Will Howard will begin the 2024 season as Ohio State's starting quarterback, the team announced Thursday. The Kansas State transfer was considered the heavy favorite to win the job as the only one of the five contenders with major starting experience.
"We're really excited about Will," Ohio State coach Ryan Day said in a statement released on social media. "He has really taken command of the offense."
Howard started several games over the past three seasons at Kansas State, notably leading the Wildcats to their first Big 12 championship since 2012 with an upset victory over TCU in 2022. In 34 career games with 28 starts, Howard completed 59% of his passes for 5,786 yards, 48 touchdowns and 25 interceptions.
After announcing his intent to transfer, Howard fielded multiple major offers as one of the most accomplished players on the board. Ultimately he decided to join Day's machine at Ohio State, which has been one of the most prolific offensive groups in the country in the past few years. The Buckeyes enter a new era after hiring Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator, and Howard should fit the role quite well.
The former Wildcat beat out four other quarterbacks for the starting role including returners Devin Brown and Lincoln Kienholtz. True freshmen Julian Sayin and Air Noland also competed for the starting job. Ohio State opens the 2024 season on Aug. 31 against Akron on CBS.
Revamping the offense
Howard does not fit the recent profile of Day quarterbacks, but his stature could portend a difference in approach under Kelly, whose offenses at Oregon and UCLA heavily utilized the quarterback run game to create defensive conflict; Day primarily leaned on pocket passers -- outside of Justin Fields.
In his last season at Kansas State, Howard posted 351 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. He finished his Wildcat career with 19 rushing touchdowns. Howard is an accurate and decisive passer but does not have the elite, five-star type of arm that Day often covets. However, with explosive wide receivers like Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith at his disposal, leaning on efficiency could prove more effective than consistently dropping downfield bombs.
Backup battle remains unsettled
While Howard is the starting quarterback, the rest of the board remains unclear. Brown is the obvious leader to back up Howard after serving in the role last season, but his Cotton Bowl start against Missouri didn't inspire confidence. He threw for just 20 yards on six attempts before suffering a lower-body injury.
Sayin has reportedly impressed after transferring from Alabama. If he moves up the depth chart, it could prove complicating for Noland and Kienholtz, both of whose eligibility largely overlaps with Sayin. Movement is coming down the line, but it's unclear which players will get left out.
