Reading between the lines may give us a clue to the leader at QB for the Ohio State football team

Much to the chagrin of many Ohio State football fans, I think it is safe to say Ryan Day will not be naming a starting quarterback when spring practice ends. Since we still have over four and a half months until the opener, there is no need for him to do so. But if you look at Day’s comments during his latest media session, you can read between the lines a bit and get a sense of who may be leading the pack.

Kansas State transfer Will Howard was supposed to come in and blow away the field in winning the starting job. While Devin Brown has pushed him, most of the talk has centered around true freshman Justin Sayin.

The top quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class has been very impressive and had his black stripe removed just days after Howard lost his stripe. There has been a lot of speculation surrounding the possibility of Sayin being the starter when the season begins on August 31st against Akron.

When asked about Sayin, Day said, “He’s been in there competing and he’s making plays.” He also said Sayin has earned the respect of his teammates. But it’s when he talks of Howard do you get a real sense of who is leading this race. The OSU boss said Howard has been able to extend plays and make an impact in the run game because of his feet.

These things, plus his accuracy puts pressure on the defense. However, what makes me think Howard is the leader at this point is when Day said, “His experience is definitely showing.” Coaches will take good and experienced over good and inexperienced anytime. To me, all of this adds up to Will Howard being the leader as spring practice heads toward its close.

While Day did say there is some separation among a few of the quarterbacks, he pointed out the coaching staff isn’t looking at only where a player is right now. They are trying to project what he’ll be like into the summer. For now, I think Will Howard has a clear lead, but there’s still a long way to go and August practice can be a grind.