At the Ohio State Buckeyes, there was already a competition for the quarterback spot at the beginning of training. Will Howard and Devin Brown were mainly fighting for the starting position.
While Brown has made a few appearances for the first team, Howard seems to be retiring.
Immediately after Howard decided to transfer to Ohio State, he was expected to be the starter, and now he seems to have received a big endorsement from one of his star teammates.
Denzel Burke, a star cornerback for the Buckeyes, spoke about Howard and made it clear that he has complete faith in the quarterback.
“Oh yeah, Will Howard played. He’s gotten a lot better and done his thing. Great read. He only threw one interception all camp and he’s a great leader. Great, great person. You can tell he’s a veteran.”
He was then asked if he had seen everything he needed to say to fully support Howard.
“Oh yes, yes. He really put in the effort. I’m really proud of him. He really put in the effort.”
Howard is the biggest question mark Ohio State must answer. There is no doubt that he has the talent to be a high-level starting quarterback, but he didn’t put up elite numbers at Kansas State.
During the 2023 season with the Wildcats, Howard completed 61.3 percent of his pass attempts for 2,643 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also ran for 351 yards and scored nine more scores.
Those numbers aren’t great, but he also didn’t have the kind of elite supporting cast he’ll have with the Buckeyes in 2024.
Still, it’s clear that his teammates like and trust him. Getting that kind of support from Burke is a big deal for Howard.
Hopefully, his play on the field can prove his teammates and the Ohio State coaching staff right.
