“Worst by far”: Former Notre Dame QB takes a bold shot at Ohio State’s Will Howard ahead of national championship

Former Notre Dame quarterback Malik Zaire didn’t hold back on Ohio State quarterback Will Howard ahead of the National Championship Game. The Buckeyes will play for the national title against the Fighting Irish at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Jan. 20.

Zaire, who played for Notre Dame from 2013 to 2016 before concluding his college career at Florida in 2017, was not convinced about Howard's ability.

“All the great QBs Ohio State has had the last 15 yrs and Howard is def the worst one by far and (Ohio State) fans are trying to convince me that he’s gonna lead them to the chip?!?! Lmao ok I’d even take the OG Jalin Marshall at QB before Howard!!!!!!!!,” Zaire wrote on X.

Will Howard has been crucial to the resurgence of Ohio State in the College Football Playoff. Showing effectiveness in the passing game, he led the Buckeyes to beat Tennessee by 25 points, Oregon by 21 points and Texas by 14 points, throwing for 919 yards and six touchdowns.

Greg McElroy evaluates Will Howard ahead of the national championship

Following another strong outing against Texas in the Cotton Bowl, Greg McElroy broke down Will Howard's performance in the encounter on “Always College Football.” The analyst had high praise for the quarterback’s explosiveness in the CFP.

McElroy highlighted Howard’s effectiveness in getting the job done with the accuracy of his passes.

“Looking at Will Howard’s numbers, 24 of 33, 289, about eight yards an attempt, that’s exactly what you need,” McElroy said. “He doesn’t need to throw for 400, he doesn’t need to throw for 150.

“The way they’re running the football, they’re able to run the football really well right now. Both TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, 19 combined [touches] for 175 yards. That’s nearly 10 yards a clip for your two running backs, and three touchdowns, of course, as well. That is enormous.”

Ohio State will look to maintain the momentum when it comes out against Notre Dame in Atlanta. Despite entering the playoffs with a lot of uncertainties amid fan backlash, the Buckeyes overcame significant adversities to become the favorites for the title.