Ohio State quarterback Will Howard played only one season with the Buckeyes. He spent his first four collegiate campaigns with the Kansas State Wildcats. Despite an impressive career in “The Little Apple,” Howard wanted more in his final year of eligibility. He joined Ohio State to pursue a national title. And he accomplished his mission via the Buckeyes’ 34-23 victory over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff Championship.
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Howard’s electric CFP showings earned him an invitation to Gruden’s QB Class. The series, hosted by Super Bowl XXXVII champion Jon Gruden, dissects quarterback prospects ahead of the NFL Draft. Barstool Sports revitalized the series – formerly known as Gruden’s QB Camp – and had Howard as Gruden’s first student. As the two analyzed Howard’s tape, an impressive 4th-and-1 conversion against Penn State caught Gruden’s eye.
Howard, on a play-action boot to his left, had edge rusher Abdul Carter – a projected top-five pick – in his face almost immediately after rolling out. Howard managed to evade Carter before delivering a pinpoint throw to pick up a new set of downs. He told Gruden he “had never thrown this route” when practicing the play. His admission led Gruden to make a lofty comparison.
“That’s like Josh Allen… [and] what happens with [Patrick] Mahomes. ‘We got him covered. We got him stopped… they beat us anyways.'”
It’s nice to be “the guy” when things are easy… who are you when the chips are down and it’s now or never?
I present to you 4th & 1 Will Howard: pic.twitter.com/VSkA6Iu1ID— Anand Nanduri (@NanduriNFL) November 4, 2024
Gruden told Howard, “that’s the kind of sh*t I expect from you.” Howard responded with, “yes sir.”
Will Howard’s sparkling CFP passing stats – 82/109 (75.2%), 1,150 yards, eight touchdowns, two interceptions – raised his stock as a professional prospect. He has improved from a likely mid-to-late day three choice (Rounds 5-7) to a possible Day 2 selection (Round 3) over the past few months.
Where could Will Howard be selected in the NFL Draft?
Plays like these demonstrate the excellence Howard can provide an NFL franchise. However, he benefited from incredible talent around him at Ohio State. In that respect, he functioned like Brock Purdy has for the San Francisco 49ers. Essentially, people think Howard’s stacked roster made things easier for him and covered up some of his deficiencies.
While most analysts perceive Howard’s ceiling to be Round 3, ESPN’s Field Yates recently projected him to sneak into the second round. He has the New Orleans Saints trading up to No. 61 overall to nab Howard in his Mock Draft 4.0. Despite this higher-end mock, Yates considers Howard a “Jekyll and Hyde” prospect because of his inconsistencies.
“Will Howard [is] incredibly experienced [with] awesome football character. He [has] a solid arm. I think he’s the best ball handler [and] most mechanically-sound quarterback in this year’s draft class. He’s a good athlete… can do some stuff with his legs… but there were games throughout the season… where he was terrible [and] looked completely out of sorts.” – Field Yates
Yates says he “met in the middle” of Howard’s good and bad games with this projection. Mel Kiper Jr. lumped him in with Jalen Milroe, Kyle McCord, and Dillon Gabriel as “polarizing evaluations.” Such characterization will leave his draft status a mystery until he’s finally selected. The 2025 NFL Draft begins on Apr. 24.
