Jeremiah Smith states Will Howard has made a 'big jump'

Will Howard is reportedly a changed man at Ohio State‘s fall camp. On Friday, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith revealed how Howard has transformed since the Buckeyes’ spring training.

“He definitely made a big jump from in the spring,” Smith said. “I like his confidence. He’s starting to talk more. Talk a lot of mess on the field and I like that about my quarterback. I love quarterbacks who like to talk and just get around his players and make them feel good.”

Even without the offseason improvement, Howard is an exceptional talent. Howard touted a 14-11 record in 25 career starts at Kansas State. His best season came last year when he notched 2,643 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing a career-high 61.3% of his passes.

He boasts 5,786 passing yards, 48 touchdowns and 25 interceptions in his career. In his first season with the Buckeyes, Howard hopes to add to his totals. With receivers like Smith out wide, Howard will have no shortage of talent to target.

Smith was the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting cycle, according to On3 Industry Rankings. Additionally, he was named the Florida Player of the Year by MaxPreps. In 14 games as a senior, Smith erupted for 88 receptions for 1,376 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Will Howard locked in battle for starting spot

Although Howard has made offseason improvements, he won’t be handed the starting spot behind center. Along with Howard, Ohio State has redshirt sophomore Devin Brown, who was a former five-star prospect.

Additionally, the team added freshman five-star recruit Julian Sayin and first-year four-star Air Noland this offseason. Ohio State’s QB unit also still includes second-year talent Lincoln Kienholz, who received significant minutes in the Buckeyes’ loss against Missouri in the Cotton Bowl.

On Thursday, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day revealed the current state of the Buckeyes’ quarterback battle.

“We’ve been mixing it up a little bit but you’re starting to see [Howard] and Devin get a little bit more of the lion’s share of the reps with the ones,” Day said. “[Howard] has taken command of the huddle, at the line of scrimmage… He’s much more confident out there.

“Will really has taken some strides here in the last couple practices. Taken control of the offense, making plays on third down,” Day added. “Again, [he] hasn’t won the job but we have seen some positive play there.”