Will Howard’s tryst with fate is complete. Picture swinging for the fences on two strikes at the bottom of the 9th and hitting a home run. Howard had one last shot when he left Kansas State and entered the transfer portal. As often as this cliché gets thrown around, this season was truly make or break for Will Howard’s career. Getting to Columbus to play for the blueblood Ohio State Buckeyes was a good omen, but boy, did he make the most of it. He bows out of CFB as a national champ, ready to move up a rung on the proverbial footballing ladder to the NFL. Well, are we sure he’s ready? You’d think Howard’s getting cold feet about leaving CFB if his latest announcement is anything to go by.
Of all the wrinkles and byproducts of this dominant Buckeyes’ playoff run, Howard was perhaps the biggest beneficiary. He found a new gear, airing that pigskin at an unprecedented clip. Will Howard showed poise in the biggest spots, including some crucial 3rd and 4th downs. The very last throw in the Natty was a microcosm of his performances throughout. Jeremiah Smith and the rest of the receiving corps. may have taken most of the plaudits.
But don’t sleep on Will Howard’s facilitation. He left Columbus a bit of a legend, having brought OSU a national title after a decade-long drought. Whenever Howard returns to the Shoe, he’ll be revered and welcomed back with pomp. Turns out that return is imminent way sooner than anyone thought. So soon, it’s coming this week. Which makes it strange. Walk through this development that’s equal parts baffling and concerning.
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Will Howard has just announced on IG he’ll be “returning to Ohio State for one last game.” This was a rather cheeky announcement for the Horseshoe hosting an outdoor hockey game. This crossover between CFB and the NHL shall see the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Detroit Red Wings. The announcement video shows Howard throwing on a jersey and repping the Blue Jackets. So he’s seemingly going to be in attendance, which is great. Except, the game is on March 1st. Do you know what else is on March 1st? The small matter of quarterback drills at the NFL Draft Combine. Which Howard is due for in Indy. Unless he’s been hiding a clone all this while, how’s he supposed to be in both Columbus, OH, and Indianapolis concurrently?
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178 miles separate Lucas Oil Stadium in Indy and The Shoe west of it in Columbus. About 3 hours if traversed by road. Activities at the Combine are scheduled for a 1 pm start. Is there a method to this madness? Unless Will Howard and his camp have it mapped out to do both seamlessly, it’s not a very good look. The combine presents as the biggest week of his career. To conflict it with any extracurricular activity comes across as not having your priorities right. However, surely Will Howard recognizes that.
The combine entails more than just physical and skill-based prognosis. It’s an opportunity for franchises to weigh players’ intangibles as well. Suitors for Will Howard will speak to him for the first time in an NFL setting. Owing to this, he’ll be tested on more than just his Xs and Os. A franchise quarterback has a certain poise and decision-making ability. Something Howard has displayed throughout college. Having ulterior plans during the Combine, though, undercuts that. It remains to be seen how this appointment in Columbus goes down with the front offices. It’s likely nothing at all, a non-factor. But it could rub some people the wrong way. Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones, for one, has opened the door to the Howard sweepstakes.
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Will Howard is grading smack bang in the middle of where Jerry Jones will look to be picking QB
With Dak Prescott under the most illustrious contract in NFL history, the Dallas Cowboys’ QB depth chart is set. At least at the top. However, Cooper Rush isn’t the most secure backup. Dak’s injury concerns mean a high-upside quarterback becomes requisite. Jerry has acknowledged that he’ll be on the lookout for a QB2 come April’s Draft. Which means the Combine becomes all that more important for a QB like Howard, who’s not graded high enough to be a Year 1 starter.
“You know, I think one of our goals is to get a young quarterback in the draft,” said Jerry Jones. “I don’t know where that’s going to be.” Jerry pointed to the, in hindsight, failed Trey Lance trade with the 49ers too. “That’s why we gave a [fourth-round pick] for Trey. It seems like all the quarterbacks, even guys we have in the fourth round, go in the first. They always go so much higher than what you think.” Well, this QB class isn’t very top-heavy. Howard and a plethora of others are expected to go on Days 2 and 3. The Cowboys have an opportunity to swoop in for someone who can bring a winning culture to Arlington in Howard. Something America’s team is yearning for.
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Will Howard is a punt worth taking if he can continue the development he showed with the Buckeyes this season? The Combine provides him with an opportunity to make real inroads into the franchises’ hiveminds. He’s not the most athletic, so he won’t test off the charts like Jalen Milroe will. However, the interviews and cognitive exams are where Howard could thrive. He’ll hope he doesn’t have to explain why he’s traveling to a hockey game in the midst of the process, though!