COLUMBUS, Ohio — Will Howard has won Ohio State's quarterback battle against Devin Brown and will be the starter when the No. 2 Buckeyes open against Akron on Aug. 31, coach Ryan Day said Thursday.
Howard transferred from Kansas State after starting 28 games over four seasons, and he graded out the highest through nearly 30 practices over the spring and preseason.
Brown is the No. 2 quarterback, but Day said Lincoln Kienholz, Julian Sayin and Air Noland would be given an opportunity to continue competing for the top backup job.
“We're excited about Will being the starter,” Day said. “Will has really taken a command of the offense, I believe. You feel him in the huddle, you feel his experience. I think he did a really good job of changing his body in the off-season: he has become a threat with both his arm and his legs. … I know he’s excited about leading the team.”
Howard led Kansas State to the 2022 Big 12 championship and set the school career record with 48 touchdown passes. He tied the K-State single-season record with 24 TD passes last season. He also rushed for 921 yards and 19 TDs in his career for the Wildcats.
Day said Howard had an excellent summer coming off an up-and-down spring, and he showed up to preseason practice with a much greater understanding of coordinator Chip Kelly's offensive system.
“You could see him playing faster, his feet were moving, the ball was coming out with more pace,” Day said. “After the first week, you started to see him take control, make good decisions.”
Howard is the most experienced of Ohio State's quarterbacks with 34 games played and 28 starts at Kansas State.
It was the second straight year Brown has been beaten out. Last year he lost a close competition against Kyle McCord, who transferred to Syracuse after the season.
“Devin has shown the ability to do just about everything we ask him to do,” Day said. “It's the consistency part and taking care of the football part that he's got to make sure he does a great job of moving forward. If he can do that, he can play and be a contributor for us.”
