Head coach Ryan Day named Will Howard the team’s starting quarterback Thursday morning at his press conference. He stated Howard would start the season opener in two weeks against Akron on August 31st. Day also stated that third-year Buckeye Devin Brown will indeed be the definitive backup to start the year.
Howard spent his first four years of eligibility at Kansas State prior to transferring to Ohio State this past offseason. In 2023, he threw for 2,643 yards while completing 61.3 percent of his passing attempts. He also threw for 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Those numbers don’t stand out, but Howard does seem to be a very solid decision maker. His experience will bring an important sense of consistency to the offense with all of the incredible weapons at his disposal.
Will’s ability as a runner is also a very vital aspect of his game that Ohio State will rely on this season. He ran for 351 yards and nine touchdowns on just 81 attempts last year. New offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has a history of using dual-threat quarterbacks similar to Will. The benefit of being able to use the signal caller in the run game allows an additional blocker to be used, helping to often give the offense a numbers advantage. We’ve seen how advantageous this can be in the past with players like Braxton Miller, J.T. Barrett, and Justin Fields. Having his rushing ability will help Ohio State tremendously in the red zone, where they struggled at times in 2023 with Kyle McCord not being a threat on the ground.
True freshman Avery Johnson did split time with Howard in the middle of the season last year for the Wildcats. Will would take full-time duties again in the last four games of the season despite Avery really flashing at times. The presence of the talented young quarterback led to Howard entering the portal and joining Ryan Day’s squad after the departure of McCord to Syracuse. Kansas State was unlikely to keep both QBs on their roster and the younger option in Johnson probably did make the most sense for the team’s future. However, Buckeye fans should not be alarmed or think Howard only came to Columbus because he was the second option at his previous school.
Howard proved to be a winner at Kansas State despite not always being the full-time starter. In 2022, Howard commanded the offense that upset number three-ranked TCU in the Big 12 championship game. He threw for 199 yards and two touchdowns while also adding a rushing score in the overtime win. Fans should feel relief in the fact that he has shown a clear ability to play at a high level in big games.
Ryan Day praised Will’s command of the offense and his improved knowledge of the scheme since the spring practices. He then also pointed out that he doesn’t always need his quarterback to be extraordinary.
“We need someone who’s going to take care of the football, make good decisions, make the routine plays routinely.”
Coach Day referred to him saying the same thing last year around this exact time. His statement proved to be very true with the inconsistency and struggles of McCord and the offense. The experience of the veteran in Howard should prove to be a significant upgrade in that regard.
Much has also been made about Will’s improvements from spring practices in Columbus through this training camp. He recently revealed that he has dropped his weight down to about 235 pounds since being 248 when arriving in Columbus. Howard said he would ideally drop even lower to about 232 pounds. This change in his body was possibly reflected when he was recently reported to have been clocked moving at 22 miles per hour. His speed was the fastest out of all quarterbacks, despite each QB moving over 20 miles per hour. But for Howard, 22 is essentially a wide receiver number in that measurement. The change in his body can only be a major positive for the team. He seems to have fully embraced the demand to improve and be held to the highest standard at Ohio State as they pursue a national championship.
Fans in Columbus have numerous reasons to be very excited about the quarterback situation leading into the 2024 college football season. Howard is a proven veteran leader and the coaching staff all seem to be in agreement that he is the answer at the position. Having a starter named more than two weeks prior to the season opener is a great sign for the program. The Buckeyes found their leader of the offense and it will be exciting to follow his progress throughout the year.
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