Ohio State quarterback Will Howard has been invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, one month after leading the Buckeyes to a 34-23 national championship victory over Notre Dame.
Howard is among 15 quarterbacks selected to participate in the combine, which begins February 26. Other Big Ten quarterbacks invited include Max Brosmer (Minnesota), Dillon Gabriel (Oregon), and Kurtis Rourke (Indiana).
Former NFL quarterback Kurt Benkert sees Howard as a potential fit for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“I found my Will Howard comp: Young Joe Flacco,” Benkert wrote. “He can make any throw on the field, he’s athletic enough to move the chains on third downs, and he’s willing to stand and deliver with pressure in his face. He gets a little antsy from time to time, and to be honest, some of the throws that he misses are because he’s trying to throw it earlier than he needs to. This isn’t a bad thing, and it’s easy to fix, but he’s definitely a true pro-style quarterback. He’s got some moxie to him as well, which was cool to see come out on film. I could see him being a mid-round draft pick to somewhere like Pittsburgh.”
Howard transferred to Ohio State from Kansas State for his final collegiate season.
“When I first came in here to [play at] Ohio State, I had dreams of competing for a national championship, developing as a player and hopefully going on to the NFL,” Howard said in a tribute video. “But little did I know, walking away from this experience, I’d get so much more.”
Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day faces the task of replacing Howard for the 2024 season.
“We’re excited to see those guys compete,” Day said. “We’ll chart everything. Everything we’ll be a competition. I feel like we’re going to need everybody.”
Three quarterbacks remain on the Buckeyes roster: Julian Sayin, Tavien St. Clair, and Lincoln Kienholz.
