Former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard announces transfer to Ohio State
The quarterback carousel in college football continues to turn as the transfer portal has become king. Former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard committed to Ohio State on Thursday for his final year of eligibility.
“I’m glad I took my time with this decision,” Howard told ESPN. “Through it, I got to learn a lot about myself and college football in general. It was a great process. I’m really glad I ended up choosing Ohio State.
“I knew that if I passed this up, I’d regret passing up the chance to go be the quarterback at Ohio State. I knew I’d be kicking myself if I passed up this opportunity.”
Howard will be a fifth-year senior after spending the first four years of his college career in Manhattan, Kansas.
He led the Wildcats to the 2022 Big 12 Championship Game where Kansas State defeated TCU before the Horned Frogs played in the College Football Playoff. In his two years as a starter, Howard went 12-5 and threw for 4,276 yards, 39 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
Howard also ran for 251 yards and nine touchdowns in 2023.
Howard said he chose Ohio State because he wanted to have a chance at winning a national championship and potentially jump into the first or second round of the NFL Draft.
“The goal I have, I want to go win a national championship,” he told ESPN. “At the end of the day, I want to go be a starting quarterback in the NFL. . . . I feel like the best place to stick as a quarterback in the NFL is as a first- or second-round pick in the NFL draft. Going to Ohio State gives me a chance to make a jump and leap into that conversation.”
Howard’s decision to join the Buckeyes comes one month after 2023 starter Kyle McCord entered the transfer portal.
McCord announced in mid-December that he would play for Fran Brown at Syracuse next season.
Ohio State went 11-2 in 2023, losing to Michigan for the third straight year to keep them out of the Big Ten Championship Game and the CFP.
The Buckeyes lost to the Missouri Tigers in the Cotton Bowl.
Currently, Ohio State’s SEC transfer program is operating on campus.
For the early part of the transfer portal window, it looked like Ohio State wasn’t interested in adding players, but that all changed after the Cotton Bowl.
The Buckeyes turned up the heat and received commitments from high-profile players like quarterback Will Howard and center Seth McLaughlin. They seem like they’re not done, as they are currently hosting Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins, this past seasons second-leading rusher in the SEC for a visit.
One of Judkins former teammates, cornerback Davison Igbinosun, joined the Buckeyes during last year’s transfer portal window, and surely they have spoken with each other about how Columbus operates.
