C.J. Stroud to Be Ohio State's Emergency QB vs. Akron Because of Shoulder Injury

Ohio State head football coach Ryan Day announced Thursday that C.J. Stroud will be the team's emergency quarterback against Akron on Saturday because of a shoulder injury.

With Stroud unlikely to see the field, Day noted that he plans to utilize both Kyle McCord and Jack Miller under center.

Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors reported that the shoulder injury has bothered Stroud throughout the season, which contributed to Day deciding to rest him ahead of the Buckeyes' Big Ten clash with Rutgers on Oct. 2.

Stroud, a freshman, has put up strong numbers so far this season, completing 62.4 percent of his passes for 963 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions.

He did struggle a bit in last week's 41-20 win over Tulsa, though, going just 15-of-25 for 185 yards with one touchdown and one pick.

The Buckeyes are 2-1 this season, losing 35-28 to Oregon, but Stroud was not to blame for that defeat, as he threw for 484 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

Stroud had massive shoes to fill this season for the No. 10-ranked Buckeyes, as he replaced Justin Fields, who was a first-round pick of the Chicago Bears.

While Stroud definitively declared himself as the starter entering the season with a strong performer during the spring, both McCord and Miller are talented signal-callers in their own right.

Neither of them have taken a snap yet this season, but McCord was the No. 28 overall player and No. 6 quarterback in the 2021 recruiting class, per 247Sports, while 247Sports ranked Miller as the No. 334 overall player and No. 13 pro-style quarterback in the 2020 class.

McCord has not seen any action as a freshman, while Miller went 1-of-2 for 23 yards and one touchdown as a freshman last season. 

Regardless of how Day splits up the snaps Saturday, OSU should have little issue coming out on top at home against an Akron team that is 1-2 this season and went a combined 1-17 over the previous two seasons.