No quarterback at the NFL Scouting Combine drew more cheers – or boos – from the crowd inside Lucas Oil Stadium than Will Howard.
Every time Howard threw a pass during his throwing session in Indianapolis on Saturday, he was greeted with a mix of applause and jeers from the fans in attendance. While there were a multitude of Buckeye fans who made the short trip west to Indianapolis to cheer him on when he made a good throw, there were also plenty of fans of other college programs – some of whom might have been wearing maize and blue – who responded by booing Howard when he threw an incompletion.
Howard embraced the noise from both sides.
“I heard them, I heard them,” Howard said with a laugh during an interview with NFL Network after his throwing session concluded. “Ohio State travels. We're loved and we're hated.”
National Champion Will Howard completes the pass and gets a big applause
— NFL (@NFL) March 1, 2025
: #NFLCombine on @NFLNetwork
: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/gzjTWa2y30
As the cheers and jeers indicated, Howard had an up-and-down performance in his throwing session. There were some noticeable misses from the former Ohio State quarterback, but there were also some crisp throws from the reigning national champion that drew praise from NFL Network’s analysts on site, who also lauded Howard’s footwork.
Ohio State QB Will Howard is having himself a strong job interview.
— NFL (@NFL) March 1, 2025
: #NFLCombine on @NFLNetwork
: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/UT0apswOOR
Howard admitted in his post-workout interview that there were some throws he would like to have back, but felt like he also showed some good things that he can build upon at Ohio State’s March 26 pro day.
“I felt decent,” Howard said. “I'm my own biggest critic, so I feel like there were some things I could clean up. But overall, I think I showed that I can spin the ball with the best. And I felt good about it. And I think my footwork was pretty solid. And I’m excited for my pro day to show that I can spin it a little more.”
Next stop, Pro Day in CBUS @whoward_ pic.twitter.com/MyWkXAfJHO
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) March 2, 2025
Howard got better as his throwing session progressed, which was reflective of how his year at Ohio State went. The transfer quarterback from Kansas State had plenty of accuracy issues during spring practice as he worked to develop chemistry with Ohio State’s receivers, but locked down the starting job with significant improvement in preseason camp. Once the actual games began, Howard played well throughout the season but especially well in the College Football Playoff, as he completed 75.3% of his pass attempts (82 of 109) for 1,150 yards and eight touchdowns with two interceptions to lead OSU to four CFP wins and a national championship.
With the benefit of throwing to his former Ohio State teammates – including fellow NFL draft prospect Emeka Egbuka, who didn’t work out at the combine – at pro day, Howard will look to improve upon his combine performance. But he also has the benefit of plenty of great tape from this past season for NFL scouts to watch, and he’s confident his success at Ohio State will translate to the next level.
“Honestly, I think my game translates really well,” Howard said. “I think I'm a pro-style quarterback. I can make every throw. I feel like I'm a pretty cerebral guy. I understand the game better than a lot of people. And I'm competitive as hell. And I think I'm a good leader.
“Whatever locker room decides to pick me, I'm going to come in with a humble but hungry attitude and be ready to work, gain the respect of everyone in that locker room and just bring a positivity and a light. And I just like to always be chill and enjoy it because this is what I wanted my whole life. And it's kind of surreal.”
Howard didn’t run the 40-yard dash at the combine but recorded a 31.5-inch vertical jump, 9-foot-4 broad jump, 7.13-second 3-cone drill and 4.33-second 20-yard shuttle in addition to his throwing session. Perhaps most importantly, Howard had the opportunity throughout the week in Indianapolis to meet with NFL teams, giving them a chance to get to know him as he looks to prove that he can be the face of an NFL franchise.
