Before C.J. Stroud was leading the Texans to playoff victories, the breakout rookie was a three-star high school recruit.
That's hard to believe considering the 22-year-old just put together a season worthy of the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award, taking a Houston squad that won three games last season to the AFC Divisional Round in his first year.
Stroud has been nothing short of incredible to start his career, throwing for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions over 15 games. He made rookie history in his NFL playoff debut, torching the Browns' elite defense for 236 yards and three touchdowns by halftime to lead Houston to a commanding 45-14 victory.
As Stroud gears up for the biggest game of his life to date — a matchup against the No. 1 seed Ravens in Baltimore with a trip to the AFC Championship on the line — here's what to know about his roots and journey to the NFL.
Where is C.J. Stroud from?
Stroud was born Oct. 3, 2001. He is from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. and went to Rancho Cucamonga High School.
Believe it or not, Stroud was once a lesser-known three-star recruit. After his junior season in 2019, Stroud was ranked as low as the 943rd best player in the class of 2020, according to 247Sports.
It wasn't until his breakout senior season that he finally started to climb the ranks. Stroud threw for 3,878 yards and 47 touchdowns as a senior. His prospect profile really started to skyrocket when he won MVP of the Elite 11 quarterback camp.
Stroud closed his high school career as a five-star recruit, the No. 29-ranked player in the country and the No. 2-ranked pro-style quarterback in his class.
MORE: What is Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud's contract?
Where did C.J. Stroud go to college?
Stroud went from overlooked to an Ohio State University commit.
Stroud spent three seasons at Ohio State. He was a two-year starter, backing up eventual Bears star quarterback Justin Fields during Stroud's true freshman season in 2020.
He hit the ground running during his first season as a starter, even if Ohio State missed the College Football Playoffs. Stroud threw for 4,435 yards, 44 touchdowns and six interceptions while leading the Buckeyes to an 11-2 record and a Rose Bowl title in 2021.
In 2022, Stroud threw for 3,688 yards, 41 touchdowns and six interceptions and led Ohio State to the same 11-2 record. This time, the Buckeyes qualified for the College Football Playoffs, falling to Georgia in a 42-41 shootout.
In that game, Stroud made his mark on NFL scouts by throwing for 348 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions. The Texans would go on to take Stroud with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
