Will Howard had negative things to say about the Kansas State Wildcats and how the then-offensive coordinator Collin Klein not-so-subtly, though not directly either, primed Avery Johnson to take his spot between the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Howard called K-State out for sacrificing team cohesion to honor Johnson's NIL/rev-share commitments, and, as history recalls, transferred to the Ohio State Buckeyes ahead of a championship run he helped engineer.
Howard's recent call-out, as it turns out, was perfect PR for the Ohio State University. Howard would reveal that he "decided to go somewhere else and make a little money," and then went on to tell The Athletic that, "It's different when you go to a school, and you're the guy getting money. It's amazing how different you're treated. It was the best decision I ever made."
And to think, Howard wasn't even the highest-paid player on the team. J.T. Tuimoloau, Caleb Downs, Jeremiah Smith, and others were earning more.
Ohio State football clearly treats players with respect
It's not a stretch to say that the Buckeyes' culture is not one for the faint of heart. Practices are notoriously difficult for newcomers. Expectations are through the roof, always. Still, Howard came away celebrating a championship, and more importantly for every high school recruit, he came away feeling respected.
The lede is buried a bit as Klein enters his first season in the Little Apple. Truly, the intrigue isn't about the drama between him and Howard, but rather Ohio State's world-class culture as it pertains to top transfers like the current Pittsburgh Steelers QB1.
Any attempt at negatively recruiting the Buckeyes for their treatment of players under Ryan Day could simply be rerouted to this quote. It's always nice to have receipts like this in the current fast-paced recruiting environment in College Football. Even the bit about Johnson getting contractually-obligated snaps at K-State has some value.
Still, the main headline from this Howard quote is that at OSU, you're getting one of the most critical tools to take with you at the next level: respect from the most critical sources.
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