Will Howard, who led Ohio State to a national championship in the 2024 season, appeared on the Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger podcast and discussed his recruitment with Miami as a transfer from Kansas State and why he chose Ohio State.
Howard was the seventh-ranked QB in the 2024 transfer portal and record-setting Miami signal caller Cam Ward, a Heisman Trophy finalist, was fourth. When discussing if Howard made the right decision transferring to Ohio State, it depends on how that is being measured.
Howard won nearly as many games in one season with Ohio State as he did in four years with Kansas State. Kansas State was 15-12 with Howard as a starter. Howard led Kansas State to an 8-4 record in 2023 in his only full season as a starter. Howard had his most efficient and prolific season with Ohio State in 2024.
Ohio State finished 14-2 in 2024 and won their first national championship since 2014. Howard set career highs by completing 73.0 percent of his pass attempts for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns, an 8.3 TD percentage, 10.07 yards per attempt, 250.6 yards per game and a 175.3 passer rating.
"Miami was texting me a lot and their big pull was...they had a lot of money and they were throwing around money...The two things that I was telling every team when I was in the portal was I want to compete for a national championship and I want to elevate my draft stock and develop as a quarterback and I just felt like those two things there was no better place than Ohio State for me."Former Ohio State QB Will Howard
Ward reportedly has made more than $2 million in Name, Image and Likeness deals. Various reports state Howard made $1.2 million in NIL. Howard led his team to more success, but by every other measure, Ward has achieved more. Ward was the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and Howard was 183rd overall in the first round.
Ward set his own career highs in 2024, completing 67.2 percent of his pass attempts for 4,313 yards, 39 TDs, an 8.6 TD percentage, 9.5 YPA, 14.1 yards per completion, 331.8 YPG and a 172.2 passer rating. Ward set Miami single-season records for passing yards and touchdowns, total offense and TDs responsible for.
Tennessee reportedly will sign Ward to a four-year, fully guaranteed $48.7 million contract and is the projected starting QB. Pittsburgh announced on Friday they signed Howard to a four-year contract without details. Howard and Ward would both say their transfers worked out. It would be easy to refute Ward developed better than Howard.