When Will Howard entered the transfer portal, the Ohio State football program believed that he was the guy who could lead them to a national championship. Howard left Kansas State after four seasons to head to Columbus and play for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Before the 2024 season started, Kansas State fans were ecstatic that Howard was gone. They wanted Avery Johnson to start right away and claimed that he was the better quarterback of the two. All Howard did was lead the Buckeyes to a national championship.
Week 0 reminded Buckeye fans how lucky they were that Wildcats fans were dumb enough to chase Howard out the door. Johnson played in the first game of the college football season against Iowa State and couldn't even lead them to a win over the Cyclones.
Ohio State football fans are happy Kansas State picked Avery Johnson over Will Howard
Through three quarters of that game, Johnson led the Wildcats to just seven points. He also couldn't convert on a critical fourth-down play that cost the Wildcats the game late in the fourth quarter. Howard certainly would have been able to do better than that if he were still at Kansas State.
The Buckeyes loved the leadership, accuracy, and running ability that Howard brought to the table. All of that is what the Pittsburgh Steelers loved as well, so they drafted him in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, a fluke injury might keep him from making the team.
Regardless, Howard was one of the best transfers that Ryan Day has been able to land in the history of the transfer portal. He was able to do something that Johnson clearly is not able to do, and that is elevate players around him to a level that makes them better.
Kansas State fans are certainly regretting their decision to run Howard out of town now. Not only did the Wildcats fall in their opening game, but they will start 0-1 in the Big 12. The Big 12 might only be a one-bid College Football Playoff league yet again, so they will have to win the league to make it.
Johnson is still a young quarterback, so he almost certainly will get better. But Week 0 made Buckeye fans smile that they were able to enjoy one year of Howard. Next week, the Buckeyes will start the Julian Sayin era against Texas.