Fresh off from winning the national championship with the Buckeyes, Will Howard once again talked about how his decision to move from Kansas State to Ohio was the right choice. A fifth-year senior, Howard had been inconsistent at his previous program and many questioned the wisdom of Ryan Day when he signed him out of the transfer portal last January. A year and a national championship later, both Day and Howard were vindicated in the decision.

OSU fans had high hopes and skepticism to an extent when Howard arrived in Ohio. He was supposed to fill the massive shoes left by CJ Stroud, which was never going to be easy. But the quarterback was a total ice-cold operator under pressure, leading the Buckeyes with pinpoint precision and a never-say-die attitude. He was slinging it to wideouts like Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka, en route to championship glory to cap off his collegiate career.

Throughout the season Howard established a connection with the OSU faithful that went beyond the field. After the team’s ugly loss to rivals Michigan, Howard choked up while apologizing to the Buckeyes fans about the result. “I still love this team. I still love this university. I’m just… I’m sorry, man. I’m blessed to have the opportunity to be a Buckeye and I’m sorry I couldn’t get this one.” Well, Howard helped the program rally back to glory, and his college career is officially coming to a close, his goodbye message to the Buckeye Nation will have them cutting onions.

As the final whistle blew, Will Howard took to Instagram, thanking the team, his coaches, and the fans. As he now gears up for the next chapter of his career with the NFL draft in sight, the OSU fans are cheering him on every step of the way. Reflecting on all that, he posted an emotional video, encapsulating his journey in Ohio and bidding gratitude.

“I believe that everything in life happens for a reason and that God has a plan for all of us. I am eternally grateful that my plan led me to THE Ohio State University. When I first came in here to Ohio State, I had dreams of competing for a National Championship, developing as a player and hopefully going on to the NFL. Little did I know walking away from this experience I’d get so much more,” Howard said in the video which contains highlights of some of his best plays in a Buckeyes uniform this season.

There were more than a few teams pursuing Howard when he decided to enter the transfer portal last offseason. However, he quickly developed a bond with Day, who saw him as the best player to lead the Buckeyes offense. Day was convinced after watching Howard on film and was impressed with his running ability and accuracy.

“His football IQ and maturity is what kind of captured me,” Day said. The signing created some noise and for all the flak coming his way, Ryan Day persisted with Howard and saw his faith rewarded.

When Howard had a mixed game against Penn State in early November, Ryan Day made a bold assertion showing his belief in the QB’s abilities. “We know how capable he is in a lot of different areas. He is the leader of this team. The guys believe in him. We know we can win every game with Will Howard. I think the more and more he’s in this offense…. — the more and more he feels what it’s like to be the Ohio State quarterback, the better…. He’s a winner. A lot to come out of the game — a lot to learn from. We have to play cleaner. We love his fire. We love his competitiveness. We love his composure. The guys believe in him,” Ryan Day said and Howard delivered.

Howard threw for 630 yards with five touchdowns in two dominant wins over Tennessee and Oregon in the first two playoff games. In the championship game against Notre Dame, he was again vital, finishing with 17-of-21 passing for 231 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 57 yards. In his video message, he made a special mention of Ryan Day and his offensive coach, Chip Kelly.

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“Thank you Coach Day for believing in me when not a lot of others did. Thank you, Coach Kelly, for pushing me to be the best that I can be every single day. I’ve got to give so much credit to those two guys, and Billy Fessler is one of the guys that doesn’t get a lot of credit too. He did an unbelievable job developing me this year. Thank you to all the other coaches and staff that helped in my development here at The Ohio State University.” he said.

In the previous season, Howard amassed an impressive 4,010 passing yards and threw 35 touchdowns, all while maintaining a low interception count of just 10. Standing tall at 6-foot-4, he also accumulated 226 rushing yards and scored seven touchdowns on the ground. With these remarkable achievements, he led the Buckeyes to their first national title since 2014, solidifying his status among the best.

