Ohio State Football Notebook: ‘Coach Mick had some words for me’

The Senior Fifteen

When Kansas State quarterback Will Howard transferred to Ohio State in January, he knew his game would receive some refining. But it wasn’t just his footwork or delivery that were assessed. It was also his weight.

“I believe I was 249 when I got here, my first weigh in, and now I’m around 233, 235,” the 6-foot-5 quarterback said last week.

Every player has discussions with strength coach Mickey Marotti and team nutritionist Kaila Olson. Plans are designed for everyone.

“Oh yeah. Coach Mick had some words for me,” Howard laughed.

Howard is not noticeably slimmer than he was in the winter and spring. He credits both Marotti and Olson, as well as his own home cooking.

“I mean, I sat down with Kaila. Sat down with Coach Mick,” he explained. “Whether it was in the in the winter, coming in on Saturdays, doing a little extra cardio, or just cooking for myself a little more, which made me feel a little more like, you know, I’m living alone, I feel like a little more grown up.

“I kind of had fun with it. So, yeah, it was cool. It was fun. It feels good to eat well and to treat your body right and I really learned how to do that here, and it’s been really, really good for me.”

Dropping the weight has been a boon for Howard, who is now moving better inside the pocket and outside of it as well.

“Yeah, no, it is significant,” he said. “And I can feel it, just in day to day, even just moving. Moving in the pocket and then obviously straight ahead running. I definitely feel it too.”

Sharing Is Caring

Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins is entering his junior season after transferring over from Ole Miss where he carried the ball 545 times in just two seasons. That number is 99 more carries than teammate TreVeyon Henderson has amassed in his three years as a starter at Ohio State.

When Judkins transferred to OSU in January, many viewed it as a guy who was ready to share more of the load and save some tread on his tires. Judkins insists that his approach isn’t changing, even if his workload is.

“My job is to come in and run the football and just be the best teammate that I can be to my teammates and support my team overall,” he said. “I don’t really focus on how many carries I get or things like that. I just come in and just do my job.”

It’s the same mentality that he took with him to Ole Miss, and it has served him well along the way.

“I think I have the same mentality,” he said. “I’m a part of the brotherhood. I look forward to going out there and doing my best to help my team be able to succeed.”

Gaining Confidence By The Day

Freshman running back Sam Williams-Dixon is one of two tailbacks in OSU’s 2024 signing class, joining James Peoples. Peoples has garnered more of the attention, but Williams-Dixon has gotten better every step of fall camp.

The same happened in the spring, where Williams-Dixon led all Buckeyes in rushing yards (75) in the spring game.

How does Williams-Dixon think things have gone?

“I think pretty well, for real, just being a freshman,” he said. “I learned that some days aren’t going to be good. You’re going to have your good and bad days, but I’m adapting to it.”

With media in attendance over the first four practices, the good days were happening more and more often. It is clear in watching him that he has grown more comfortable by the day. His successes are building his confidence, and also the confidence his teammates have in him.

“Right now, I feel very confident because I can take the meeting to the field any day, for real,” he said last week. “But I feel like the guys in front of me, like Quinshon [Judkins] and Trey [Henderson], they’ve got confidence in me and when they’ve got confidence in me, I have all the confidence in the world.”

Sam Williams-Dixon is making good use out of his teammates, and he’s also got a better grasp of things off the field, which helps him make plays on the field.

“Oh, yeah,” he said. “I just feel like in the meeting room, once I know what I’m doing, I can go out there and really just play football.”

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