Will Howard explains why his time at K-State prepared him for spotlight at Ohio State

Will Howard has an opportunity to become one of the most prominent quarterbacks in college football now that he has transferred to Ohio State. But is he ready for the kind of spotlight that comes along with throwing passes for a traditional powerhouse like the Buckeyes? Howard hopes anyone who followed his four-year career at Kansas State knows the answer to that question.

My time at Kansas State kind of hardened me,” Howard said. “Obviously, it wasn’t on the stage that this is, but I’m ready. Nothing that is worth getting ever comes easy. This opportunity was just too good to pass up. People can say what they want about me. It’s in one ear and out the other. Obviously, it’s hard balancing that stuff, but I have learned to kind of block it out and be me and trust God and be the best version of myself every day.” Howard shared his thoughts on transferring away from K-State and enrolling at Ohio State for the first time while speaking with reporters in Columbus, Ohio, earlier this week. During his news conference, he explained the decision-making process that led him to the Buckeyes. Howard announced his intentions to transfer immediately after K-State’s regular season came to an end in late November, which paved the way for Avery Johnson to get a head start on his time as QB1 at the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

Much attention followed Howard, though. His final options were Miami, USC, Ohio State or declaring for the NFL Draft. “There were a lot of different options for me, and I thought they were really good options,” Howard said. “I didn’t think any of them were as good as this one. This was the one I kind of had circled in the back of my mind. It was really down to the last minute. The week before I committed here I got a Senior Bowl invite. That was probably the thing I was closest to doing, going to the draft. “I was projected third-to-sixth round. You can never really trust anything you hear, but that was consensus. I thought my talent level didn’t really match where my stock was. I felt like I couldn’t pass on an opportunity to bump that up and go to a place where I could compete for a national championship.” Howard thinks he will be able to fully showcase his QB talents with the Buckeyes.