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Will Howard needed to wait.
It was last month before the Cotton Bowl when the transfer quarterback from Kansas State heard from Ohio State, the program examining possible options to replace Kyle McCord behind center.
But the search was only in its early stages. The Buckeyes were waiting until after the bowl game before picking up their pursuit.
Quarterback transfer Will Howard said he transferred to Ohio State from Kansas State only after weighing the opportunity to turn pro.
“They were kind of holding me off until after that game just in fairness,” Howard said.
The Cotton Bowl had presented a stage for the Buckeyes to evaluate the rest of the depth chart, especially Devin Brown, the redshirt freshman who had pushed McCord into September to succeed C.J. Stroud.
Coach Ryan Day framed the game as an opportunity for Brown to stake his claim.
But Brown’s audition was cut short. In the season-ending loss to Missouri, he injured his left ankle late in the first quarter, leaving the staff without much of a window to take stock of the backup.
Replacing McCord became even more of an urgent priority in the aftermath of the setback.
“I really started to feel that interest after the Cotton Bowl,” he said.
Six days later, Howard verbally committed to transfer to Ohio State for his final season of eligibility.
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Howard saw patience as a reasonable calculation as he surveyed his options in the transfer market and weighed whether to enter the NFL draft as another option.
“I knew that going to Ohio State and playing quarterback would be a huge honor,” Howard said, “and an opportunity that would be hard to pass up. It was a long process, but I’m glad I ended up here.”
From the time Howard announced he was leaving Kansas State to…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/patience-pays-off-qb-howard-232036926.html
Author : The Columbus Dispatch
Publish date : 2024-01-30 23:20:36
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