What is Will Howard’s NFL draft projection? The Ohio State Buckeyes' QB’s scouting report

Last January Ohio State brought in quarterback Will Howard from Kansas State with the aim of helping the Buckeyes to a national championship. Twelve months on, Howard is just one game away from the College Football Playoff final and looks set to join the NFL for the 2025 season.

Howard joined the Kansas State Wildcats in January 2020 as a three-star recruit but has progressed considerably during his college career. He began his freshman year as backup for the Wildcats but started the final seven games of the season. He only became the regular starter during his junior year, before transferring to Ohio State for 2024.

After impressing with the Buckeyes on the way to the Cotton Bowl Classic, Howard looks set to be drafted for the NFL for 2025. NFL Draft Buzz ranks him as the 12th-best quarterback of his cohort and the 132nd-best player in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Their analysis has Will Howard as a projected fourth round draft pick from Ohio State.

Will Howard stats for the Ohio State Buckeyes

After forcing his way into a starting berth for the 2023 season, Howard was named to the Second Team All-Big 12 in his final year at Kansas State. His athleticism was noted during his time in high school and now - 6′4″, 235lbs - Howard possesses the physical characteristics that would appeal to many NFL teams.

His deep ball accuracy is particularly impressive and he boasts the arm strength needed to open up the whole field for his team. However his throwing mechanics have been questioned by some and he sometimes struggles to adjust to defensive movements post-snap.

Across 2024 and the playoffs Will Howard played 14 games for the Buckeyes and recorded 3,490 yards, throwing a career-high 32 touchdowns. Just as impressively, he only recorded nine interceptions and had a pass completion of 72.6%.

All those figures combined to give Howard an ESPN quarterback rating of 87.3, the second-highest in college football this season. only Cam Ward of the Miami Hurricanes scored higher.

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