NCAAF News: Bengals QB Joe Burrow makes something clear about his time with the Buckeyes

Joe Burrow is currently poised to be one of the best in his position in the NFL. So much so, that just days ago, he was recognized with the Comeback Player of the Year award. However, the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback admitted that his path to the league wasn’t easy, revealing his toughest moments in the NCAAF when he was a backup at the Ohio State Buckeyes.

“Yeah, 100% you doubt yourself. You don’t — I didn’t play for three years, and it wasn’t because I was hurt. That wasn’t a that wasn’t a great feeling,” Burrow said in a recent appearance on The Dan Patrick Show. “I was working very hard and improving every single week, and just — never put it all together there.

“My dad and both of my brothers played college ball, so I was able to talk to them about it. Lean on them about their experiences and learning from them, and was able to graduate early and get out of there so I could go and play some football,” he also added.

The uncertainty about the future of his career was so great that Joe Burrow himself considered the possibility of pursuing basketball with the Ohio Bobcats: “I did. Yeah I did,” former LSU QB stated. “That was — if I had gone there, I probably would’ve played both football and basketball. I was thinking about doing that.

Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals looks on prior to the NFL Pro Bowl Games at Camping World Stadium on February 02, 2025 in Orlando, Florida.

“You know, Ohio State was really kind of one of my only Power Five, big time school offers. If I didn’t have one of those, I probably just would’ve stayed at OU and played both.”

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Burrow shares his opinion on the Transfer Portal and NIL

In a time when both the Transfer Portal and NIL are common terms in College Football, Joe Burrow claimed that his fate would have been different if he had been able to change course earlier in his career.

“I probably would’ve transferred much earlier than I did, but I had to graduate to go and play,” Burrow said. “At the time, the transfer portal wasn’t a thing. I think it became a thing the next year after I transferred, but I still think you had to sit out a year.

“… You should take advantage of [NIL]. If you’re going to be able to make seven figures in college, you’ve got to go and take advantage of that. If you’re in high school and you’re getting offered that, go wherever they’re paying you the most.”