Will Howard Skill Set Translates Well To The Next Level

When Will Howard left Kansas State and entered the transfer portal last winter, he was still weighing the possibility of leaving college altogether and entering the 2024 NFL Draft.

He ultimately chose to transfer to Ohio State, and now the 6-foot-4, 235-pound quarterback will be starting for the Buckeyes this Saturday in the season opener against Akron.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has seen his share of talented quarterbacks in his time with the Buckeyes, including a trio of first-round draft picks. When looking for a quarterback either in recruiting or the transfer portal, Day has expressed in the past the importance of finding an elite trait to build upon.

What elite trait did he see in Will Howard?

“I see a bunch of traits there,” Day said last week. “I think the first trait is size. He’s big. He can stand in the pocket and he’s strong. So that’s the first thing you notice about him. Whether it’s standing in the pocket with poise — I think that’s another trait that he has that’s excellent — he feels the rush, but he stands right in there.”

Howard is bigger than some of the defenders trying to tackle him, which helps. He is also able to keep his eyes downfield and not get them lost in the pass rush. When it is time to escape, however, he can turn to another trait that Day likes.

“The next trait is just his top-end speed,” he said. “He can run 22 miles an hour at that size, which there’s not a lot of guys who can do that. So I think that’s an extraordinary trait.”

Being big, tall, strong, and fast can provide a nice foundation for a quarterback, but it doesn’t guarantee anything beyond some intriguing possibilities. There is more to being a quarterback than combine measurables.

The position is one of leadership by nature, but the execution of the passing game also needs to be there as well. One without the other is hollow. Fortunately for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes, Will Howard has been very good in both areas.

“I would say his overall leadership, command in the huddle is something that he’s really grown into in the last few months since he’s been here. And then his accuracy,” Day said. “He’s been very accurate since he’s been here. And when he knows what’s going on and he can anticipate what’s happening, it looks right. You just feel it.”

It has never been perfect for Howard at Kansas State. The ups and downs were always there, but the ups certainly looked pretty good at the time.

If Ryan Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly can grow Howard’s consistency and keep him towards the top of those ups and downs, his ceiling could be pretty high.

“He can hurt you a bunch of different ways,” Day said. “His ceiling, that’s going to be up to how he plays this season. But I see a player who has a lot of great skills that translate well to the next level, so we’ll see. But I know his first focus is on winning games around here.”