Ohio State QB Will Howard expresses one regret with Ryan Day during his time in Columbus: “We're trying to drag this thing out”

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard has only been with the team for one season. His time in Columbus may only be this season as he's a senior and unlikely to return. Nevertheless, his season could end very well with Howard and the team playing in the national championship game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Jan. 20 in Atlanta.

In the buildup to the big day, Howard spoke about the one regret he has about his time at Ohio State.

"The only thing I wish I could do different about my time here is I wish I had more time," Howard said. "I wish I had more time with Coach (Ryan) Day. We're trying to drag this thing out as long as we can, and here we are. But the job's not finished. We gotta go out and finish."

Ryan Day has been in charge of the Buckeyes program since 2019 and has been able to develop numerous talented quarterbacks.

Justin Fields, C.J. Stroud and even Quinn Ewers (who spent his freshman year with the Buckeyes before moving to the Texas Longhorns, with the rest being history) have all worked with Day, and are now thriving, with Stroud making the Houston Texans into Super Bowl contenders.

Howard has seen how long-term contact (especially in the cases of Fields and Smith) has allowed for a strong college football career into a strong NFL career.

"The Ryan Day effect" has already been seen with Will Howard. This season, he has thrown for 3,779 yards and 33 touchdowns. This is 1,000 yards more than he threw last season with the Kansas State Wildcats.

While some of this can be attributed to Howard playing at least three extra games this year with Ohio State making the CFP, the impact on Ryan Day and the offensive weapons that he has on the Buckeyes offense definitely played their part in the improvement.

Will Howard: Draft prospects

While Will Howard has not declared for the NFL draft, this is something that the senior is likely to do after the national championship game has been played. Howard could be a national championship by then, but what are his draft prospects going into the game?

NFL Draft Buzz ranks Howard as the seventh-best quarterback in the 2025 class, behind Cam Ward, Dillon Gabriel and Jalen Milroe. The same site predicts that Howard is a fourth-round pick.

The figures can change, and a strong performance in the national championship game could go a long way in helping the NFL career of Will Howard.