The Ohio State Buckeyes are replacing their leading quarterback and receiver from the 2023 season, but that doesn't seem to be a concern after a tremendous offseason. Adding quarterback Will Howard and running back Quinshon Judkins headlined an offensive overhaul for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes. We also saw Chip Kelly, Jeremiah Smith, and the return of TreVeyon Henderson and Emeka Egbuka bolster the unit.
We're previewing the 2024 Ohio State Buckeyes offense to see how this season could play out for a program starving for a national championship. Can the Buckeyes rip off an undefeated regular season? Will this be a run-heavy offense, or will Howard do more of the heavy lifting?
The Impact of Will Howard's Transfer to Ohio State
The transfer portal proved huge for Day's Buckeyes. Center Seth McLaughlin is looking for a bounce-back year , plus Judkins was the most productive rusher amongst Power 5 conferences over the last two years. But it's Howard who holds the keys to the offense.
Howard earned an early Day 3 NFL draft grade from me last year despite completing only 58.5 percent of his passes over four seasons at Kansas State. He's a big, strong presence with surprising downhill rushing ability. His accuracy is decent, but his best attribute is being a menacing power thrower who forces defenses to respect his ability to find chunk plays.
His downfield aggressiveness left room for improvement at Kansas State, but the lack of speed around him might've been a bigger factor than anything intrinsic within Howard's processing. That won't be an issue with Egbuka, Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, Jayden Ballard, and Brandon Inniss around him in Columbus.
But how will Kelly shape this offense? If he asks Howard to be more of a traditional Day-type QB who stands tall in the pocket more than runs, the unit will have a higher ceiling. However, it could also get uncomfortable as it pushes Howard out of what he's done throughout his career.
My guess is Kelly seamlessly integrates Howard into what both do best, and the run game becomes defining for the offense. All Howard will need to do in most games is avoid turnovers and hit the layups that come with such incredible playmakers around him.
How Does the Quinshon Judkins-TreVeyon Henderson Split Play Out
This isn't just the best running back tandem in the country right now, but it might be the best since Darren McFadden and Felix Jones were at Arkansas. Judkins is more than just a thunderous back, but his speed will be an afterthought compared to Henderson's blazing style. But how will Kelly and Day balance their carries?
Judkins supposedly transferred, in part, from Ole Miss because he wanted fewer carries as he prepared for the NFL. Ohio State can provide a healthy platoon with Henderson, but the team does lack proven talent behind the duo. TC Caffey has only 10 career rushing attempts, and the other two tailbacks on the roster are true freshmen.
Howard will pick up some of the slack, and even Caleb Downs could see some time in the backfield. But Ohio State has to find someone between Caffey, Sam Williams-Dixon, and James Peoples to earn some touches in blowouts. Ohio State has four easy matchups to start the year, so expect each player to get a shot early.
My guess is Judkins, who is better built for 15 touches a game over Henderson, becomes the true No. 1 back in Columbus. Henderson won't be too far behind at 10-12 a game, but Kelly will specifically try to get him on sweeps and other more explosive opportunities.
If that's what plays out and Henderson stays healthy, this running offense will be unstoppable. Add in a competent season from Howard, and the Buckeyes should find themselves as a top seed in the College Football Playoff, and the favorite to win the title.
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