Columbus, Ohio In addition to the two previous players Ohio State already had scheduled to watch in the NFL Pro Bowl in 2024, a third has now been added.
As one of the AFC’s quarterbacks in the yearly all-star game, C.J. Stroud replaces Patrick Mahomes and is selected alongside Nick Bosa and Denzel Ward in Orlando, Florida on Sunday. Bosa and Mahomes will be hard at work getting ready for Super Bowl LVIII.
Stroud returns from a rookie campaign in which he started for the Texans and went 9–6, completing 63.9% of his passes for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and five interceptions. In addition, he guided Houston to the AFC South championship and the NFL playoffs divisional round.
Along with defensive end and teammate Will Anderson, Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, Lions tight end Sam LaPorta, and Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon, he is one of five rookies participating in the game.
The events of the weekend include a skills competition at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on Thursday at 7 p.m. and an in-stadium competition that culminates in 7-on-7 flag football on Sunday at 3 p.m. ESPN, ABC, Disney XD, and ESPN+ will all carry it on television.
As his first defensive coordinator at Ohio State, Ryan Day once forced Jeff Hafley out of the NFL; now, Hafley is returning. After serving as the head coach of Boston College for the previous four years, he will take over as the defensive coordinator for the Packers.
Despite having only been in Columbus for a single year in 2019, Hafley managed to put together one of the top defenses in the country and possibly even the program’s history. Under his leadership, OSU saw Jeff Okudah and Chase Young both earn Jim Thorpe Award nominations and allowed only 4.13 yards per play. Young was named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. The two would then be the first two non-quarterbacks taken off the board with the No. 2 and No. 3 picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Hafley guided the Boston College Golden Eagles to two bowl berths with a 22–26 (12–22) record while he was on the team. They were the winners of the Fenway Bowl this past season after losing the Military Bowl in 2021.
