Kyle McCord, the Ohio State Buckeyes’ starting quarterback, transferred to the Syracuse Orange after recording 3,170 passing yards and 24 touchdowns previous season. Ohio State then went to the portal and acquired experienced quarterback Will Howard from the Kansas State Wildcats.
Moving from Manhattan, Kansas, to Columbus, Ohio, is a huge transition. On Tuesday after practice, a reporter asked Howard what the biggest notable difference was between the two programs. Howard said that he didn’t need to be a hero at Ohio State.
“I think the one thing I would say is that I don’t feel like I have to be a hero here,” Howard told the crowd. “And I feel like I have the guys around me, so I just need to facilitate.”
Simply get them the ball and make excellent selections. At the end of the day, I’m not required to perform any extraordinary feats. I just need to be myself and trust the guys around me.” Howard has an embarrassment of resources in Columbus with his new squad. This offseason, the Buckeyes acquired Quinshon Judkins, a former Ole Miss Rebels running back, through the portal. Judkins had 2,725 running yards and 31 touchdowns in Oxford from 2022 to 2023.
The Buckeyes also signed some wide receivers from the 2024 class, including former five-star prospect Jeremiah Smith and former four-star recruit Mylan Graham. Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Inniss are Ohio State’s returning receivers.
Last season, Howard’s top target at Kansas State was tight end Ben Sinnott, who topped the team with 676 receiving yards. Phillip Brooks led Kansas State’s wide receivers in receiving yards last season, with 589.
It will be intriguing to watch how Howard plays with a stronger supporting cast at Ohio State. On August 31, the Buckeyes will face the Akron Zips in their season opener.
“I have the men around me; all I need to do is facilitate and get the ball to them. “I don’t need to do anything superhuman.”
Will Howard believes the most significant distinction between Kansas State and Oklahoma State is that he is not required to be a hero.
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