Ryan Day Needed A Quarterback Who Could Lead Ohio State To Playoffs, So He Grabbed Former Kansas State QB Will Howard

Ohio State has decided it needs a quarterback out of the transfer portal, with so many questions about the position for 2024. In this case, Ryan Day has secured the commitment of former Kansas State gunslinger Will Howard.

The quarterback position in Columbus, Ohio, has been a huge talking point ever since former starter Kyle McCord decided to transfer. According to McCord, it was in the best interest for both parties to go their separate ways in working towards the future.

Now, with one season of eligibility remaining, Will Howard is heading to Ohio State to be the starter for Ryan Day. Make no mistake, Howard is not making this move without a clear path toward the No. 1 quarterback in the rotation, especially with only one season of eligibility remaining.

After Ryan Day did not proclaim that McCord would be the starting quarterback in 2024, it looked as if the Buckeyes needed a shot in the arm in terms of competition. The Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri did not give Ryan Day a lot of positivity to build off of, so making the move to bring in Howard is a massive statement about what he thinks of the quarterback room.

In the 14-3 loss to Missouri, backup Devin Brown looked overwhelmed in the pocket, before being injured in the first half. Then, third-string Lincoln Kienholz struggled to inside the pocket, with the Buckeyes only having 203 yards of total offense and just three points.

It was clear that Ryan Day needed to do something, quick.

Can Will Howard Get Ohio State To The Playoffs?

The answer to the question should be yes, and for the sake of Ryan Day's tenure in Columbus, they better be playing in the new playoff format in 2024. After the Buckeyes third-straight loss to Michigan, along with the lackluster performance in the Cotton Bowl, there is tension around the program.

So, after playing four years at Kansas State, taking over the starting job at the halfway point of the 2022 season, Will Howard needs to be the answer.

Throwing for 2,643 yards and 24 TD's during the 2023 season, Howard led Kansas State in all 12 games of 2023, while battling a few injuries.

It also seems evident that Ryan Day is going to redshirt 5-Star QB Air Noland, who was the third ranked 'Pro-Style' quarterback of the 2024 class. While Ohio State is certainly excited for the future with Noland, Ryan Day has to win now and cannot wait another season for the prospect to develop.

This is the critical reason why the Ohio State head coach had to go find a quarterback who could win immediately, and Will Howard has that capability.

Whether he wants to acknowledge or not is up to him, but Ryan Day is certainly feeling the pressure around the folks in Columbus. If you needed any further proof of that, Will Howard transferring into the program should be a clear sign that Day knows he needs to win, now.