Eric Boggs
Stover waited until the third day of the 2024 NFL draft to hear his name called. On Saturday, the Houston Texans selected him as the 123rd overall pick in the fourth round. This pick brings him back together with his former quarterback from Ohio State, C.J. Stroud. Stover is the third player from Ohio State chosen in this year’s draft, following Marvin Harrison Jr., picked fourth overall, and Mike Hall, picked 54th overall.
He becomes the third Ohio State tight end drafted in the last four years. Others include Luke Farrell, picked by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round in 2021, and Jeremy Ruckert, picked by the New York Jets in the third round in 2022.
Stover originally came to Columbus as an outside linebacker but switched to offense before his second season as a Buckeye in 2020. By 2022, he was the starting tight end for the Buckeyes. In that year, he caught 36 passes for 406 yards and scored five touchdowns. The next year, in 2023, he had even better stats, with 41 catches for 576 yards and five touchdowns.
At the NFL Scouting Combine this spring, Stover showcased his skills with a 4.65-second 40-yard dash, a 34.5-inch vertical jump, a 9-foot-9-inch broad jump, and a 4.45-second 20-yard shuttle. However, Stover believes that stats don’t tell the whole story of his abilities as a football player and what he can bring at the professional level.
Stover is excited to reunite with Stroud, whom he considers one of his closest friends. They were teammates at Ohio State back in 2022. Stover will join the Texans’ tight end unit, led by Dalton Schultz. He will likely compete with Brevin Jordan to become the Texans’ No. 2 tight end in 2024.
