Rece Davis, Pete Thamel believe Will Howard will begin 2024 as Ohio State starting quarterback

Ohio State has brought their quarterback competition into the summer, with Devin Brown and Will Howard thought to be the two main guys. Head coach Ryan Day has not named a definitive starter quite yet. But if you ask ESPN’s Rece Davis and Pete Thamel, Howard should be the guy on Aug. 31 against Akron.

“You know what you’re getting, for the most part, with Will Howard,” Davis said. “You know what a Ryan Day/Chip Kelly offense looks like, generally speaking. Is it, they say ‘Competition, we got a great room, everybody is pushing each other.’ All those things they say. It’s got to be Will Howard, at least to start, right?”

Howard has a ton of experience, playing in over 30 games while at Kansas State. He helped the Wildcats win a Big 12 Championship in 2022 and played the best football of his career last season. USC was thought to be trending for Howard out of the NCAA transfer portal initially before Ohio State came calling.

On the other hand, Brown was highly rated coming out of high school but has already lost a quarterback competition. Ohio State went with Kyle McCord last year and for 11 games, there was not too much to complain about. But the loss to Michigan and Cotton Bowl performance against Missouri meant Day wanted to make a switch.

McCord did his job as a passer at times but struggled to make plays out of thin air. That’s where Thamel believes Howard can make an impact, using his feet in critical situations to keep drives alive.

Whether scrambling away from defensive pressure or offensive coordinator Chip Kelly calling his number, Howard gives Ohio State another dimension they did not have in 2023.

“I think the thing Will Howard gives them on offense, which was an element — Kyle McCord did not give them an element in the run game,” Thamel said. “He did not give them escapability, he could not figure it out on 3rd and 4. Will Howard can figure it out on 3rd and 4. Will Howard, they can also call five QB runs a game for him. And obviously, the guy calling plays for them has called a few zone reads over the years.”

Brown was used in certain packages last year, throwing 16 passes and having 22 rushing attempts. Maybe Day and Kelly will get the third-year player involved at certain points. But as far as who will be the team’s starter, the ESPN College GameDay duo fully expects Howard to be the guy.