“It’s crazy to look back at all the things that have happened in my career. All the people back home at Downingtown and family at Kansas State and Ohio State. I leaned on a lot of people. I wouldn’t have been able to go through the stuff I did.” Over the years, if there’s one thing that has been the rock for Will Howard, it is his close-knit “Support system” in West Chester, Pennsylvania on who “I lean on them for a ton of different stuff.” So, while people may know him as the one won’t shy away from voicing his opinions, calling him arrogant, cocky and brash, his quiet personal moments contradict the perception, and his pre-game ritual reflects exactly that.

For past three years now, Ohio State’s Will Howard has repeated one ritual before every game: “I listen to her voicemail, and it brought just this immense peace over me.” The National Champion lost his grandmother, Ann King, back in 2022. But a piece of her is always with Howard in form of voicemails, giving the QB the motivation he needs to wreck the opponents. And as he moves into the professional world with the mission: “[Every] single team that picks a quarterback in front of me, I’m going to make it my mission to make sure that they regret not picking me,” he reveals how his Nana will help him through it all.

Talking to ESPN, Will mentioned, “My pre-game ritual, I listen to the last voicemail that my grandmother sent me two times before every game. ‘Yeah, Hiya, Will. It’s Nana. Just wanna wish you good luck. I’m rooting for you.’ That just brings a calmness and peace over me. I lost her in 2022 during that year, and it was a tough season but we went on to win the Big 12 Championship that year and a big reason that I think we did it was I thought her hand was on me the whole time.

“Continuing in the NFL, I’m definitely gonna keep that pre-game ritual going. ‘Take care Will, I love you. And hopefully, we’ll talk soon.’ Yeah… choked me up. Gets me every time. She means the world to me. She holds a special place in my heart”

The other voicemail that he listens to: “I just hope that everything works out well for you. Just go get ’em,” also is a part of this regime. And they have been his support through the thick and thin, he has confessed through his collegiate career.

In the 2024 season, Howard told ESPN, “I listen to her voicemail, and it brought just this immense peace over me. This year, it was really for the playoffs, it actually probably got me going even more. I think it really helped.” It truly did. The playoff games were where Howard played the “best football of his career,” according to CBS Sports. Howard set a record in the title game for the most consecutive completions. He finished with 17-21 for 231 yards, and won the offensive MVP of the game.

Naturally, that success has instilled a sense of pride in him. “Draft me. Draft me, or you’ll regret it,” he declared. However, his turn is predicted to come much later in the draft, compared to other QBs in his class.

What does the draft look like for Will Howard?

The star QB is an elite prospect, but he also has some similar contemporaries in the draft. They could match him for his might. Unlike the hopes he has for himself, he is predicted to go as Pick 123 to the Steelers. But we know that the front office here is linked closely to Shedeur Sanders, and Alabama’s explosive star, Jalen Milroe. Jaxson Dart is also in the mix. Howard, on the other hand, will have to fight off this competition to get here.

Will Howard’s numbers and the chatter around him do not quite match up. Jon Gruden thinks he should be the No. 1 QB, and that Howard seems to resemble Josh Allen. It does allow skeptics to think, is Howard truly a star player through and through? Or was it the whole dynamic and everything else at a different program that enabled him to perform so well?

Analyst Jordan Reid also gave a latest take on the Buckeyes star, “For teams more interested in waiting to pick a QB, Syracuse’sKyle McCordand Ohio State’sWill Howardcould be solid options in the third or fourth round.” Howard has had some humbling games, which the QB should take stock of.

Howard, like all other QBs in the draft save for Cam Ward, will be an interesting storyline in the draft. As he advances to the next chapter of his life, he’ll still lean on his family for the support and calmness he needs at this crucial stage.