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Ohio State Pro Day Notebook: Will Howard Shines As Bucks Put On Show

Tony Gerdeman 6 min read March 26, 2025

COLUMBUS — Seventeen former Buckeyes from the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship team took part in Ohio State’s Pro Day on Wednesday. Former OSU running back Miyan Williams was also a participant during some on-field drills.

There were 142 NFL personnel on hand, which included six head coaches and five general managers. They watched the Buckeyes lift, test, run, and take part in drills over the course of about three hours.

Not every player did every drill. Some Buckeyes chose to stand on what they did at the NFL Combine last month. For instance, running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson did not run the 40-yard dash. Neither did cornerback Denzel Burke. Defensive end Jack Sawyer said that he wanted to run his 40, but he had a little tightness in his hamstring and didn’t want to risk it.

Highlights, notes, quotes, and all of the final numbers can be found below.

Will Howard Shines

The final workout of the day belonged to quarterback Will Howard, who threw to receiver Emeka Egbuka, tight end Gee Scott, Jr., and running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams. The NFL also permits current players who are in their third year on campus to take part in some drills. Third-year receivers Carnell Tate, Bryson Rodgers, and Brandon Inniss all participated.

Here’s what Will Howard had to say about an afternoon where only three balls hit the ground — and none until late. Three deep shots failed to connect, but only one was overthrown — and not by much. You can see all of his throws below.

  • On His Pro Day Performance
    “It felt great, man. It’s just good to be back here in the Woody with my guys, throwing with them. I’m critical of myself, I wasn’t perfect, but hey, I think we were almost perfect. It was fun, it was a good day.”
  • On Feeling More Comfortable At Home Vs. Indianapolis
    “I mean, definitely. Obviously, more comfortable here. I think I did decent in Indy, but it was good to be back home throwing with my guys and in the Woody. It was fun.”
  • On What He Proved
    “I think I showed that I can throw the ball at every level. I think at the end of the day, I feel like my leadership, my intelligence, and my arm strength — I believe in myself — it’s not a knock to any of the other quarterbacks, but I think I’m the best.”
  • On Handling The Pressure
    “We’ve played in some pretty high-stakes environments, so this is nothing compared to what we’ve done and what we’ve been able to do. It’s supposed to be pressurized, but that’s why I told them to throw that music up and let’s have fun with this thing.”
  • On Making A Statement
    “I want to prove that I’m the best quarterback in this draft. I can push the ball down the field. I can put it with some pace on these out routes, on these short routes. I can be accurate. I think my accuracy is one of my best attributes. Then, obviously, my leadership. I have a smile on my face and I’m having fun. I think there’s no moment that’s too big for me.”
  • On meeting with NFL teams:
    “I’ve been talking to pretty much everyone, but we’ll see. You never know in this process. I’m trying to be available to everyone and show them all that I’m capable of coming in and being a guy.”

Throughout the afternoon, Howard showcased his confidence as well as his accuracy and arm strength.

Notable Numbers

Receiver Emeka Egbuka had a standout day. He caught everything sent his way and posted a 38″ vertical jump and 4.45 hand-timed 40-yard draft. Afterward, he was not thrilled with his 40 time because he’s had faster times previously.

Nickel back Jordan Hancock also had an excellent day, running a 4.42 hand-timed 40-yard dash and posting a 41.5″ vertical. The top vertical jump among cornerbacks at the NFL Combine was 40″.

Defensive tackle Ty Hamilton measured in at 6’2.5″ and 299 pounds. He ran a 4.95 and did 35 reps of 225 pounds.

Tight end Gee Scott, Jr. ran a 4.60 hand-timed 40, measuring in at 6’2.5″ and 238 pounds. The top verified laser time at the NFL Combine for a tight end was 4.63 by Oregon’s Terrance Ferguson. Scott was one of two Buckeye starters who are draft-eligible and were not invited to the Combine.

Right tackle Josh Fryar is the other starter who was not invited to the Combine. Today he measured in at 6’5″ and 318 pounds. His 34″ vertical jump would have put him fourth among all linemen at the Combine. He ran a hand-timed 40 of 5.09 with a 1.69 10-yard split. The top laser split time at the Combine was 1.70.

Cramping His Style

The on-field drills began with the 40-yard dash. Unfortunately for defensive tackle Tyleik Williams, he took a fall during his initial run.

Williams was eventually able to walk off under his own power, but his day was done. Don’t worry though, it was just a cramp.

Simon Says It Was A Good Day

Middle linebacker Cody Simon was the only Buckeye doing linebacker drills on the day. You can see his workout below.

Simon measured in at 6’1.5″ and 232 pounds. He posted a 4.59 40-yard dash while adding 21 reps in the 225-pound bench press.

Jack Sawyer Reflects

Some teams have talked with defensive end Jack Sawyer about playing outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense, which he’s comfortable with.

  • “A lot of conversations have been great,” he said. “I’m typically going to be on the ball, on the line of scrimmage, outside linebacker, defensive end, right in that role, and let me get after the quarterback, which is what I want to do.”

He only did defensive line drills on the day, however.

  • “I did good,” he said. “I was disappointed I couldn’t run or do anything. I kind of tweaked my hammy — not too bad — but it wouldn’t have been smart to run. I felt like I did good in the D-line drills, but disappointed I couldn’t run or anything.”

Sawyer was also asked to reflect on his Ohio State career now that the championship banners are hanging up.

  • “It’s been a long four years here, the ups and downs, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” he said. “Being able to come back now and see that we left something here feels good.”

He believes his pass-rushing ability will translate well to the NFL.

  • “I’ve been saying it all along — I feel like I can be a really dominant guy at the next level rushing the passer. I know I can.”

On the criticism that Ryan Day and the team received during his time.

  • “There’s a lot of dumbasses out there that want to say shit — excuse my French — but yeah, of course you’re gonna get that. You hear it when people talk about firing the best coach in college football. That just shows you those guys know a lot about sports.”

Additional Ohio State Pro Day Video

Full Testing Results And Measurements

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