’t think you can play at Ohio State and not be smart. I don’t have nothing to prove to nobody man. At the end of the day, if you don’t trust and believe in me, I’ll tell you to watch this."

The Man in the Arena. One of Teddy Roosevelt's greatest works.

Roosevelt wrote in that famous speech, “The poorest way to face life is to face it with sneer... A cynical habit of thought and speech, a readiness to criticize work which the critic himself never tries to perform, an intellectual aloofness which will not accept contact with life's realities – all these marks, not ... of superiority but of weakness.”

That sounds a lot like what Stroud has endured the last few weeks in the form of alleged character assassination from media personalities and mockery from couch quarterbacks on social media.

However, all of that will come to an end Thursday. Whether Stroud is picked first, second, third, fourth or later, he will be selected and eventually become the starting quarterback of an NFL franchise. Of course, with that title comes a different kind of ridicule and sneer, but that's for later down the road. Here and then, Stroud determines and will determine the level of his success; not, as Roosevelt once said, "the critic who counts."

 “THE BEST PLAYER IN THIS DRAFT.” Someone who is not a critic of Stroud – instead, one of his most outspoken supporters – is Stroud's Ohio State teammate Jaxon Smith-Njigba. In an appearance with ESPN's Kevin Neghandi on SportsCenter, JSN made a strong statement on what his former quarterback will bring wherever he lands.

“They’re getting a leader. They’re getting a competitor. They’re getting the best player in this draft. You see it on the film. You see it on the field. He’s gonna be wherever he’s supposed to be. We’re not really too worried about it. Just leave it up to God’s hands. But you’re getting the best QB in this draft. I’m excited to see where he goes. ... I’m not surprised (Stroud is drawing criticism). A lot of things come out and a lot of things are being said. You don’t know what to trust or what to look at. But we’re just gonna have to wait and see.”

C.J. Stroud. A leader, a competitor, the best player in this draft. That's an incredible endorsement from JSN, who considers himself the best wide receiver in the draft and a top-five player overall.

There are only a few players that JSN believes match his level of performance. Even then, Stroud stands above them all. And for a good reason. The Inland Empire, California, native rewrote the program record book at Ohio State. He also helped Smith-Njigba put his name in a few places in the record book in 2021 as part of a season in which he collected 95 receptions, 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns.

Here's my endorsement for Stroud and JSN as the writer of Skull Sessions, a role in which Kevin Harrish once said I must be “extremely correct but only semi-articulate”: Both players will be dudes in the NFL. Knowing the recent history of Ohio State's young talent in the league, it could happen sooner than we think.

 DRESSED TO THE NINES. The NFL draft is a place for prospects to show off their drip – their fashion, their style. It's the kind of opportunity former Buckeyes invited to attend the draft have rarely passed in recent years.

While some former Ohio State players took a more laid-back, strictly-business approach toward their draft attire in the past, such as Chris Olave with his black turtleneck, charcoal suit combo last year, others like Zeke Elliott, Justin Fields and Garrett Wilson took their appearance to the next level.

Ohio State will have three representatives at the 2023 NFL draft: Stroud, Smith-Njigba and Paris Johnson Jr. All of them have shown off some drip in the past, with Stroud even providing his teammates with free suits from Express, one of his NIL sponsors, so that each player could be dressed to the nines for the Notre Dame season opener.

In JSN's SportsCenter appearance mentioned above, he noted his desire to show off a custom-made suit on Thursday – one he believes will be the best design of the 17 prospects expected to attend the draft.

“I can’t wait to showcase my drip,” Smith-Njigba said. “That’s what they call it. Boss hooked me and my family up with some nice suits, so I’m blessed to be here in Kansas City and to have this opportunity.”

When Neghandi asked JSN to reveal any details, even minor ones, about his suit, the receiver declined, explaining that everyone would have to wait and see what his designer cooked up for him to wear on what will be one of the most memorable nights of his life.

"You'll like it," he said. "I promise you."

I expect that promise to be kept.

 TRANSFER SZN. While not remotely close to the mass exodus in Boulder, Colorado, since Deion Sanders' arrival, Ohio State football – and men's basketball, for that matter – has had several players enter the transfer portal in recent weeks.

Football

  • Kicker Jake Seibert: Spent his first three seasons at Ohio State... Made 16 extra points and 1-of-2 field goals as a freshman... Took practice reps at cornerback in fall camp before the 2022 season.
  • Wide receiver Caleb Burton: A four-star recruit and No. 132 overall prospect in the class of 2022... Spent his first season at Ohio State... Did not play any snaps for the Buckeyes last year.
  • Offensive lineman Ben Christman: A four-star recruit and No. 124 overall prospect in the class of 2021... Spent his first two seasons at Ohio State... Played nine snaps as a redshirt freshman in 2022.
  • Linebacker Jackson Kuwatch: Spent his first two seasons at Ohio State as a walk-on... Did not play any snaps for the Buckeyes.

Men's Basketball

  • Guard/Forward Eugene Brown: A four-star recruit and No. 143 overall prospect in the class of 2020... Spent his first three seasons at Ohio State... Averaged 2.2 points and 1.5 rebounds per contest in his 77 appearances and 11 starts for the Buckeyes... Transferred to Georgia Southern.
  • Forward Tanner Holden: A top-25 transfer in the class of 2022 after averaging nearly 20 points per game with Wright State the previous season... Spent one year with the Buckeyes... Averaged 3.6 points in 13.6 minutes across 27 appearances... Made a sick buzzer-beater against Rutgers once.

After each of these players made their respective announcements, the response from Buckeye Nation has been positive and encouraging toward said players, for which I am proud. After all, as much as it hurts to see Buckeyes move on, the football and men's basketball programs have also brought in new faces this offseason.

Cornerback Davison Igbinosun, safety Ja'Had Carter and quarterback Tristan Gebbia headline a septet of transfers (including walk-ons) for the football team, while forward Jamison Battle and guard Dale Bonner are the new players in town for the BasketBucks. Heck, even the women's basketball program landed a stud in Celeste Taylor.

For those who have left, I wish them the best. For those who have arrived, I expect the best. Love it or hate it – this is the new era of college athletics. Let's ride.

 SONG OF THE DAY. "Magic in the Hamptons" by Social House.

 CUT TO THE CHASE. Patch crowned "beautiful bulldog" at Drake University event... "Mojave Max" tortoise emerges in Vegas; latest since 2000... German court: naked landlord doesn’t justify lower rent... Thousands of little blue creatures are washing up on California beaches... Barbie releases new doll with Down syndrome in new lineup of inclusive figures.

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