WILL HOWARD, QB, OHIO STATE (transfer from Kansas State)
6042 - 236 lbs - 0900 hand - 3200 arm - 7718 wing
Class: 5Sr.
Age: 23.6 years old
HS RECRUITING: 3*
B2B Quick Take:
Not exactly the type Mike Tomlin has been looking for but a pocket passer with the traditional frame for that style. Not the biggest arm but definitely has improved on that during his time at Ohio State. It's a cliché but he's a winner-- played well in the CFP Championship run. He compares very favorably to Mason Rudolph, and it wouldn't surprise me if he supplanted Mason as the QB2 after this season.
Rate the Pick: Would still like to get some solid players at other positions but at this point in the draft, they take a shot on a QB. Why not?
NFL Comparisons: Blake Bortles or Matt Hasselbeck works for me
4.33 SS
7.13 3-cone
31.5 VJ
9.333 BJ
RAS 8.80
Consensus Ranking: 129 (high 12, low 238).
Selected: 185
SFBoard Draft: 156
B2B Rank: 217th
B2B Position Rank: 7th
NFL.com: 5.90 (overall 231th, PR 10th)
Draftbuzz: 83.7. OVR 102, PR 7)
Emory Hunt: 74 (PR 13th)
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High school: Maxwell Club Pennsylvania Player of the Year (2,543 yards, 27 TDs passing).
2020 (Kansas State): Played in 9 games with 7 starts (90-168-53.6, 1,178 yards, 8 TDs, 10 INTs passing; 78-364-4.7, 3 TDs rushing).
2021 (Kansas State): Played in 6 games with 3 starts (30-55-54.5, 332 yards, TD, INT passing; 32-184-5.8, 4 TDs rushing).
2022 (Kansas State): Played in 7 games with 5 starts (119-199-59.8, 1,633 yards, 15 TDs, 4 INTs passing; 35-22-0.6, 3 TDs rushing).
2023 (Kansas State): Second-team All-Big 12 Conference. Started 12 games (219-357-61.3, 2,643 yards, 24 TDs, 10 INTs passing; 81-351-4.3, 9 TDs rushing). Set school record with 48 career passing TDs. Entered the transfer portal after the regular season.
2024: Third-team All-Big Ten Conference. Ranked second in the FBS with 73.0 completion percentage (309-423), fourth with 35 passing TDs (10 INTs), sixth with 4,010 passing yards. Cotton Bowl Offensive MVP (24-33, 289 yards, TD, INT) in the win over Texas. National Championship Offensive MVP (231 yards, 2 TDs passing; 16-57 rushing). Started all 16 games for the national champions (105-226-2.2, 7 TDs rushing).
BIO:[/b]
Brian Maafi Preseason Scouting Report:A battle-tested signal-caller who took the long road to prominence, Will Howard's journey from Pennsylvania prep star to Kansas State stalwart to Ohio State national champion represents one of college football's most intriguing developmental arcs. The Downingtown native first made his mark as a dual-threat talent, earning Maxwell Football Club Pennsylvania Player of the Year honors while also excelling on the hardwood with over 1,000 career points. After early struggles as an spot starter for the Wildcats, Howard emerged as a force in 2022, leading K-State to a Big 12 title while setting the school record with 48 career touchdown passes.
Howard's transfer to Ohio State for his final season proved transformative. Taking the reins of Ryan Day's sophisticated passing attack, he elevated his game to new heights, completing 73% of his passes for 4,010 yards while leading the Buckeyes to a national championship. His masterful playoff run included a Rose Bowl clinic against Oregon (319 yards, 3 TDs) and a near-perfect title game performance where he completed his first 13 passes. The dramatic improvement in accuracy and decision-making during his lone season in Columbus opened eyes across the NFL scouting community.
Beyond the statistics, Howard's collegiate career tells a story of persistence and growth. From completing under 55% of his passes in his first two seasons to orchestrating game-winning drives in the College Football Playoff, his development curve trends sharply upward. While his age (24 as a rookie) raises some eyebrows, his experience in multiple offensive systems and proven ability to elevate his game in high-pressure situations adds valuable context to his evaluation.
NFL.comThree-star from west of Philadelphia. Kansas State transfer. 7 starts as a freshman. graded below average. less than 200 snaps in '21, graded the same, improved runner. 3 starts in '22 with solid passing and rushing grades. Solid but inconsistent passing in '23. 2,630/23/10/60.9%
DraftBuzzOverview
Howard brings outstanding size and toughness to the table. He showed good improvement over the last three seasons. He is more a vessel of the play-caller than a playmaking talent, though. He typically reads half the field and makes reasonable decisions with the football, using good mechanics and consistent accuracy. He doesn’t hold defenders at bay with his eyes and lacks the arm strength to beat tight man coverage on second- and third-level throws. He showed good poise in 2024 to beat the blitz through the air and has always been able to escape pressure by making plays with his legs. Howard is big, tough and accurate but benefited from superior talent at the skill positions at Ohio State. Unless he proves he can play chess against NFL defenses, he might not have enough in the tool box to become more than an average backup.
