New Ohio State Quarterback Among the Early Heisman Favorites

Ohio State players have been regular attendees to the annual Heisman Trophy ceremony. Since 2018, the Buckeyes have sent a player six times. That includes a total of five different players and they sent two in 2019. Dwayne Haskins (2018), Justin Fields (2019), Chase Young (2019), C.J. Stroud (2021), Stroud (2022), and Marvin Harrison, Jr. (2023) were all invited. Could another Buckeye make the trip to New York City? According to way-too-early oddsmakers, Will Howard, the incoming Kansas State transfer, is among the favorites.

Will Howard Enters 2024 Among Heisman Favorites

The Heisman is to be awarded a mere 10+ months from now. Despite that, oddsmakers and college football fans alike are already looking toward the 2024 season. Ohio State is reloading and strengthening its roster every day it seems. However, the one name that has the best odds among the Buckeyes is the new quarterback. This is understandable considering the Heisman is a a quarterback-friendly award.

Howard opens up as the fourth-best odds to win the award at +1200. Ahead of him is Texas’ Quinn Ewers (+750), Georgia’s Carson Beck (+750), and fellow Big Ten transfer, Dillon Gabriel from Oregon (+1000). His odds are tied with Alabama’s Jalen Milroe. For what it’s worth, this year’s Heisman, Jayden Daniels, had +1700 odds (good for 10th-best) at this point last offseason.

What He’s Shown

Heading into the 2024 season, the expectations for Howard are great. Considering the fact that he was productive at Kansas State and is coming into a quarterback-friendly system, it makes sense.

Realistically, Howard is Kyle McCord with more confidence and a football IQ. Is that enough to buy in? Perhaps not. However, McCord left plenty to be desired on the field because he didn’t like to let his uber-talented receivers make plays. A good chunk of McCord’s yardage last year was “Harrison is down there somewhere.” At the same time, he didn’t take advantage of that talent nearly enough. Howard will trust Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate, et al. to make plays.

Additionally, an area that has been the bane of Ohio State fans’ existence is not having a quarterback who is a willing runner. Now, Ryan Day‘s offense doesn’t need a J.T. Barrett-like run-first quarterback. Ideally, he has a quarterback who is pass-first with the ability to take the free yardage if presented. It happened against Georgia as Stroud showed off his athleticism (finally) and that was the best the offense looked in years. Sure, squandering two-score leads pulls the rug out from under that. At the same time, Ohio State scored 41 points which was the most since the Bulldogs’ 2021 SEC Championship loss.

Upgrade in Weapons

By far, the biggest difference between Kansas State and Ohio State is the talent surrounding Howard. That could be an understatement but when one compares the receivers from the two programs, there’s a stark gap.

At KSU, Howard threw for 5,786 yards and 48 touchdowns while completing 58.8% of his passes. In his four years on campus, Kansas State did not have a single wide receiver drafted and is set to have a tight end drafted this year. In that same timeframe, Ohio State has put four receivers into the NFL with three first-rounders. Additionally, there will likely be two more receivers drafted this year with Harrison, Jr. as a potential first-overall pick.

As for what Howard will have in Columbus? Egbuka could’ve been a first-round talent this year and came back. He’ll likely have first-round hype. Tate has already shown flashes. Incoming freshman Jeremiah Smith is the top-rated recruit in the 2024 class and can be a day-one starter. Don’t forget the likes of:

• Brandon Inniss (2023 four-star recruit, top-five receiver)
• Bryson Rodgers (2023 four-star recruit)
• Kyion Grayes (2022 four-star recruit)
• Kojo Antwi (2022 four-star recruit)
• Jayden Ballard (2021 four-star recruit, top-four receiver)

Plus, Howard has a running back tandem of TreVeyon Henderson (2,745 yards, 32 touchdowns rushing; 569 yards, five touchdowns receiving), Quinshon Judkins (2,725 yards, 31 touchdowns rushing; 281 yards, three touchdowns receiving), and Dallan Hayden (663 yards, six touchdowns rushing).

An Eighth Buckeye Heisman?

It’s January, so just about every player is going to have long odds to win the Heisman in the fall. As an incoming transfer who has yet to take a snap, Howard’s work is still cut out for him. He still has to earn the job.

The Buckeyes are set to have five scholarship quarterbacks on the roster for spring practices. Devin Brown and Lincoln Kienholz have been in the program and have some experience. Now, recency bias dictates the disclaimer that, yes, that experience was not good. Plus, the Buckeyes will have two five-star freshman early-enrollees on campus in Air Noland and Julian Sayin (incoming freshman transfer from Alabama). That incoming talent is something to keep an eye on.

Regardless, should Howard win the starting job as expected, he will have all the tools to succeed. Ohio State has seen what happens with an elite roster and a sub-par quarterback. Howard has to be able to lead this team.

2024 is set to be the most-hyped Ohio State team since 2015 and can be the most talented group the program has ever fielded. Howard can ride the wave and be great.

Ohio State’s Spring Game is April 13th. It’s going to be a fun conclusion to an intense round of spring practices, that much is certain.