Ohio State tight end Cade Stover (8) is one of only two tight ends in Division I FBS with three receptions of 30 or more yards so far this season.David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio — During the offseason, Ohio State football’s C.J. Stroud and Cade Stover connected on more than their routes.
Stover, the blue collar tight end from the family farm in north-central Ohio, said he and Stroud, the Heisman Trophy finalist quarterback from suburban Los Angeles, became close friends. He said that bond grew from their common commitment to the team.
With eight receptions and 137 yards through three games, Stover is on pace for the most productive receiving season for a tight end in recent OSU memory. He believes the bond he and Stroud formed over the summer carries over to the field.
“In the huddle and stuff, if you’ve got an off-field connection to where, when you can look at him, you draw back on mat drills, you can draw back on other stuff, you could draw back on going to the Griff pool,” Stover said, referring to a local apartment complex.
“Just something where he’s gonna be in my back pocket. I’m going tooth and nail every step of the way with that guy.”
Stover totaled five receptions last season — catching exactly one pass in five different games. Only one of those netted more than 18 yards.
Yet he already has two receptions in all three games this season. That includes receptions of 34, 35 and 38 yards. Only 36 players in college football have three receptions of 30-plus yards. Only one of them besides Stover — Louisiana Tech’s Griffin Hebert, who has four — is listed as a tight end.
Three games, including two against non-Power 5 opponents, makes for a small sample size. Stover, though, is on pace for 40 receptions and 685 yards if OSU plays a full 15 games. His predecessor, Jeremy Ruckert, totaled 54 receptions and 615 yards in four seasons.
Stroud came out of the Toledo win upset at himself for missing a wide-open Stover in the back of the end zone. He admitted he got too excited. He wanted to reward a teammate from whom he draws a lot of inspiration.
“He still had a great game — phenomenal game — blocked his tail off and also ran great routes, great body language,” Stroud said after the 77-21 victory over Toledo. “It’s exciting for him to see his work pay off.
“He’s probably the person I look up to on the team, honestly. He always puts confidence in me, just his knack just to win and wanting to dominate people.”
Stroud said Stover ran routes well enough before. Now he better understands why he runs them, which makes him more locked into the offense.
One route in particular stood out against Toledo — a play action fake on which Stover sold himself as a blocker, then released late up the seam for a wide-open 38-yard gain into the red zone. All three of Stover’s receptions that night went for first downs.
Stover credited the route work he put in over the summer with special advisor Keenan Bailey. He also praised the guy throwing him the ball.
“He’s the best player with the football in his hands I’ve ever seen in my life,” Stover said. “And Justin (Fields) came through here. I’ve seen Chase Young come through here.
“He has an unbelievable touch, too. Sometimes we catch a ball from people and It’s like your hands are stinging. Your hands don’t sting with his ball. It’s soft, but it’s got a little zip to it, and it’s unbelievable.”
Stover’s successful start to the season allowed him to reflect on his initially unsuccessful transition to the tight end room as a sophomore. (“I sucked … and I mean sucked,” Stover said Wednesday.) He still had a linebacker mentality, trying to hard to “smash” everyone and coming up empty too often. He admitted he sometimes questioned whether he was at the correct position.
A return to linebacker for the Rose Bowl last season served as a fond farewell to his defensive identity.
“After that Notre Dame game was the first time I was like, ‘That felt good,’” Stover said of the season opener. “That felt like how I felt when I played defense. I feel good. I feel beat up. I feel worn out.
“When you can play on the offensive side of the ball like you can on defense, I think I’ve 100% officially taken that step.”
He and Stroud have at least 10 games left together – and possibly more -- to keep exploring this new connection.
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