Paul Finebaum Names College Football Quarterback Who 'Better Have A Big Year'

The Kansas State Wildcats could not repeat as Big 12 champions in 2023 after beating the TCU Horned Frogs the year prior. The expected quarterback starter is now Avery Johnson, who appeared in eight games with two starts last season.

This season, Johnson is the expected starter because Will Howard transferred to the Ohio State Buckeyes. Howard was a topic of discussion on the latest edition of The Paul Finebaum Show . ESPN's Bill Connelly ranked Howard as the most impactful player in the College Football Playoff race.

Finebaum set high expectations for Howard and said that the Ohio State quarterback  had "better have a big year."

"...I wanna start with Will Howard," Finebaum said. "It's pretty obvious. He better have a big year. He's got the most talented compliments around him, but the questions continue to be about him, don't they?"

Howard started all 12 games for the Wildcats last season. He recorded 2,643 passing yards and 24 touchdowns. His 2023 stats may not look impressive initially, but Howard will have more weapons at Ohio State.

For reference, tight end Ben Sennott led Kansas State with 676 receiving yards. Wideout Phillip Brooks came in second with 589 receiving yards.

The Buckeyes added former Ole Miss Rebels running back Quinshon Judkins from the portal this offseason. Judkins had 2,725 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns from 2022-23.

Ohio State also has wide receivers Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate returning. Former five-star WR Jeremiah Smith and former four-star WR Mylan Graham joined the team from the 2024 class.

It will be interesting to see how Howard does with all the Ohio State offense's weapons in 2024. The Buckeyes open the season with the Akron Zips on Aug. 31.

Related: Will Howard Explains Biggest Difference Between Ohio State And Kansas State