Ryan Day expected to name Ohio State Buckeyes starting quarterback on Thursday

The Ohio State Buckeyes haven't announced who has won the five-quarterback race for the starting job, but that time is coming soon. Several sources have insisted that Will Howard is on the verge of earning the official nod, with Thursday's press availability as the most likely announcement about the decision.

This doesn't come as a surprise based on Howard's experience at Kansas State before transferring to Ohio State in the offseason. The Buckeyes added Howard shortly after ushering 2023 starter Kyle McCord to Syracuse. Howard could've been selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he wanted to prove he could be a pocket passer and improve his stock for 2025.

Howard's been somewhat in a battle with Devin Brown, who lost the 2023 race to McCord. Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz, and Air Noland have also been getting snaps, but the battle was really between Howard and Brown.

In his last season with Kansas State, Howard passed for 2,643 yards, threw 24 touchdowns, and threw 10 interceptions, achieving a completion rate of 61.3%. Additionally, he added 351 yards on the ground and found the end zone nine times.

It should also be mentioned that the Wildcats' roster doesn't compare to the depth and caliber of talent found at Ohio State. This difference could mean Howard might find it easier to perform and potentially achieve superior statistics with the Buckeyes.

The Buckeyes open their season on August 31 against Akron. See our season predictions for the Buckeyes here. As mentioned above, we expect Howard to be named as the team's starter for 2024 on Thursday of this week as he's continued to earn more snaps over Brown this past week.

Will Howard Scouting Report

Strengths

• Has a massive, throwback frame that used to be considered the standard for traditional pocket passers.
• Is experienced playing under center in a run-heavy offense that requires him to turn his back on the defense and reset his eyes.
• Displays an NFL-starter-caliber arm that threatens defenses at all levels of the field.
• Fast downhill, so he is a legitimate run threat up the middle.
• Able to maneuver around the pocket to buy time and open passing windows.
• Willing to throw off-balance and has the arm flexibility to still deliver accurate passes from unusual launch points.
• Knows he has a strong enough arm to test tight passing windows and the ability to beat defenders with his velocity.
• Improved his efficiency in 2023, improving decision-making, accuracy, and coverage identification.

Weaknesses

• Has almost zero lateral rushing upside with his large frame but is fast downhill.
• Still needs to see receivers are open before releasing the ball, which can be a problem with less-talented playmakers.
• Heavily relies on his arm to make throws that aren’t there. He can do a better job syncing his lower body to his upper body to improve accuracy.
• Struggled in a run-heavy offense before thriving in a more spread approach. He’ll have to be more efficient in a blended offense at the next level.
• Ended the 2022 season with three poor games against better competition after doing his best work against mediocre teams. His consistency has to improve.
• Tends to be too reliant on the scheme to create an open first read before getting anxious in the pocket.