Columbus, Ohio — Discard your preconceived notions about Will Howard, the new quarterback for Ohio State football.
Alternatively, don’t presume to know how Howard will appear dressed in scarlet and gray come autumn. The transfer from Kansas State decided to join because he thought head coach Ryan Day’s offense could help him finish his transformation.
Over his four seasons with the Wildcats, Howard underwent a sometimes subtle but significant transformation, going from a dual threat to a pocket thrower with mobility. He anticipates using his legs to assist Ohio State in any particular game, to the extent necessary to win. He did, however, also transfer in to demonstrate that his running prowess is an asset, not the core of who he is.
Columbus, Ohio — Throw away whatever preconceptions you may have about Ohio State football’s new quarterback, Will Howard.
Or, alternatively, don’t expect to know how Howard will look when he’s clothed in gray and scarlet come fall. The Kansas State transfer made the decision to enroll because he believed that Ryan Day, the head coach, could complete his metamorphosis with his offense.
Howard experienced a sometimes subtle but important metamorphosis throughout his four seasons with the Wildcats, evolving from a dual threat to a mobile pocket thrower. In any given game, he plans to use his legs to help Ohio State win as much as possible. But he also chipped in to show that his sprinting ability is a strength, not the essence of who he is.
Columbus, Ohio — Throw away whatever preconceptions you may have about Ohio State football’s new quarterback, Will Howard.
Or, alternatively, don’t expect to know how Howard will look when he’s clothed in gray and scarlet come fall. The Kansas State transfer made the decision to enroll because he believed that Ryan Day, the head coach, could complete his metamorphosis with his offense.
Howard experienced a sometimes subtle but important metamorphosis throughout his four seasons with the Wildcats, evolving from a dual threat to a mobile pocket thrower. In any given game, he plans to use his legs to help Ohio State win as much as possible. But he also chipped in to show that his sprinting ability is a strength, not the essence of who he is.
Columbus, Ohio — Throw away whatever preconceptions you may have about Ohio State football’s new quarterback, Will Howard.
Or, alternatively, don’t expect to know how Howard will look when he’s clothed in gray and scarlet come fall. The Kansas State transfer made the decision to enroll because he believed that Ryan Day, the head coach, could complete his metamorphosis with his offense.
Howard experienced a sometimes subtle but important metamorphosis throughout his four seasons with the Wildcats, evolving from a dual threat to a mobile pocket thrower. In any given game, he plans to use his legs to help Ohio State win as much as possible. But he also chipped in to show that his sprinting ability is a strength, not the essence of who he is.
“But I feel like that’s not me anymore.”
Howard carried 101 times in 14 games during his first two seasons with the Wildcats, all on planned runs or scrambles. This means there are 7.2 carries every game.
No Buckeye quarterback has ran so frequently since Justin Fields’ 2019 campaign, when he carried or scrambled 7.57 times per game.
In contrast, during the 12-game regular season in 2022, C.J. Stroud carried the ball 27 times. Only 16 times did Kyle McCord do so in the previous campaign; the remaining 16 were added by Devin Brown, mostly in his red zone package. Despite spending more time in the pocket last season, Howard still managed 5.33 non-sack carries per game on average.
But as a runner, Howard is not Fields. Because so few are, Fields’ 1,143 rushing yards for the Bears in 2022 were the second-highest of any NFL quarterback in history.
Howard sees a player more akin to Fields during his time at OSU—first and foremost, a pocket passer who can make an impact when he needs to break out of his pocket. He’s already seen things that play to his talents, like play action ideas and bare bootleg potential.”I feel like the offensive strategies used by coaches Day and O’Brien really fit my type of build and player type,” Howard remarked.
By August 31, that kind of player might appear differently than it has during the previous four Big 12 seasons.
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