After helping guide the Ohio State Buckeyes to a College Football Playoff National Championship, quarterback Will Howard has his eyes firmly set on the next challenge: proving himself at the NFL level.
The Pennsylvania native appeared on a recent episode of Hey Rookie: Welcome to the NFL, where he didn’t hold back about his motivation heading into the draft.
“I feel like I’ve been overlooked my entire career,” Howard said. “I didn’t get offers from Pitt, Syracuse, Boston College, Penn State, Duke, Carolina, none of them. I tried for years. So I went to Kansas State with a chip on my shoulder, ready to prove them wrong. I hope Penn State looks back and says, ‘Damn, we missed out on Will Howard.’”
That same mindset is fueling Howard’s draft ambitions.
“When I get to the NFL, I don’t want you guys to miss out on me,” he said. “Because every single team that picks a quarterback ahead of me, I’m going to make it my mission to make sure they regret it.”
He capped it off with a simple, defiant message: “Draft me. Draft me, or you’ll regret it.”
It’s the type of edge teams often like to see in a quarterback prospect. Confidence and competitiveness are essential traits at the position, but history shows that bold words alone don’t guarantee success. Former first-rounder Josh Rosen made a similar claim about the nine teams that passed on him. The results, however, didn’t match the promise.
Howard, projected as a mid-round pick, brings a lot to the table: prototypical size, solid mobility, and experience in high-pressure situations. Still, scouts have raised concerns about his ball placement and decision-making areas he’ll need to improve if he wants to back up his strong words.
