2024 college football has reached its first quarter. While fans are discussing the top 12 for playoffs, the race for the Heisman Trophy is getting intense. Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart are the top contenders at the moment. But a lot of football this year is still pending. Coming to the Buckeyes, they have dominated all three games so far; their new addition, Will Howard, can’t be ignored. The former Kansas State player has appeared in three games. In their Week 3 victory, Howard completed 16 out of 20 passes for 275 yards and had two touchdowns; he also added a rushing touchdown to his season’s record. Across three games, Howard has passed for 795 yards, including 6 TDs. Naturally, he is getting well-deserved attention from people who know the game.

Adam Breneman recently complimented Howard’s performance and strongly believes he is a serious Heisman contender. “He’s thrown for 800 yards in three games, and he’s played about the first half in all three of those games, six touchdowns. Only has one turnover. He’s run for two touchdowns. Again, has only played about three halves of football. Now Ohio State goes and plays Michigan State. They host Iowa; they have Oregon soon. I want everyone to please stop sleeping on Will Howard and his Heisman candidacy; Ohio State’s played nobody, which we have documented a lot on this show. So no one in the country has probably even seen Ohio State play, unless you live in Ohio or Pennsylvania.”

While college football is focusing on Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart, Adam has shed light on Buckeyes’s new quarterback. Is he the underdog?

Adam further elaborated, “Three weeks from now, we’re going to be looking at Will Howard as a top two or three Heisman on that guy. Once he plays three full games in the Buckeyes role. And now this added dimension to Will Howard’s game of him using his legs. He’s been running a bunch. They’ve been using him the zone regain; he’s been on the perimeter, which is a little bit; he’s a little bit more than what he did at Kansas State when he was there. He looks more athletic.” 

These words may surprise non-Ohio State fans, but for the Buckeyes’ faithful, it is something they already know. The anticipation of how Howard’s transfer from Kansas State will look for the Buckeyes has been there since the pre-season. On the one hand, the Buckeyes fans have been lucky to witness their favorite team easily dismantling their opponents. At the same time, it must be a sight to see Howard leading the offense effectively. He is, of course, helped by Chip Kelly running the offense. Running back Quinshawn Judkins is the star of their run game. As they take on Michigan State today, the fans can expect a repeat of the same.

Urban Meyer’s take on Will Howard’s Heisman eligibility

Will Howard started the 2024 college football season with the fifth-best odds and clear intention to win the Heisman Trophy at +1400. Despite his impressive performance, Will, who has been ignored so far, is also not on the Heisman trophy list of former Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer.

The national championship coach pointed to Ohio State’s strong run game and challenging schedule and said that it could hamper Howard’s ability to produce Heisman-worthy strong stats. “You need more than ‘pretty good’ numbers to win the Heisman.” He added, “That’s my only concern. They have two first-rounders at running back. They have an incredible group of receivers. I’m just not sure. I think he’s a great player, and he’s going to run one of the top offenses in the country, but when you get to November, you have to have the stats. I’m not hating on him; I’m just afraid he won’t have the stats.”

The point about a difficult schedule is correct. It remains to be seen how the Buckeyes feature against the likes of Penn State, Oregon and Michigan Wolverines. However, the momentum is with the offense. The point about the run game and effective receivers would have stood if we hadn’t seen what Will Howard is doing with those weapons. The race to the Heisman mountain is tough, and let’s hope Howard can reach the top in his first season with the Buckeyes.