Now it’s official. Will Howard will no longer be known in Columbus as just the quarterback transferred from Kansas State.
He will be known as Ohio State’s starting quarterback after it was announced that he beat the rest of the competition in fall camp.
“Will Howard will start the first game against Akron,” head coach Ryan Day said after practice on Thursday (h/t On3). “He’s our starting quarterback. I think Chip (Kelly) has done a great job from the first day of spring to today of getting the quarterbacks rolling. I think we’ve had 12 or 13 practices here. So we’re talking about 27, 28 practices and when you add up all the numbers, Will is doing a lot better than the other guys.”
It was always a foregone conclusion that Howard would be the right fit. His four seasons at K-State made him the most experienced quarterback in the locker room. He also has the blend of arm and leg talent that has historically been dangerous in offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s offense.
Still, Day had committed to a competition for the quarterback position, and that was in part because he apparently didn’t believe the eventual announcement that Howard would be the starter would cause too much excitement in the locker room.
“I think when it’s really, really close and the dressing room is divided, it’s a little bit different,” Day explained (h/t On3). “I don’t know if that’s the case here.
“I think right now the team feels Will and his presence. So I don’t think that’s going to be big news in the locker room. I think they see it.”
Howard threw for 2,643 yards and 24 touchdowns with 10 interceptions for Kansas State last season. He also ran for 351 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.
OSU brought him in as a super-senior leader who can turn the offense around, and so far he’s lived up to expectations.
