Graduate quarterback Will Howard (18) smiles after Ohio State football’s spring game at Ohio Stadium on April 13. Credit: Caleb Blake | Lantern File Photo
When Will Howard finished his senior year at Kansas State, he decided to take a leap of faith toward achieving his lifelong goal of becoming a starting NFL quarterback.
Howard’s mission began with his commitment to Ohio State, and he earned the starting quarterback job for the Buckeyes this August.
Now, in just under a week, Howard will step into The Shoe at the helm of the Buckeyes offense.
“I kind of knew that last year was probably gonna be my last year [at Kansas State], so I knew that whatever I was going to be doing was going to be a new step,” Howard said. “I mean, this step that I’ve taken, it’s been a blessing in every single way.”
Despite being in his first year with the program, Howard was adamant about making early connections and becoming a leader for his Buckeye teammates.
“You have to come in and really gain the respect and the trust of a whole football team and this family in six, seven months,” Howard said. “For me, the first thing that was the most important thing was just getting relationships with everyone.”
Head coach Ryan Day said Howard’s veteran presence feels tangible, and the team has taken well to the confidence he exudes.
“You feel him in the huddle, you feel his experience,” Day said. “I think he did a really good job changing his body in the offseason, so he’s become a threat both with his legs and with his arm. He’s really executing very well, and I think the guys are excited when he gets in the huddle.”
Howard said the key differences between Kansas State’s offense and the system under Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has been different in a positive way, affecting how he processes the game.
Considering Ohio State’s talent pool at the wide receiver position, Howard said he has the green light to throw it up in single coverage.
If it’s one-on-one coverage, I mean, they’re open,” Howard said. “It just depends on how I have to throw the ball, and I think that was a lot [like] how coach Kelly and Coach Day kind of instilled that in my brain — like, ‘Hey, he may not look open, but he’s wide.’”
Kelly said Howard has not only impressed with his arm, but his legs as well, with his poise becoming more and more evident as time progresses.
“It’s just as critical to be that guy in the run game as it is in the past game in terms of what we asked the quarterback to do here,” Kelly said at an Aug. 15 press conference. “[Howard’s] really worked extremely hard in the offseason, you know, from the end of spring ball on April 13th to now. He’s made great strides but, you know, we gave him a plan over the summer to work on, and he took it and ran with it, so where he is now is pretty impressive.”
Howard said any obstacles he’s faced during his short time at Ohio State have positively transformed both his play and motivation toward the game.
“I feel like just the opportunity and the challenges that I’ve had to go through already here have really made me better as a player,” Howard said. “I feel like a different player than I did even last year. So I’m just excited because it’s a new opportunity; it’s a new challenge, and it kind of lit a new spark in me.”
Howard grew up in West Chester, Pennsylvania as a fan of Penn State. Many years later, he’s ready to experience the conference, only as a member of the Buckeyes.
“I’m fired up, man. I grew up as a kid watching the Big Ten,” Howard said. “I have played in a lot of places now at this point in my career. I’ve played in front of hundreds of thousands, but the Shoe and the atmosphere here, it’s different. And the traditions, I’m really excited just to experience all of it.”
Howard will take the field for the first time with the Buckeyes Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in Ohio State’s season opener against the Akron Zips.
