Considering he just piloted the Ohio State Buckeyes to a College Football Playoff National Championship, it shouldn’t be surprising that Will Howard has been talking himself up in recent weeks.
After spending four seasons at Kansas State, Howard made the jump to the Buckeyes in the 2024 transfer portal. The move paid off, as he’s coming off his best season yet heading into the 2025 NFL Draft.
Now, less than two weeks from draft night, the quarterback is sending a clear message to every NFL team: “Draft me or you’ll regret it.”
Will Howard Vouches for Himself, Tells NFL Teams They’ll Regret Not Picking Him
Howard has been touted as a potential fit for quarterback-needy teams later in the draft, though he’s hardly been mentioned as a realistic candidate to go in Round 1. The Ohio State product has heard the noise, and he’s not having it. Appearing on ESPN’s “Hey Rookie”, Howard made the case for himself as a premier draft prospect.
“I feel like my whole career, I’ve been overlooked. I didn’t have an offer from Pitt, I didn’t have an offer from Syracuse, from Boston College, Penn State, Duke, North Carolina. None of those schools offered me — I was trying for years,” Howard explained.
“And I went to Kansas State and I said, ‘I want to prove those people wrong.’ I hope Penn State looks back and says, ‘Damn, we missed out on Will Howard.’ When I get to the NFL, I don’t want [anyone] to miss out on me. Because 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.”
"I'm going to make it my mission to make sure they regret not picking me."@whoward_ makes his Draft pitch. 🗣️
New #HeyRookie tonight 7:30pm ET on ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/TPR7ak0OJE
— NFL (@NFL) April 14, 2025
In five collegiate seasons (50 games), Howard threw for 9,796 yards and 83 touchdowns while completing 63.8% of his passes. Notably, he led the Big Ten in each of those categories last season, though he did throw double-digit interceptions for the third time in his career.
In PFSN’s scouting report on the former Buckeye, Howard is commended for his arm strength and build, though Jacob Infante notes that the 23-year-old signal-caller struggles moving through his progressions and often throws off his back foot.
“Armed with a cannon and a compact release, Will Howard looks the part when you simply watch how he throws the ball. His improved accuracy down the field in 2024 is encouraging, as it allowed him to maximize what he brings to the table in terms of arm talent. From a team perspective, his growth from being a 3-7 starter through his first two years to a national champion is remarkable,” Infante writes.
“Even in 2024, though, Will Howard was prone to some of the questionable decision-making processes he showed earlier in his collegiate career. If he is to take the next step once he gets to the NFL, he’ll need to be more careful with the ball and more precise going through his progressions.”
In the latest PFSN seven-round mock draft, Howard is projected to go 145th overall to the New York Jets. That wouldn’t be a terrible landing spot, considering Justin Fields is the starter and only on a two-year contract. But Howard would certainly take exception to falling all the way to the fifth round.
He’s clearly got the talent and confidence quarterbacks need to succeed in the NFL, but the concerns about his game are valid. Howard will be one of the most fascinating players to follow on draft night.