Early Heisman candidates include the fresh Ohio State quarterback

It will only be more than ten months before the Heisman is given out. In spite of this, college football fans and oddsmakers are eagerly anticipating the 2024 campaign. It appears like Ohio State is bolstering and replenishing its roster daily. But among the Buckeyes, the new quarterback is the one name with the best odds. This makes sense given that the Heisman Trophy favors quarterbacks.

With +1200 odds, Howard has the fourth-best chance of winning the prize. Quinn Ewers of Texas (+750), Carson Beck of Georgia (+750), and fellow Big Ten transfer Dillon Gabriel of Oregon (+1000) are in front of him. His odds are equal to those of Jarlen Milroe of Alabama. In any case, at this point in the previous offseason, Jayden Daniels, this year’s Heisman Trophy winner, had +1700 odds, which ranked him 10th.

What He’s Shown

There are high expectations for Howard going into the 2024 season. It makes sense given that he is entering a system that is conducive to quarterbacks and that he was productive while at Kansas State.

In all honesty, Howard is just Kyle McCord with a higher football IQ and greater confidence. Does that convince you to agree? Maybe not. But because McCord disliked letting his extremely gifted receivers create plays, he left a lot to be desired on the field. Last year, McCord’s yardage consisted primarily of the phrase “Harrison is down there somewhere.” He didn’t, however, use that gift to its fullest extent. Plays by Cornell Tate, Emeka Egbuka, and others will be trusted by Howard.

In addition, the lack of a willing runner at quarterback has been a source of constant frustration for Ohio State supporters. Ryan Day’s strategy no longer requires a run-first quarterback in the mold of J.T. Barrett. His ideal quarterback would be a pass-first player who can also pick up extra yards when available. When Stroud displayed his agility against Georgia, it was the best the offense had looked in a long time. Of course, throwing away a two-point lead exposes it. Ohio State scored 41 points at the same time, their highest since the Bulldogs’ 2021 SEC Championship defeat.

Upgrade in Weapons

Clearly, the most significant distinction between Ohio State and Kansas State is the caliber of players surrounding Howard. That could be overstating it, but there is a clear difference between the recipients of the two programs.

Howard completed 58.8% of his throws while throwing for 5,786 yards and 48 touchdowns while attending KSU. Kansas State is expected to have a tight end selected this year after not having a single wide receiver selected in his four years on campus. Ohio State has signed four receivers with three first-round picks to the NFL in that same period of time. This year, two more receivers will probably be selected in the draft, with Harrison, Jr. perhaps going first overall.

What will Howard have in Columbus, then? This year, Egbuka had the potential to be a first-round player and return. He will probably get first-round buzz. Tate has previously displayed flashes. Joshua Smith, the top-ranked recruit in the 2024 class, is an incoming freshman who might start right away. Remember things like:

• Brandon Inniss (2023 four-star recruit, top-five receiver)
• Bryson Rodgers (2023 four-star recruit)
• Kyion Grayes (2022 four-star recruit)
• Kojo Antwi (2022 four-star recruit)
• Jayden Ballard (2021 four-star recruit, top-four receiver)

In addition, Howard’s running back tandem consists of Dallan Hayden (663 yards, six touchdowns rushing), Quinshon Judkins (2,725 yards, 31 touchdowns rushing; 281 yards, three touchdowns receiving), and TreVeyon Henderson (2,745 yards, 32 touchdowns rushing; 569 yards, five touchdowns receiving).

An Eighth Buckeye Heisman?

Since it is January, almost all players will have a long shot at winning the Heisman Trophy in the autumn. Howard still has his work cut out for him as a new transfer who has not yet shown flash. He needs to earn the position still.

For spring practices, the Buckeyes plan to field five quarterbacks on scholarship.Lincoln Kienholz and Devin Brown are program participants with some experience. Recency bias now demands that the statement “yeah, that experience was not good” be included. In addition, Air Noland, a five-star freshman early enrollee, and Julian Sayin, an incoming freshman transfer from Alabama, will be on campus as Buckeyes. It is important to keep an eye on that new talent.

In any case, Howard will have all he needs to succeed if he is selected for the starting position as anticipated. Ohio State is familiar with the consequences of having a poor quarterback on a stellar squad. This crew has to be led by Howard.

Ohio State’s 2024 squad is expected to be the most anticipated since 2015 and may have the best roster the program has ever fielded. Howard is a fantastic wave rider.

April 13 is Ohio State’s spring game. There is little doubt that it will be an enjoyable way to cap off a demanding set of spring practices.