Ohio State fans blow smoke over absurd evidence C.J. Stroud is staying with Buckeyes

Ohio State fans are over the moon after an unquestionable, no doubt about it, surefire sign that C.J. Stroud is staying instead of entering the NFL Draft.

Should he enter the 2023 NFL Draft, all signs point to the fact that Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud would be a Top 10 pick and possibly even the No. 1 overall pick if the right team traded up with the Bears.

The only problem for NFL teams is that Stroud has yet to declare.

That, of course, has gotten Ohio State fans buzzing about the possibility of the two-time Heisman finalist returning to Columbus for another season. With the deadline to declare on Jan. 16 looming in the very near future, Buckeyes fans are sure that he’s coming back to take NIL money, delay his NIL future and cement his legacy at OSU.

And now they have even more ammo.

Ohio State fans convinced C.J. Stroud is staying after latest social media hint

On Sunday, a fan posted to Twitter that Stroud liked a DM on Instagram about the quarterback staying with the Buckeyes instead of declaring for the draft.

So there you have it. He liked a DM — according to one screen recording from an anonymous Twitter user — so he’s obviously coming back.

Not to be the bearer of bad news here, but this doesn’t mean a whole lot. For one, we can only be but so sure about the validity of the video. Secondly, even if it is legitimate, Stroud liked the message, which could be an indication that he’s returning but could also just as likely be a player being appreciative of fans wanting him to stick around.

We’ll know something definitive about the future of C.J. Stroud and, by proxy, the future of Ohio State at quarterback on Jan. 16 when the NFL Draft declaration deadline comes and goes. Until then, it’s probably best to not overreact to every minute potential breadcrumb that pops up on social media.

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