Strengths
Outstanding size and toughness inside and outside the pocket.
Elevated his consistency and performance in the postseason.
Can work off-platform with relative ease and efficiency.
Throws from a grounded base with good mechanics and repeatable delivery.
Delivers the ball with consistent accuracy to the frame.
Able to buy time for routes to develop when pressured.
Has poise, accuracy and touch to beat a blitzing defense.
Uses legs on zone-read and for short-yardage carries.
Weaknesses
Very gradual in his setup and release on three-step drops and RPOs.
Can be mechanical and predictable from the pocket.
Will struggle to beat NFL corners when throwing outside the numbers or into tight windows.
Not enough eye manipulation to keep defenders guessing.
Content with half-field reads instead of getting through his progressions.
Had some contested throws bailed out by receivers’ ball skills.
FBGPScouting Report: Strengths
Natural torque generator with plus arm strength - drives balls with zip on intermediate routes when mechanics are clean, putting extra mustard on sideline throws
Advanced processor in play-action game - consistently manipulates second-level defenders with eye movement and pump fakes to create throwing windows
Comfortable operating under center with crisp footwork in 3, 5, and 7-step drops - rare trait in modern college quarterbacks
Plus size/mass combination allows him to extend plays through contact - shrugs off arm tackles while keeping eyes downfield
Shows anticipatory traits against zone coverage - releases ball before receivers break, particularly effective on deep crossers
Quick mental processing pre-snap - identifies defensive structures and adjusts protections with veteran savvy
Flashes touch on vertical throws - displayed improved deep ball accuracy during playoff run at Ohio State
Deceptive athleticism for frame size - can stress edges on designed runs and scrambles when plays break down
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
Awful combine performance exposed mechanical flaws – timing disconnects with unfamiliar receivers highlighted inconsistent release points and ball placement issues.
Mechanical inconsistency leads to sporadic ball placement - weight transfer issues crop up under pressure, especially when forced off platform
Limited creative instincts when primary reads are covered - tends to lock onto first option rather than working through progressions
Hip tightness impacts ability to reset throwing base when moving in pocket - accuracy suffers when forced to change arm angles
Processing speed noticeably dips against complex pressure packages - struggles identifying late rotations and exotic blitzes
Age-adjusted profile (24 as rookie) suggests limited developmental runway compared to younger prospects in class
Scouting Report: Summary
Howard's arm talent pops off the screen when he's in rhythm, and you love seeing a quarterback who looks natural under center in today's shotgun-heavy college game. Sure, the Ohio State system gave him plenty of layups, but watch that national championship performance again. The way he manipulated safeties and dropped dimes under pressure showed a quarterback who's more than just a product of his surroundings. That disastrous combine showing with late throws and overthrows will ding his stock some, but there's still meat left on the bone with his development, and that's what makes him such an intriguing day-two prospect.
Give me a quarterback room with an established vet and a patient offensive staff, and I'll show you Howard's ideal landing spot. The footwork needs cleaning up and he's got to get faster working through his reads, but the raw clay is there to mold. When this kid's mechanics are right, he can make every throw in the book with some serious juice. The combine exposed some technical issues that need addressing, but the championship pedigree and pro-style background still give you a foundation you can work with.
Look, we're talking about a guy who got better every time he stepped on the field in Columbus. The age factor means you need to see results within three years, but Howard's tape shows a quarterback who can make serious strides when the lightbulb clicks. Teams won't completely dismiss him based on one shaky throwing session in Indianapolis. Put him in a timing-based system where he can use that play-action prowess, and you might just have yourself a starter.
Strengths:
- Good velocity on his throws inside the numbers and in the
middle of the field. Has a very smooth throwing motion that
helps him maximize his throws.
- Solid coming off of play-action and in the RPO game. Also
plays under control when asked to operate from under
center.
- Has an ability to lock-in during critical situation & rise to the
occasion.
Areas of Improvement:
- Doesn’t particularly see the field well. Has a tendency to
lock-in on an initial target and move off of it too late, or force
the throw anyway.
- Has to become a much more anticipatory passer. By the
time he’s ready to fire, the window has either closed or has
become tighter.
- Lower body mechanics and footwork can us some
tightening up. Would help quicken his release and better
serve his placement.
