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Will Howard's NIL Deals Have Ohio State Star Making Less Money Than You Think

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonathan D Adams | Last updated Jan 20, 2025 10:37 PM ET

Before heading to the 2025 NFL draft, Ohio State star Will Howard has emerged as one of the best quarterbacks in college football. Yet, Howard's NIL earnings may not be for as much money as fans have come to expect in the new college football landscape.

For context, Howard's NIL projections are less than the estimates for new Missouri Tigers quarterback Beau Pribula. Despite previously being the backup quarterback with the Penn State Nittany Lions, Pribula landed a $1.5 million NIL deal with Missouri during the Dec. transfer portal window, per On3.com's Pete Nakos.

By comparison, Howard played in 34 games for the Kansas State Wildcats before joining Ohio State via the college football transfer portal during the 2024 offseason.

Despite this experience, Howard's NIL earnings are projected to be $1.2 million, per On3.com. This puts Howard at No. 34 in the rankings for On3's projected NIL earnings in college football.

Despite potentially being underpaid compared to some of his peers, Howard has still been able to make significant money while at Ohio State. Howard's NIL deals include brands like JLab and Grippo's Chips.

NEW: Riley Leonard and Will Howard landed million-dollar NIL collective deals out of the Transfer Portal, @PeteNakos_ reports

Notre Dame & Ohio State's investments have paid off

Story: https://t.co/MVu6LgTnAx pic.twitter.com/oTibGygQw7
— On3 (@On3sports) January 16, 2025

The good news for Howard is that the quarterback can still earn endorsement money once the signal-caller heads to the NFL. Unlike being the starting quarterback at Ohio State, Howard will also be able to earn an NFL salary in addition to the endorsement money, which should boost his potential earning power.

Howard is widely projected to be a Day 3 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, but will look to boost his stock in the pre-draft process.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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