COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Will Howard won the battle for Ohio State’s quarterback job over Devin Brown and will be the starter when the No. 2 Buckeyes face Akron on Aug. 31, coach Ryan Day said Thursday.
Howard transmitted by Kansas State after starting 28 games in four seasons and playing in almost all 30 training sessions in spring and preseason.
Brown is the No. 2 quarterback, but Day said Lincoln Kienholz, Julian Sayin and Air Noland would get the opportunity to continue competing for the top backup job.
“We’re excited to have Will as the starter,” Day said. “I think Will really has the offense under control. You feel him in the huddle, you feel his experience. He rebuilt his body really well in the offseason, so he’s become a threat with both his legs and his arms.”
Howard led Kansas State to the 2022 Big 12 championship and set the school’s career record with 48 touchdown passes. He set the K-State single-season record with 24 TD passes last season. He also ran for 921 yards and 19 TDs in his career for the Wildcats.
Day said Howard had an excellent summer after a spring of ups and downs and showed up to preseason practice with a much better understanding of coordinator Chip Kelly’s offensive system.
“You could see he was playing faster, his feet were moving, the ball was coming out with more speed,” Day said. “After the first week, you saw him take control and make good decisions.”
It was the second year in a row that Brown was beaten. Last year lost a close competition against Kyle McCord, who transferred to Syracuse after the season.
“Devin has shown he can do just about anything we ask of him,” Day said. “He’s got to be consistent and take care of the football to make sure he does a great job going forward. If he can do that, he can play and contribute for us.”
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AP College Football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll And https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
