BREAKING: Buckeyes name Will Howard starting quarterback
COLUMBUS — Ohio State isn’t going to let the quarterback competition bleed into the regular season this year like it did last August. No, the Buckeyes have already found their new QB1.
Buckeyes coach Ryan Day named Will Howard as the starting quarterback on Thursday, ending an offseason-long battle for the nod.
The former Kansas State star, who won a Big 12 title with the Wildcats in 2022 and racked up 5,786 passing yards, 48 touchdowns and 25 interceptions in his career, was the front-runner for the job all offseason — but still needed to prove he was the guy in training camp. He appears to have done that.
Howard beat out third-year Ohio State quarterback Devin Brown and true freshman Julian Sayin, among others, for the job.
After an up-and-down spring in which he flashed but wasn’t consistent enough, Howard felt more confident in himself entering training camp. He took control of the offense and solidified himself as the man to beat for the QB1 gig.
He could feel that as camp progressed earlier this month.
“I feel like I really started to settle in, kind of like, practice seven, practice eight of the spring,” Howard said last week. “I was like, ‘okay, this is really making sense, I’m starting to kind of get my stride.’ Now coming into fall camp, it’s been completely different — the amount of banked reps. The thing is, like, you can’t replicate actually doing it. The only way to do it is to do it and to go out there in OTAs or in fall camp practices and getting reps.
“Having these reps from the spring banked and all these things that I’ve learned, it’s helped me a lot this fall camp to just go out there and play more rather than think about things.”
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Day wasn’t ready to name Howard the starter last Thursday, the last time he met with the media prior to this week. But he did make sure to mention that Howard was taking proper steps forward in his progression.
Howard reportedly performed well in the scrimmage on Saturday, which followed up a few impressive showings during practices that were open to the media.
“I will say that [Howard has] taken command of the huddle at the line of scrimmage,” Day said. “I think he’s much more confident out there. No decisions have been made. You know, we’re going to probably scrimmage a little bit on Saturday. By then, we’ll take an evaluation and kind of see where we’re at. But, you know, both guys are getting reps with the ones.”
Now that decision has been made, and Howard will take full control over the offense. Ohio State has named Will Howard as its starting quarterback. The biggest position battle is now settled for the Buckeyes.
Lettermen Row will have more fallout from Ohio State naming Will Howard as the team’s starting quarterback.
