Joel Klatt defends Will Howard as top-five quarterback in 2025 NFL Draft

Ohio State QB Will Howard rounded out the top-five in the quarterback rankings of Joel Klatt.

In rating his top-five at the position on his show on Monday, Klatt closed it out with Howard behind Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Miami’s Cam Ward, Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe but ahead of four others he had in consideration for the ranking.

“As I was watching that playoff run and I was watching what Will Howard did and his size, his ability to run, his anticipation in the playoffs? I’m going to go with Will Howard from Ohio State at number five – with the caveat being that I don’t think it’s a clear-cut difference between him and those other four guys that I talked about,” Klatt said.

That, as Klatt noted, is in large part due to how Howard played in leading the Buckeyes to win the College Football Playoff. He played the best football of his career this past fall and especially so in the playoff as Ohio State went on take the national title.

“Will Howard played, unquestionably, his best football late in the season,” said Klatt. “I don’t think people realize how good Howard was in the playoff…When he got into the playoff, man? That dude was lights out. He was lights out.”

“You turn on that film in the playoff, man, and it is really good. He has got great command of what’s going on and, in fact, if you talk to Chip Kelly and Ryan Day, they will tell you that he had, at his disposal a lot of times out there, the ability to get Ohio State into the correct play. You only do that – think about it now. Ryan Day and Chip Kelly are, like, two of the most experienced and smartest guys in football and they’re giving Will Howard the keys to the castle on the field in some of the most crucial points in the season and in their careers, in a lot of cases, in terms of the pressure to win last year at Ohio State,” Klatt continued. “It speaks to the level of maturity, experience, and also general smarts from Will Howard.”

Howard completed 73% of his throws this year for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns, plus seven more scores when rushing, and 10 interceptions. That included his stats in the playoff where Howard posted 75.5% completion for 287.5 yards per game, eight touchdowns, and a pair of picks.

He then pairs that with the rest of his resumé as an incoming prospect after five years spent at Kansas State and Ohio State.

“Sets a completion percentage record at The Ohio State University, which there’s something to be said for that. He leads them to a national championship under all of that pressure and scrutiny, even after losing to Michigan. Third Team All-Big Ten,” Klatt noted. “43 career starts going back to 27 at Kansas State and then obviously this year. He’s 6’4″ and 235 pounds. He has run the football well in his past.”

Howard saw his stock rise because of how he played, specifically in the postseason, in his graduate season. Klatt now expects that to continue over the next two months leading into the 2025 NFL Draft.

“I think he’s actually going to get more positive reviews as people evaluate his game further getting closer to the draft,” said Klatt. “I like his game.”