Former KSU QB Will Howard to OSU
According to a random ESPN person without much journalistic credibility, but still.
Former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard tells ESPN that he’s committed to Ohio State. Howard led KState to the Big 12 title in 2022 and gives the Buckeyes one of the most talented and experienced available QBs on the market. “When I started talking to Ohio State, everything kind of lined up,” Howard told ESPN. “I had a list of things I was looking for, in terms of needing to go somewhere where there was a lot of talent around me and……compete for a national championship.” The Ohio State staff evaluated all of the top portal quarterbacks and arrived with conviction that Howard was the best among them, as they valued his arm strength, experience and dual-threat ability.
January 4th, 2024 at 6:40 PM ^
Works for me. I thought he regressed a bit this year.
January 4th, 2024 at 7:19 PM ^
Maybe they can land Bama’s center to snap it to him.
January 4th, 2024 at 7:35 PM ^
lol. Someone said this as a joke on McAfee’s show today.
January 4th, 2024 at 8:30 PM ^
Early word is that Ohio State is primarily looking at McLaughlin as an OG. They are guaranteed to lose their starting RG Matt Jones (Sr.), and projected to likely lose their starting LG Donovan Jackson (Jr.) to the NFL draft.
The starting C Carson Hinzman is a freshman, so would be a little surprising if he loses his job entirely (never say never though).
January 4th, 2024 at 8:54 PM ^
Isn’t Hinzman the guy they benched for the bowl game because he did an interview and complained about the NIL money the line was getting paid?
Day took some heat because the line played to bad in that game.
January 4th, 2024 at 9:15 PM ^
Yes, publicly Ryan Day said that Hinzman was having a rough bowl prep practice and felt like it was better to shuffle the OL around for the Cotton Bowl.
Timing-wise though, Hinzman recently spoke very candidly on a podcast interview that likely got him suspended. Hinzman said that Ohio State’s NIL system hasn’t been able to compete with programs in the south (i.e. Miami, UGA, UT). He said that Ohio State lost out on a high-profile OL recruit to a southern program that offered that recruit a $1 million NIL deal, and nobody on Ohio State starting OL makes anywhere close to that in NIL this season.
What Hinzman said has kind of tracked with what insiders have been reporting about Ohio State’s NIL system though… Supposedly Ryan Day hasn’t really prioritized getting huge NIL deals done, but has instead tried to get every player some form of NIL money and has gotten every player on the roster at least a 5-figure NIL contract thru the various collectives.
January 4th, 2024 at 10:36 PM ^
I don’t quite believe that OSU’s NIL is slacking. Justin Scott didn’t originally commit there for free
January 5th, 2024 at 7:52 AM ^
I’m sure they’re paying elite skill position players.
January 5th, 2024 at 7:45 AM ^
Interestingly, looks like OSU got Howard to wait until after the transfer portal window *closed* to announce his commitment, so none of OSU's on-roster QBs could transfer out. Slick.
January 5th, 2024 at 7:53 AM ^
There’s another window after spring ball.
January 5th, 2024 at 8:25 AM ^
All of this because of one bad half?
January 4th, 2024 at 7:51 PM ^
This may not even be a joke. I could see this happening IRL.
January 4th, 2024 at 9:08 PM ^
Seriously why would OSU want him?
January 4th, 2024 at 9:40 PM ^
Pls pop in the video of Missouri v OSU.
January 5th, 2024 at 8:10 AM ^
They were desperate and took anyone they could get to replace Mccord.
January 4th, 2024 at 10:46 PM ^
Howard the Duck
January 5th, 2024 at 8:10 AM ^
Wouldnt he be Howard the Buck?
January 5th, 2024 at 12:01 PM ^
No, because he throws a duck.
January 4th, 2024 at 6:41 PM ^
Fine. Doesn't move the needle.
January 4th, 2024 at 6:41 PM ^
Is he good? Better than McCord?
January 4th, 2024 at 6:43 PM ^
About the same, possibly less talented even.
January 4th, 2024 at 8:25 PM ^
FWIW, Howard is a threat to run the ball while McCord never was. McCord finished the year with negative rushing yards and 0 TDs while Howard finished with 351 yards and 9 TDs.
January 4th, 2024 at 8:40 PM ^
He’s still no Jalen Milroe.
January 4th, 2024 at 8:54 PM ^
Who has better dance moves?
January 4th, 2024 at 6:46 PM ^
McCord was clearly better this year.
January 4th, 2024 at 6:53 PM ^
McCord also had the best WR in college football.
