"I threw my helmet down": When Ryan Day's QB1 Will Howard opened up about 1 of the coolest moments of his life

Before Will Howard transferred to Ohio State, he spent four seasons with the Kansas State Wildcats, leaving an indelible mark on the program.

Kansas State's Big 12 championship success in 2022 was Howard’s most memorable moment at the program. The quarterback led the Wildcats to a 31-28 victory over undefeated TCU in the conference title game. He narrated what it felt like in an interview with Whistle in August 2024.

“The thing about Kansas State that I love the most was the people, especially with my teammates, my friends,” Will Howard said. "I struggled first early on. Had some growing pains. Played as a true freshman and true sophomore in that COVID era. As much as it sucks, it taught me so much." [0:35]

“To win the Big 12 championship; that was one of the coolest experiences of my life. I remember running over the sideline and I threw my helmet down and I looked at the ground.”

Howard rounded off his time at Kansas State with 5,786 yards, 48 touchdowns and 35 interceptions over four seasons. He got better year after year at the program.

---

Will Howard explained why he transferred to Ohio State

Will Howard garnered the interest of a host of college football programs after entering the transfer portal in December 2023. Despite interest from USC and Miami, he opted to transfer to Ohio State.

“In terms of what I needed and what I wanted, Ohio State was the perfect place,” Will Howard said during the same interview with Whistle. “I have to put myself in a position to be a first-round, second-round draft pick, and if I wanted to truly move the needle on it, I would have to enter the portal.” [1:09]

“With this new day and age of the transfer portal, you got schools throwing crazy amounts of money at you. And my goal is to be a starting quarterback in the NFL.”

Howard's transfer to Ohio State for his final season of eligibility worked in his favor. He led the program to its first national championship in 10 seasons.