Ryan Day looks back on what led him to choosing Will Howard in transfer portal

Ryan Day understands recruiting out of the NCAA Transfer Portal is its own gamble.

But when it came to Kansas State transfer quarterback Will Howard last offseason, the Ohio State head coach knew the veteran signal-caller had the all the necessary attributes to make it a winning bet for the Buckeyes.

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Now, as Ohio State sits one win away from securing the program’s first national championship since 2014, ahead of Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship Game vs. Notre Dame, Day knows the Buckeyes couldn’t have asked for a better transfer quarterback out of the portal.

“You never know for sure, but you try to do the best you can when you’re putting a roster together. You do everything you possibly can to make sure you have everything you need, and the right combination of talent and culture fits,” Day said during a recent media availability in Columbus. “But with Will, Will brings so many great things to the table. And his leadership is at the forefront of it all. I know in a short period of time he’s had a huge impact on Ohio State. And I know he wants to finish this thing the right way. Because we’ve also had an impact on him in our program.

“So, I think that part has been a great marriage back and forth. I know he’s really focused on this game, he’s already jumped into the gameplan and he’s excited about playing this one.”

Through 15 games this season, Howard has been a steady and reliable presence for the Buckeyes, ranking second in the Big Ten with 3,779 yards on 72.6-percent passing and conference-best 33 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. Howard also has seven rushing touchdowns on the season.

But, somehow, Howard has elevated his game during the Playoffs, throwing for 919 yards on nearly 74-percent passing with six touchdowns to two interceptions through the first three rounds.

Will Howard recalls how much communication he had with Notre Dame in transfer portal

The National Championship Game on Monday night is going to be headlined by two transfer quarterbacks, Will Howard for Ohio State and Riley Leonard for Notre Dame. In a rapidly changing sport, those transfers in key roles are another sign of the times.

Ahead of their meeting in the National Championship Game, Howard shared that he did briefly hear from the Irish in the portal. However, he also shared that it seemed like Notre Dame was always focused on Leonard in their own portal efforts.

“A little,” Will Howard said. “I don’t even remember, honestly, but it was just the beginning of when I first entered. But I think they were pretty set on Riley. So.”

When Leonard entered the transfer portal, he did so with a do not contact tag, asking teams not to reach out to him. The assumption is he already knew where he wanted to go.

“I think Riley made his decision pretty quickly,” Ryan Day said. “But he is somebody that I’ve respected from afar. Just the way that he competes. He’s a great athlete. He’s got a great mindset. Again, watching him play this year and the toughness and leadership that he brings. You can tell that the offense and the entire team feeds off of him. So, a lot of respect for his game.”

Dan Morrison contributed to this report.