Bryce Young vs. C.J. Stroud stats: Will Alabama or Ohio State star be first QB chosen in 2023 NFL Draft?

Sam Jarden

Bryce Young vs. C.J. Stroud stats: Will Alabama or Ohio State star be first QB chosen in 2023 NFL Draft? image

With the NFL Combine underway, the league has entered the final stretch in the build-up to the 2023 draft.

This year's class or rising stars features plenty of talent at quarterback. Two of the biggest names on 2023 big boards are Alabama's Bryce Young and Ohio State's C.J. Stroud. 

The jury is very much out on who will be the first quarterback selected this year, but the consensus is it will be Young or Stroud. A lot can still change with combine drills, private workouts and team interviews still to come, but the safe money is on one of those two. 

MORE: Stroud says fans sent him criticism via Venmo throughout 2022 season

Young and Stroud both played their high school ball in Southern California. Young graduated from Mater Dei in Santa Ana and Stroud graduated from Rancho Cucamonga, about an hour's drive northeast. Young headed to Tuscaloosa to play for Nick Saban while Stroud chose to play for Ryan Day's Buckeyes. 

Both were starters the past two seasons. They never played against one another as starters in college, although Young did kneel down on the final play of the Crimson Tide's 52-24 victory over the Buckeyes in the 2020 national championship game.  

MORE: Latest Sporting News 2023 NFL mock draft

Young finished his Alabama career with a 23-4 record as a starter, while Stroud went 22-4 in his career in Columbus.

The similarities don't stop there. There are other parallels in their stats. Both were efficient, accurate passers who avoided turnovers. Neither showed exceptional running ability, but Young had the statistical edge on the ground.

MORE: Breaking down Texans' QB options from No. 2 spot in NFL Draft

Both have relatively high floors after playing in pro-style offenses, but Stroud has the edge in terms of size — he's listed at 6-4, 220 pounds while Young is listed at 6-0, 194. 

Who, then, will be the first quarterback taken in the 2023 NFL Draft? It seems as if more experts are giving Young the nod, but it's essentially a dead heat. 

Here's a breakdown of Young and Stroud's collegiate stats and where several major mock drafts have the QBs landing:

Bryce Young stats

Season Comp Att Comp pct Yds Pass TD Rush TD INT
2020 13 22 59.1 156 1 0 0
2021 366 547 66.9 4,872 47 3 7
2022 245 380 64.5 3,328 32 4 5

C.J. Stroud stats

Season Comp Att Comp pct Yds Pass TD Rush TD INT
2021 317 441 71.9 4,435 44 0 6
2022 258 389 66.3 3,688 41 0 6

Stroud had a noticeable advantage in completion percentage, especially in 2021, and he threw six more TD passes over the past two seasons. Their INT averages as starters were identical (six per year). Young had a big edge in rushing touchdowns.  

Stroud was healthy for the entire 2022 season, while Young missed one game, vs. Texas A&M on Oct. 8.

2023 NFL mock drafts

The Sporting News

  • Young: No. 2 overall to Texans
  • Stroud: No. 4 overall to Colts

CBS Sports

  • Young: No. 3 overall to Panthers (via trade with Cardinals)
  • Stroud: No. 1 overall to Texans (via trade with Bears)

The Athletic

  • Young: No. 1 overall to Colts (via trade with Bears)
  • Stroud: No. 2 overall to Texans

Pro Football Network

  • Young: No. 1 overall to Texans (via trade with Bears)
  • Stroud: No. 4 overall to Colts

Yahoo Sports

  • Young: No. 4 overall to Colts
  • Stroud: No. 2 overall to Texans

USA TODAY Sports

  • Young: No. 1 overall to Colts (via trade with Bears)
  • Stroud: No. 2 overall to Texans

Sam Jarden

Sam Jarden Photo

Sam Jarden joined Sporting News as an intern in 2020 and returned as a content producer in 2022. In between, he spent a year and a half at Turner Sports, managing the social media accounts for Bleacher Report, NBA on TNT, NBA TV and others. A proud UNC alumnus, he spends his free time following the Tar Heels, Buffalo Bills and Newcastle United FC, and has been known to occasionally hit the links.