However, it was his bond with the OSU fans that will see him always welcome at Columbus. Howard made sure to thank the fans in his video as well. “Finally, thank you to Buckeye Nation for embracing me from Day 1. Thank you for taking me in and embracing me as one of your own. I will be a Buckeye for life,” he concluded.

His success and the love he received at OSU were a far cry from his tenure at Kansas State. He lost his starting role multiple times during his four-year career there. In 2020, Howard started the final seven games as a freshman only after Skylar Thompson sustained an injury. However, he completed only 53.6% of his passes and had 10 interceptions and eight touchdowns.

Next season he was a backup to Thompson and was set to be a reserve again in 2022 when the Wildcats recruited Nebraska’s Adrian Martinez. But Howard got his chance to be a starter when Martinez sustained an injury. He started 2023 as a full-time started but a pivotal moment changed everything.

During Week 8 of the 2023 season, Howard found himself benched in the second half of the game against Texas Tech. He was replaced by freshman Avery Johnson, who scored five rushing touchdowns and led Kansas State to a 38-21 win. After the game, coach Chris Klieman said the quarterback-run game was open and Howard had a decision to make.

He ended the season completing 61.3% of his passes for 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Klieman told Howard he could head to the NFL or enter the transfer portal and after Howard decided to transfer, Day reached out to him and together they created history.

As the season came to a close, the Buckeyes’ successful postseason run greatly boosted Howard’s prospects for the upcoming NFL Draft. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. even ranked him as the sixth-best quarterback heading into the 2025 NFL Draft. Now, the question arises: Can Howard replicate the same level of greatness in the NFL? The answer will soon become clear as the draft takes place at Lambeau Field in Green Bay this April. But for now, the Buckeye Nation sang his name in unison and bid him farewell after his emotional video tugged at their heartstrings.

It’s a heavy-hearted goodbye for Will Howard

Well, this past season was all about redemption for the Buckeyes and their star player, Will Howard. From doubts to uncertainty, Will Howard showed exactly what he’s made of. When the Buckeyes clashed with Penn State in Happy Valley, Howard came under fire for an average performance throwing a pick-six in the first quarter. This led to many questioning his talents, but he was able to complete a remarkable comeback.

One fan had a poetic message capturing the turnaround as they wrote, “From “Sad Valley” to a Natty. A Buckeye legend forever. Thanks for everything, Will.” 

The move from Kansas State wasn’t an easy one with just one year of eligibility left. Yet, Howard knew what he wanted. Speaking on the Pat McAfee Show on 21 January, Howard noted, “I think that the way my career started off, I wasn’t really a great player my first two years at Kansas State. I didn’t really turn it on until my junior year. I think a lot of people made assumptions about me, just assuming that I wasn’t a good player. But really, I just wasn’t myself yet, and I wasn’t really settled in. I feel like this year here at Ohio State, I’ve been completely myself.”

He was able to thrive in Ohio and has left fans with memories of a lifetime. His emotional farewell message had one fan writing, “I’m not crying, you’re crying.” Another fan mentioned that he will forever be a part of OSU’s legacy, writing, “Forever a champion, forever a Buckeye, thank you Willy.”

Howard was also hardly able to contain his emotions after winning the national championship. Talking to the reporters immediately after the win he said, “I don’t have words, they changed my life in more ways than I can say. Coach Day and these guys here completely changed my life. I can’t believe God gave me the chance to be a Buckeye, there’s nothing like it.”

This love and emotion was reciprocated by the fans following his video message as one fan overcome with emotion wrote,

In just one season, he has left a lasting impression on the OSU fanbase and it is safe to assume that he won’t have to pay for a drink in Columbus ever again. Sharing this sentiment a fan highlighted,

No matter what the future holds for Will Howard and how his NFL Draft goes, he will forever go down as an icon in OSU football history and will be cherished by the Buckeye Nation for years to come.