QB Will Howard content to be 'home run derby pitcher' at Ohio State football pro day
Will Howard and C.J. Stroud were both in the 2020 recruiting class and were both at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center for Ohio State’s pro day on Wednesday.
Neither is preparing the current NFL draft.
Stroud, of course, was the No. 2 overall pick last year and was the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year for the Houston Texans. He was at the Woody as a visitor to see his former teammates and coaches.
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Howard is the favorite to become Ohio State’s starting quarterback after transferring from Kansas State. He was asked, along with Devin Brown, to throw to receivers on pro day.
“It was fun,” Howard said. “I kept saying that it was those guys’ day. I was out there to be the home run derby pitcher. That was the analogy I was using. It was fun for me to get time with them.”
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Howard and Brown threw to receiver/running back Xavier Johnson, tight end Cade Stover and Sam Wiglusz, who starred at Ohio University after transferring from OSU. Marvin Harrison Jr., the only projected first-round Buckeye in this year’s draft was present but did not work out at pro day.
That’s why this pro day was subdued compared to most of Ohio State’s. Still, for Howard it was a chance to make an impression on NFL scouts.
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“I know C.J. did it when he was here going into his last year,” he said. “When they asked me to do it, I said, ‘Absolutely.’ Obviously, the guys I threw to are really talented. I never got to throw with Cade or 'X' or 'Wigs.' It was cool to work out with those guys.”
Stroud said he was impressed with how Howard and Brown threw on Wednesday.
"They looked great," Stroud said. "I had the opportunity (at the 2022 pro day) to throw to Chris (Olave) and Garrett (Wilson). It's good to feel the pressure, quote-unquote, of pro day early so whenever they get theirs, they'll do a great job knowing they have experience doing it. I thought they did an amazing job."
Howard was happy to reconnect with Stroud. They trained together in California during spring break two years ago.
“I said it’s crazy how things change,” Howard said. “He’s rookie of the year, and I’m here at his old school. Back then, I was the backup quarterback at K-State. He was going into his (junior) year at Ohio State.”
Stroud is the most successful of recent OSU quarterbacks who’ve entered the league. Howard went to Ohio State largely to become part of that pipeline.
But first, he must win the starting job.
“I feel good about it,” Howard said. “I’m still taking it day by day and not trying to get ahead of myself and look at the end goal, because the day in front of me is what’s most important.”
The Buckeyes have had only three spring practices.
“I’m just trying to get better every single day,” he said. “It’s never going to be perfect. Some of the routes we run are a little different (than at Kansas State). The timing is a little different and I’m getting used to the speed of the guys here. But I think I’m adjusting well.”
The same goes for his relationship with new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
“The way he coaches and relates to you is cool, and we’re just getting more and more comfortable,” he said.
Howard didn’t look particularly sharp in the brief portions of practice open to the media the first week of spring. That’s not surprising considering the adjustment to a new scheme and teammates. He said he’s close to being confident in ripping his throws instead of feeling his way.
Howard said he and Brown are taking their competition in stride. They know everything is scrutinized, even their throwing at pro day.
“We were like, ‘They’ll figure out who the quarterback is today,’” Howard said. “We made that joke. We were just out there having fun. We don’t think about it that way at all. We were just out there competing and trying to help our brothers out that are going to the next level.”
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Howard content to be 'home run derby pitcher' at Ohio State pro day
