With Thursday’s announcement making his starter standing official, Ohio State quarterback Will Howard enters the 2024 season as presumably crucial school soccer participant within the nation.
In what coach Ryan Day is deeming a nationwide championship-or-bust season in Columbus, Howard should ship. The switch quarterback from Kansas State has all of the attributes to be sufficient, particularly with a star-studded supporting forged for the No. 2 Buckeyes, however an up and down final 12 months naturally led to questions on whether or not he will be sufficient.
From having to fend off a hard-charging Avery Johnson final season at Kansas State to navigating a wild switch portal market to a first spring at Ohio State that elicited blended critiques, Howard entered fall camp as a seasoned, been-there-done-that 22-year-old (he shall be 23 in September) who had tasted nearly all the things the fashionable school soccer expertise can current a quarterback. and but he was in a five-man quarterback battle that wasn’t assured to go his manner.
However he confirmed as much as fall camp leaner with higher throwing velocity and extra positive of himself in a Chip-Kelly orchestrated offense. He used the adversity of the final yr to energy progress displayed in fall camp that now has him prepared to steer shall be a high-octane Buckeyes offense.
“He went via a whole lot of stuff that a whole lot of guys would have folded over and he made it via victorious regardless what notion may very well be,” stated Vernard Abrams, who has labored with Howard since he was a highschool sophomore.
Abrams knew Howard had one thing particular the primary time he noticed him throw again in 2017. He is helped shepherd him from being a “tall, lanky child” into probably the most productive returning quarterbacks in school soccer. He was there when at one level it seemed like Howard would head to an Ivy League faculty earlier than Kansas State supplied and once more when he grew to become one of many most sought-after quarterbacks within the switch portal market with a NIL beginning value of greater than $500,000, in response to sources conversant in his worth. Ohio State spent about $20 million on its superteam roster, athletics director Ross Bjork instructed Yahoo! Sports activities.
When Howard in the end picked Ohio State after additionally visiting Miami and USC, he arrived on campus because the presumed starter. He had began 28 video games at Kansas State, racking up 5,786 passing yards and 48 touchdowns plus 19 dashing touchdowns. He guided the Wildcats to the 2022 Huge 12 Championship. It wasn’t at all times easy in 2023 for Howard, nonetheless, who additionally threw for 10 interceptions and obtained pulled whereas struggling in opposition to Texas Tech in favor of Johnson. Returning Buckeye QB Devin Brown, who pushed Kyle McCord for the beginning job the prior season, had the early edge within the competitors, displaying extra confidence and data of the system within the spring, whereas true freshman Julian Sayin earned the adoring title of QB-of-the-future.
Kelly and Day laid out a blueprint for what Howard wanted to work on within the offseason. He slimmed down from his 249 kilos to 233 when he obtained again on campus. He had bulked up over time at Kansas State to deal with the hits that got here with operating and used the breakup to vary his physique. Even after dropping the burden, Howard seemed stronger and exhibited higher velocity on his throws in fall camp, in response to follow and scrimmage experiences. That is due, partly, to a summer time emphasis with Abrams on his decrease physique power. Abrams instructed Howard that when he really makes use of his decrease physique in his throwing movement: “You are as sturdy as an ox and explosive.”
“The loopy half is the child has a robust arm,” Abrams stated. “I believe it is underestimated. I believe him being comfy within the offense after which going out and enjoying and permitting himself simply to play goes to indicate itself.”
The Ohio State coaches noticed that firsthand when he obtained again for fall camp.
“Will has actually taken a command of the offense, I imagine,” Day stated Thursday. “You’re feeling him within the huddle. You’re feeling his expertise. I believe he did a very good job, as we talked about, of adjusting his physique within the offseason. So he is turn out to be a risk each along with his legs and along with his arm. And the extra he understands what he is doing on the market, and when he does, he is actually executing very effectively.”
Day stated that once they graded the 5 quarterbacks, Howard completed “considerably forward” and actually separated himself over the past week. Declaring the QB competitors over on Aug. 15 is considerably sooner than how Day dealt with final season’s McCord-Brown battle which stretched into the season. Day and Kelly are betting on Howard’s expertise and resolve to be what will get the Buckeyes over the hump this season after three consecutive losses to Michigan and the final nationwide championship coming in 2014.
Howard will get to work with a bunch that features a stacked operating again room of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, the nation’s No. 1 general recruit within the class of 2024 (Jeremiah Smith) and one of many Huge Ten’s prime returning receivers in Emeka Egbuka. These round Howard love his match at Ohio State and assume the mixture of the encompassing expertise and the arduous teaching of Day and Kelly will deliver one of the best out of him. Similar to Howard took a leap from spring to fall, Abrams expects him to solely get higher because the season progresses and he will get extra comfy along with his new surroundings. There may very well be some hiccups alongside the best way, particularly with Day relinquishing play-calling duties to Kelly this season, however the Buckeyes have a month to determine it out earlier than the schedule actually intensifies with Iowa (Oct. 5) and at Oregon (Oct. 12).
If Ohio State goes to satisfy its title-or-bust preseason expectations, it will need one of the best model of Howard anybody has seen but.
“That is his final rodeo,” Abrams stated. “He will exit and do all the things he can to usher in some (wins). It should be thrilling.”