Legendary coach Jon Gruden preaches the art of snap count to emerging star Will Howard in his QB class

In a video shared by Barstool Sports on Monday, former NFL head coach and quarterback guru Jon Gruden teaches one of the game’s most overlooked but critical skills: the snap count.

Ohio State quarterback Will Howard was also part of the conversation, which saw Gruden's deep dive into the mechanics of executing a flawless snap count.

"Set hut is one word, two syllables," Gruden said.

Then Gruden dives into an all-out demonstration, rattling off a rapid-fire sequence of hard counts, dummy calls, and snap triggers.

"Set hut! Quick count. Hard count. Dummy count. On one. Set hut! Set hut! Blue 85! Bang that! Let’s go bang L! Brag, brag, brag! 358 cannon! Selva!" Gruden added.

Jon Gruden compares Will Howard to Buffalo Bills QB

Will Howard is coming off a stellar season with the Ohio State Buckeyes, winning the national championship in February.

Jon Gruden invited the QB to the podcast, where he dissects Howard and his 2025 NFL draft prospects. During the conversation, he compared Howard with Buffalo Bills QB and reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen.

"I mean, how the hell do people not like you as the No. 1 QB in the draft? Didn't you win the national title?" Gruden told Howard. "You're like a young Josh Allen."

Gruden's bold opinion does match in measurements. Allen is 6-foot-5, 237 pounds, while Howard is 6-foot-4, 236 pounds.

Howard is ranked the 83rd overall player in the 2025 NFL draft, according to the NFL mock draft database. He is projected to be picked in the fourth round of the draft.

Howard started his college career at Kansas State in 2020, completing 90 of 168 passes (53.6%) for 1,178 yards, tossing eight touchdowns against 10 interceptions. In 2021, his playing time was more limited, but he still completed 30 of 55 passes (54.5%) for 332 yards with one touchdown and one pick.

By 2022, Howard began to show real development, throwing for 1,633 yards on 119 completions out of 199 attempts (59.8%), racking up 15 touchdowns and just four interceptions, earning a passer rating of 149.6.

His 2023 season saw even more responsibility, with Howard starting full-time and completing 219 of 357 passes (61.3%) for 2,643 yards and 24 touchdowns, though interceptions rose to 10.

He transferred to Ohio State for the 2024 season and took a massive leap forward. He completed an impressive 309 of 423 passes, boasting a 73.1% completion rate and throwing for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.