Ohio State had some key departures from its QB room this offseason. Fortunately, those departures haven’t impacted the long-term outlook for the position in Columbus.

A big reason for being optimistic with the Buckeyes is returning starter C.J. Stroud. In his first season as a starter, Stroud finished 4th in Heisman Trophy voting while posting 4,435 yards passing with 44 touchdowns.

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Stroud also posted 573 yards and 6 touchdowns in a dramatic Rose Bowl performance. He completed better than 70% of passes during the 2021 season.

Even with the departures of Quinn Ewers to Texas and Jack Miller III to Florida, ESPN analyst Adam Rittenberg still has the Buckeyes at the top of his QB power rankings for the future.

Here’s a snippet of Rittenberg’s explanation:

“Stroud will almost certainly depart after the 2022 season, but Ohio State’s recruiting — and the continued presence of Day and offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson — should ease any worries. Kyle McCord, ESPN’s No. 31 overall recruit in 2020, will be ready to step in after another season as Stroud’s primary backup. Although quarterbacks Jack Miller and Quinn Ewers transferred out, Ohio State added Devin Brown, ESPN’s No. 4 pocket passer and No. 80 overall prospect for the 2022 class. Ohio State likely will add another quarterback or two, and the future seems secure beyond the coming season.”

It’s also worth mentioning that whoever steps into the void post-Stroud should maintain no shortage of weapons to throw to. The Buckeyes continue to add elite receivers in nearly every recruiting cycle, thanks to the work of assistant coach Brian Hartline.

You can check out Rittenberg’s full top-25 QB power rankings here. (ESPN+ subscription required.)