The Ohio State football team will have to replace a lot of players next season. After winning the national championship in 2024, the Buckeyes will have a lot of new starters next season. Both sides of the ball will see a lot of new players getting significant playing time.
Defensively, the Buckeyes will replace eight starters. On offense, they replace their starting quarterback, running back, one wide receiver, and four offensive linemen. It's not exactly something that is ideal, but the Buckeyes have a lot of talent on the roster to fill those gaps.
That doesn't mean that they aren't going to miss some guys from the team. There is one particular player that they will miss the most next season, though. It's pretty clear who they will end up missing the most, and it's their starting quarterback, even if the one behind him might have more pure talent.
The Ohio State football team will miss Will Howard the most next season
Will Howard is the player the Ohio State Buckeyes will miss the most next season. Howard was more than the starting quarterback for just a year; he was one of the emotional leaders of the team. Ohio State was able to turn things around after the Michigan game, thanks to him.
The Buckeyes are going to replace Howard with someone who might have more pure talent than Howard. Either Julian Sayin or Tavien St. Clair are going to run the team next year. Both of them have more pure arm talent than Howard, but neither has any experience.
Howard was excellent during the Buckeyes' College Football Playoff run. He was able to elevate his game to the point that not a lot of people around college football thought he could. Howard was able to make everyone around him better, too.
The Buckeyes will have a quarterback who is ready to play at an elite level by the middle of the season. It's too bad Ohio State doesn't play Texas then. Instead, they get them in the season opener. That's why Ohio State is going to miss Howard more than anyone else.