Ohio State Buckeyes QB Will Howard had a pivotal role in their National Championship victory over Notre Dame. Will Howard directed the offense, the running game strong-armed the Fighting Irish for 216 yards − 70 coming on a Quinshon Judkins run − and the defense put Notre Dame in a vice grip after allowing an opening touchdown. From the opening snap against Notre Dame, Howard was better than ever, completing his first 13 passes and running for crucial first downs as he directed Ohio State’s win for the seventh national title, something that eluded several OSU QBs.

Troy Smith came close. Terrelle Pryor was a physical specimen. Braxton Miller’s running ability was unmatched. Dwayne Haskins could sling it. Justin Fields was good at everything. C.J. Stroud’s arm was as pinpoint as it gets. But none could secure a trophy for the Buckeyes. The last one who did, Cardale Jones (2014), was a three-game wonder who caught defenses off-guard with his size and arm strength. But he was more of a breakaway star than a season-long one. Will Howard leaves Ohio State doing what no one but Jones has accomplished since Craig Krenzel in 2002. Imagine, what could have happened had Howard been with OSU for more than one season.

He might have gone down to OSU history as one of the program’s most revered QBs. But he surely is one of the most improved QBs ever to don the scarlet and grey. He arrived in OSU in January 2024 from Kansas State rather unceremoniously with his main responsibility being “make the routine plays routinely.” He struggled with deep throws and seldom went to his second read, instead locking onto his first target. But look how he improved, especially during the playoff, culminating with his performance against Notre Dame.

Howard finished 17-of-21 passing for 231 yards and two touchdowns. He completed passes to six different receivers and, most importantly, avoided the crucial early turnover that could have kept the Fighting Irish in the game. Plus, he rushed for 57 yards. After bringing that ultimate success to the program, Howard had departed to achieve more glory in the NFL. And that creates a large void that at least three quarterbacks will fight for. But will be 3, for sure?

Currently, the contenders for Ohio State’s QB1 spot are Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz, and Tavien St. Clair, the 2025 class’s 5-star prospects. But it seems it is hardly a case if reports in the media and the views of several prominent analysts are to be believed. This is because Julian Sayin is widely declared to be the first in line to step into Will Howard’s shoes. The former Alabama player, who later transferred to Ohio State, will enter his second season at the Buckeyes and also had featured in a few games last year. This leaves the two others wanting answers about their fate in the program.

RJ Young, a FOX Sports analyst, posed a crucial question and provided a scenario where Lincoln Kienholz could see himself transferred to another program. “Does he (Lincoln Kienholz) want to go back up somewhere else, or does he want to stick it out? I honestly look at him, and I say, dude, you could probably go torch someone if you just went to Tulane, Tulsa, or Boise State, for that matter, right? You keep going down the line on the Sacramento State with Brennan Marion (their head coach). There are places for him to go to show out. I don’t know that Ohio State is going to be that place.” Let’s break down why he thinks so.

The analyst’s verdict is quite apt in this scenario. This is because Lincoln Kienholz will be entering his third season at Ohio State. In these years, the player didn’t get any playing time in the past two seasons. Only in his first season, he featured in 3 games, garnering 111 yards at a 45.5% completion rate. So, there will be some uncertainty in his mind regarding his career prospects if he decides to stay in Columbus. Also, it’s not like he doesn’t merit the playing time.

Top Comment by Rob Dickson III

If anything he is learning, experiencing, and better preparing himself. If he wants to go pro, he will need play...more

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Debate

This is because when he came into the Buckeyes fold, he was the third-string quarterback behind Kyle McCord and Devin Brown. His high school career speaks volumes about the player he is. He torched defenses and finished his senior season with 46 touchdowns and 3,442 yards. Earning a well-deserved acclaim of being named USA Today’s national athlete of the year in 2023. So, if he doesn’t get the required opportunity or is forced to be the third-string QB again, it would make sense for him to go to colleges like Boise State. But what does Ryan Day say on all this speculation regarding his QB room?

Ryan Day clears the air regarding his QB dilemma

Well, Ryan Day has given the type of coach he is; he doesn’t give straight answers, and here, too, he ultimately threw a curve ball of words speaking about the QB battle on his team. “They’re young. We need them to be tough. We need them to be leaders. We have a leader. Long way to go on it. Don’t have any evaluation on it now. Gonna be a big spring for those guys.” So, does that mean that maybe Ryan Day is waiting till spring to see which player performs the best, and if all of them fail to reach the Ryan-Day standard, then maybe he can explore the transfer portal?

Day also cleared the air around whether he will be looking into the transfer portal regarding his quarterback room. “We have some good quarterbacks in the system, and, you know, I shared with all of them that you know now, this was the week leading up to the national championship game that you know you had an opportunity to watch. And so you got to utilize that because that’s exactly what we’re looking for in a leader here at quarterback.” The verdict?

Well, this will be an interesting watch over the coming months. But one thing is clear: Amongst the three QBs touted to fill Will Howard’s shoes, there would be at least one to seek the transfer portal at the end. Because no player amongst them would want to be the third-string QB for Ryan Day considering the level of talent they possess.