Joe Burrow is officially returning to Ohio.
The former Ohio State quarterback, who finished his collegiate career by leading LSU to a national championship as a graduate transfer, was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft on Thursday night.
Two years ago, when Burrow made the decision to leave Ohio State after falling behind Dwayne Haskins for the opportunity to be the Buckeyes' 2018 starting quarterback, becoming the No. 1 overall pick would have seemed improbable. After what he accomplished at LSU this past season, though, it seemed downright inevitable. As reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter prior to the draft, the Bengals had already informed Burrow on Wednesday that they would be drafting him.
Burrow had one of the greatest seasons ever for a college football quarterback in 2019, completing 76.3 percent of his passing attempts for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns with only six touchdowns, winning the Heisman Trophy in a landslide vote and leading LSU to a 15-0 record.
Now, the Athens, Ohio native will become the new face of the franchise in Cincinnati, where he'll be tasked with leading the way to getting the Bengals back on the right track after a 2-14 season in 2019.
“I would’ve told you you were crazy,” Burrow said when asked by ESPN's Suzy Kolber what he thought if told a year ago he would be the No. 1 overall pick. “To jump up to No. 1 overall is crazy to me, but it’s a dream come true.”
In becoming a Bengal, Burrow is reuniting with five of his former teammates from Ohio State: Sam Hubbard, Michael Jordan, Billy Price, Isaiah Prince and Vonn Bell.
“It’s very exciting,” Hubbard told Eleven Warriors earlier this week. “I’ve known Joe for a long time, as a person and a player, and he would be a great addition to us.”
With Burrow's selection, a former Ohio State quarterback has been selected in the first round of each of the past two NFL drafts, as Haskins was the No. 15 overall pick by the Washington Redskins last year. He'll hope to have more success in the NFL than JaMarcus Russell, the only other former LSU quarterback to be selected with the No. 1 overall pick.
Burrow never started a game in his three seasons at Ohio State, but left the program in high regard and has remained a fan favorite in his home state, where he'll now look to translate his success in the Bayou into leading an NFL offense. He was recruited to Ohio State by Urban Meyer, and coached briefly by current head coach Ryan Day, and both of them – along with many of his former Ohio State teammates – have remained fervent supporters of Burrow in his journey to the NFL.
“I have nothing but the highest praise for him and his work ethic and his ability to play,” Day said when asked about Burrow on a teleconference last week.