Will Howard stepped up yet again as Ohio State against the 10-0 Indiana Hoosiers. OSU’s QB1 completed 22 of 26 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns with one interception as the Hoosiers fell to a 38-15 defeat. Ever since joining from Kansas State, Howard has gone from strength to strength and has become a vital part of Ryan Day’s team. But did you know, the man carving up defenses every week, was close to walking away from the game at one point?

On Sunday, November 24, Howard opened up about his early struggles on the ‘Zen Game’ podcast. The 23-year-old talked about the he felt bogged down by his own success with Kansas State. “You know it’s crazy because then you’re feeling like you’re flying high and you’re the guy man and everyone’s says ‘You’re great.’ You know for me I was like ‘oh I’ve made it.’ I finally made it through all that s**t I went through, man like all the stuff that, it weighed on me. I was ready to freaking hang up the cleats like I I didn’t know if I love the game anymore.”

But just when it seemed like he’d reached his breaking point, he felt a shift. “This is why I trusted God this long, why I prayed, why I kept working. This is why. Then you know going into my senior year it was like all right you know let’s ball out have a good year and go to the NFL and you know you go through that year and first couple games you know I’m turning the ball over a little bit too much you know we got a stud kid Avery and  they wanted him to come in and run the ball a little bit and you know  I start you know kind of having some struggles again and it’s like man like it it kind of taught me like you’ve never made it.”

Howard then pointed out how after his move to Ohio State he had to cope with the outside noise over how his tenure at Kansas State ended. It was at this point he came across Aaron Rodgers’ advice on a podcast which reaffirmed his belief that he had to shut out the criticism.

“It gets real loud and you know people are you know going to say what they want to say but you know if you’re a process based person and you truly have confidence in yourself then the the things that people say about you then they don’t matter as much you know. Aaron Rogers said you know on a podcast I think it was Rogan’s podcast you know ‘don’t listen to people you wouldn’t take advice from’ and you know like that kind of struck me a little bit I was like man like you know why am I listening to these people if I wouldn’t take advice from them,” Howard recalled.

This advice didn’t just change his mindset; it changed how he approached football. “It taught me to be more grounded,” Howard said. “If you’re a process-based person like, you’re not going to worry about the results as much and you’re not going to worry about what other people have to say about you. Why would I listen to what someone else is saying about me? Like why would I if I know who I am? Why would I have to hear someone else tell me that? You know, like it’s all based on intrinsic confidence and believing in yourself.”

And just like, Will Howard was back in the game—more focused, more resilient, and ready to silence his haters.

Will Howard’s redemption with Ohio State

Fast forward to this season, and Ohio State is sitting pretty at No.2 in the AP Poll with a 10-1 record. Their only blemish? A razor-thin loss to Oregon, 32-31. Let’s talk about that game for a second. It wasn’t just close—it was a nail-biter that had Buckeyes Nation holding their breath. Howard? He went off: 28-of-35 for 326 yards and two touchdowns. Buckeyes QB1 played his heart out, even in the loss.

This season, Will Howard has been nothing short of spectacular. Over 2,600 yards, 26 touchdowns, and only six picks. This type of stat line gets you noticed by the NFL scouts. And let’s not forget his weapons. He’s got Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith on wide-outs and stacked running backs that make the Buckeyes the most dominant offense in the country. But it’s not just always about the numbers—it’s how he’s playing the ball. Howard’s passes are crisp; his confidence is sky-high, and physically? He’s in peak form.

With the playoffs creeping in, Ohio State looks like a boogeyman. The actual pound-for-pound No.1 squad in the country. They have talent on both sides of the game. Their defense is as crisp as it gets. Apart from the Oregon game, their defense always clutches up. And now they have a QB, who’s been through fire and has come out stronger. So, is this the year the Will Howard do, what Justin Fields and CJ Stroud couldn’t do during their tenure at the Buckeyes?