How 'lifelong learner' Will Howard improved during Ohio State's early-season off week

Will Howard prefaced the statement with an apology to his Ohio State professors.

“Sometimes I watch a little film in class,” Howard, a graduate transfer quarterback from Kansas State, admitted Tuesday. “I like to watch film. Every day, whatever it is, I just like to wake up and watch a little bit of something. I love the game of football, and I love the chess game that it is.”

Howard went on: “I love how much strategy goes into it. And I think that’s a fun part of it, being able to come out and have something planned for your opponent that they’re not ready for, or seeing something before it happens, I think, is really fun.”

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Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly described Howard Tuesday as a “lifelong learner.”

So it’s no surprise Howard took advantage of the Buckeyes’ Week 3 bye, or “improvement week,” as Ohio State players and coaches called it.

Kelly explained that the staff graded every player on the team during the week. Each player had a different to-do list essentially, in other words target skill sets they had to work on following a pair of season-opening blowouts that saw the Buckeyes defeat Akron and Western Michigan by a combined score of 108-6.

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For Howard, he was tasked with developing “some real technical things from a fundamental standpoint,” according to Kelly.

“As we continue to drill in play-action pass and demeanor and what his fundamental footwork is going to be on those plays, some of it was just recognizing pre-snap indicators of, ‘Where is the free safety? And can you discern from where his alignment is what the coverage is going to be pre-snap before we get to post-snap situations?'” Kelly explained.

“So Will continues to grow every day. That’s one thing I love about him. … He comes in here every day really hungry about how do I get a little bit better every day. I think last week, he did improve from Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in training sessions.”

After making 27 career starts in four years at Kansas State, Howard has impressed in his first two games leading Ohio State. He’s completed 35-of-54 attempts (64.8%) for 520 yards and four touchdowns without a pick, not to mention he recorded his first Buckeyes rushing touchdown in Week 2 against Western Michigan.

Howard has notably excelled on play-action, completing 19-of-25 passes for 321 yards and a trio of scores out of that concept so far this season, according to Pro Football Focus.

Howard noted he’s “definitely settled in more” now that he has two starts in Ohio Stadium under his belt.

“It feels right. It feels like home,” he said. “I know I said the first game felt like a little bit like an away game and all that. But I’m settled in now. This is what we do. I get the routine. I get the game week, what it looks like.”

Ohio State has another home game this week against Marshall, the Buckeyes’ final portion of a three-act non-conference slate, before Big Ten play begins at Michigan State on Sept. 28.

“I think you’re getting to see his command the more you watch him play,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said of Howard Tuesday. “I think that’s probably the thing that jumps out, and also just an air of confidence that he has experience in big-time games. He’s played a lot of college football. So, to me, those are the big things that jumped out early on.

“We’re only two games in, but it’s good to see him getting more and more comfortable every day he’s in the building.”

Saturday is another opportunity for Howard to continue building on his early success at Ohio State — and to keep learning.