Will Howard was a three-star recruit out of high school in Downingtown, Pennsylvania and was pursued by 20 colleges before signing with the Kansas State Wildcats. As a freshman, he stepped in to replace the injured Skylar Thompson. He returned to being Thompson’s backup again in 2021.
He was slated to be the starter in 2022, but Adrian Martinez transferred in and took the spot until he, too, was injured, allowing Howard to step back in as the starter to finish out the year. He finally became the full-time starter as a senior in 2023 and started 12 games. With the change in eligibility years after COVID, Howard used the transfer portal to spend his fifth and final collegiate season as the starter for Ohio State.
That move proved prudent. He led the Buckeyes to a 14-2 record and led the team to a National Championship where he was named the Offensive MVP. He racked up a total of 4,010 passing yards, threw for 35 touchdowns and rushed in seven more.
Height: 6-5
Weight: 236 pounds
40 time: 4.8 seconds (est.)
Howard isn’t just an athlete. He also earned a 3.94 GPA at Ohio State while pursuing a master’s degree in sports coaching. He enters the NFL with just one notable major college season, but it was winning a national championship and elevating his national profile in the process.
Will Howard Stats (2022-24)
Pros
- Strong arm that can make any throw on the field
- Prototypical height and weight that serves him in the pocket
- Can buy more time to throw with his legs
- Not a running quarterback, but a capable rusher with 26 rushing scores in college
- Poised in the pocket and can beat a blitz
- Accurate deep ball
Cons
- May be more a product of the play caller than his own talent
- Sometimes settled too early on his reads
- Throwing mechanics need continue development
- May suffer accuracy issues against faster NFL defenders and shrinking windows
- Benefitted from playing inside a great offense for his only notable season
Fantasy Outlook
Howard was expected to likely be a Day 2 selection, but he may fall after a combine performance that was considered one of the worst. His throws were a disaster with most wildly inaccurate. He overthrew, underthrew and did the receivers no favors. Sure, he was throwing to those receivers for the first time, but it looked like the first time he had thrown to any receivers ever. He was one of the talking points from the entire combine, and not in a good way.
Where he drops in the draft is always hard to guess. He had one great season winning a national championship that naturally propelled him into prominence for the draft. But he only truly succeeded in college during his only season playing inside the best team in the NCAA. Was he the reason for the Buckeyes success or just the product fo everything around him?
His fantasy stock this year depends on where he ends up and their needs, but the expectation is that he’ll end up as he did in Kansas State, as the backup waiting for the starting quarterback to be injured.
