Ohio State QB Will Howard 'Excited' To Learn Under New OC Chip Kelly
Will Howard grew up watching Philadelphia Eagles football.
Better yet, he grew up watching Eagles football coached by Chip Kelly. It was one of the reasons he fell in love with the game while transitioning into one of Pennsylvania's top prospects.
So when the new Ohio State quarterback found Kelly was replacing Bill O'Brien as the new offensive coordinator following O'Brien's move to Boston College, you could imagine his reaction to realizing he'd be working with someone he saw coaching on the sidelines during his teenage years.
“I'm getting to work with someone who coached my team growing up,” Howard said Monday on the eve of the start of Ohio State's spring practice.
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Howard, the expected Week 1 starter in Columbus, understands Kelly will have a say in which passer earns starting reps on Saturdays. It's expected that the Kansas State transfer didn't leave Manhattan to ride the pine behind another young signal-caller, but the former UCLA coach understands the position better than most.
So far, things seem promising at Woody Hayes Complex Center.
“Coach O'Brien did what he had to do, and I think Coach Kelly is the best hire we could have made,” Howard said.
It's still early in their blossoming relationship but Howard said conversations have been great between him and Kelly. The two first talked when Kelly decided to leave Westwood to work under his former protege Ryan Day.
One thing Howard loves about the new offense is how friendly the designs are with the intent to expand plays by any means necessary.
“He's super-down to earth and easy to talk to,” said Howard. “I think that's one of the most important things that I've realized in my time as a quarterback. We spend so much time with our offensive coordinator/quarterback coach."
Everything for Howard is new following his departure from K-State. He's still getting used to his teammates, the campus and the playbook.
One way Howard tried to build a bond with several teammates is by taking several players to the rodeo at Nationwide Arena earlier this offseason.
"They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care," Howard said of his teammates. "That's what I've been trying to focus on my first couple of months here.”
Despite the departure of Marvin Harrison Jr., the Buckeyes feel content with the receiver room. Emeka Egbuka is back as the new top target. Carnell Tate and 2024 No. 1 recruit Jeremiah Smith should also be staples of the passing attack following spring practice.
Egubka is one of several players who's already embraced Howard as the new man in command, calling him a "funny dude" whom he hit off instantly with once he arrived.
"I feel he's a phenomenal talent, a really smart quarterback," said Egbuka.
With a new offense in place, Howard said the learning curve will be a challenge, but he's up for it. He's already embraced the identity of the team entering what feels like a must-win season for Day.
Nothing is too big for the Buckeyes with the talent returning. Kelly is on board with the mantra as well.
"We're chasing that 1 percent (improvement) every single day," said Howard. "We know that our main goal is to win and to win all of them. That's the bottom line."
