At least that is his intention; Ohio State could alter Will Howard more than he alters the Buckeyes’ offense.

 

 

 

 

Alternatively, don’t presume to predict how Howard will appear dressed in scarlet and gray come autumn. The transfer from Kansas State decided to join the team because he thought coach Ryan Day’s system may help him finish his transformation.

Over his four seasons with the Wildcats, Howard underwent a sometimes subtle but significant transformation, going from a dual threat to a pocket thrower with mobility. He anticipates using his legs to assist Ohio State in each particular game, to the extent necessary to win. However, he also moved in to demonstrate that his sprinting prowess is only a bonus and not the core of who he is.

“People perceived me—believe it or not—as a rushing quarterback my first two years at K State, even though that’s not exactly my forte,” Howard remarked. “On the game card, I included a column titled ‘Will Howard plays,’ which was similar to ‘quarterback power.'” That was my specialty.

Howard carried 101 times in 14 games during his first two seasons with the Wildcats, all on planned runs or scrambles. This means there are 7.2 carries every game.

No Buckeye quarterback has ran so frequently since Justin Fields’ 2019 season, when he carried or scrambled 7.57 times per game.

In comparison, during the 12-game regular season in 2022, C.J. Stroud carried the ball 27 times. Only 16 times did Kyle McCord do so in the previous campaign; the remaining 16 were added by Devin Brown, mostly in his red zone package. Despite spending more time in the pocket the previous season, Howard averaged 5.33 non-sack carries per game.

But as a runner, Howard is not Fields. Since there aren’t many, Fields’ 1,143 running yards with the Bears in 2022 rank second all-time among NFL quarterbacks.

Howard sees something more akin to Fields’ time at OSU—first and foremost, a pocket passer who can make an impact when he has to break out of his pocket. He’s already seen elements like as play-action concepts and bare bootleg potential that appeal to his abilities.

“I feel that the offensive strategies used by coaches Day and O’Brien truly match my sort of physique and playing type,” Howard remarked.