January 4th, 2024 at 7:05 PM ^
McCord also played against better defenses.
January 4th, 2024 at 8:59 PM ^
The fact that there's back and forth about this is proof that this entire move was pointless and they forced their starter to transfer while making precisely zero appreciable gains at QB.
This is clearly a last resort after losing out on Ward or whoever else they were after. Total desperation move.
January 4th, 2024 at 11:58 PM ^
It really feels like they pushed out McCord hoping to pull in Cam Ward and then struck out. I don’t know how Will Howard compares, but I’m assuming Brown transfers. Net net they’re probably worse off.
January 5th, 2024 at 9:33 AM ^
This feels a lot less terrible when it happens to someone I don't like.
January 4th, 2024 at 11:43 PM ^
SNIP-SNAP SNIP-SNAP SNIP-SNAP
January 4th, 2024 at 7:10 PM ^
Passing Efficiency Rank
JJ #8 170 PE 2851 yds 4 Int
Penix #11 163 PE 4648 yds 9 Int
McCord #13 161 PE 3179 yds 6 Int (2 vs UofM)
Howard #53 140 PE 2643 yds 10 int
January 4th, 2024 at 7:16 PM ^
Hard to compare without Howard having elite B10 teammates.
But Ohio is going to land top qb talent regardless. There's much more to it than that.
January 4th, 2024 at 9:49 PM ^
McCord was playing with better talent against better talent.
OSU will also be breaking in a new albeit 5* WR crew.
Thats still a pretty big gap.
Ryan Day ran off #13 ranked qb 1st year starter and ended up with the #53. He basically blamed McCord for losing to Michigan. If this move doesn’t work it will not be good for him.
January 4th, 2024 at 7:23 PM ^
Can he throw well while being bear hugged by Mason Graham?
January 4th, 2024 at 9:42 PM ^
McCord inflated by nine 5* receivers; Howard inflated by Big 12 defenses who don't play defense. Howard can at least escape when under duress. McCord protected the ball better and had a better % completion but again you throw within 7 yards of MHJ you get a completion.
January 4th, 2024 at 11:04 PM ^
McCord protected the ball better and had a better % completion but again you throw within 7 yards of MHJ you get a completion.
... I mean, unless Will Johnson is also within seven yards of the football.
January 5th, 2024 at 8:15 AM ^
Unless Johnson or Moore are within 3 yards.
January 4th, 2024 at 10:41 PM ^
Overall, seems to be a less accurate passer, but a much more dynamic athlete/runner compared to McCord.
Worth noting as well, that Howard's best receiver at Kansas State this season was TE Ben Sinnott (Jr.) who had 49 receptions, 676 yards, and 6 TD -- His best WR was Phillips Brooks (Sr.) 53/589/5 TDs.
January 4th, 2024 at 6:41 PM ^
He’s thoroughly average, and doesn’t scare me at all
January 4th, 2024 at 8:32 PM ^
Any QB that can run gives me pause - and if it doesn't you, then you just started watching Michigan football on Monday!
January 4th, 2024 at 8:38 PM ^
Eh, he's a running/dual-threat type, and Day has already shown that he favors pocket quarterbacks. My guess is he backs up Devin Brown.
January 4th, 2024 at 9:12 PM ^
Howard had offers from USC and Miami. He’s not transferring to back up anyone. Especially not anyone who played a role in OSU’s 3-point bowl-game debacle.
January 4th, 2024 at 9:55 PM ^
Howard is the sort of QB who starts at Purdue or maybe Wisconsin.
January 5th, 2024 at 3:27 PM ^
OSU timed this so that the announcement came after the portal closed and Brown couldn't leave. But he's gone in the spring portal
January 5th, 2024 at 12:17 AM ^
I still get Mcnabb and Vince Young flashbacks every now and then.
January 4th, 2024 at 6:42 PM ^
Interesting move for OSU. If it was all their choice (and not McCord leaving for more cash), is Howard really better than McCord? He never seemed like an ace passer to me
January 4th, 2024 at 6:49 PM ^
Apparently he thinks Day is going to turn him into a first-round pick.
"The goal I have, I want to go win a national championship," he said. "At the end of the day, I want to go be a starting quarterback in the NFL...I feel like the best place to stick as a quarterback in the NFL is as a first or second-round pick in the NFL Draft. Going to Ohio State gives me a chance to make a jump and leap into that conversation."
I really like this pairing for OSU. A developmental prospect with one year of eligibility. How could it go wrong?
January 4th, 2024 at 7:21 PM ^
Mike Tyson quote