Ex-Notre Dame QB trashes Ohio State's Will Howard ahead of national title game

Former Notre Dame quarterback Malik Zaire had some very harsh words for Ohio State quarterback Will Howard in the days leading into the national championship game.

While the Buckeyes may be in line to win the title, Howard still pales in comparison against some of the other names who have played the position for the school in recent years.

All the great QBs Ohio State has had the last 15 yrs and Howard is def the worst one by far and ostate 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!!!!!!!!
— Malik Zaire (@MalikZaire8) January 12, 2025

“All the great QBs Ohio State has had the last 15 yrs and Howard is def the worst one by far and ostate fans are trying to convince me that he’s gonna lead them to the chip?!?! Lmao ok,” Zaire said in a message on X.

“Will Howard can’t beat us,” Zaire added in another post. “We come to play it’s a ND 2025 Champ season!”

Howard may not be on par with names like CJ Stroud or Justin Fields in terms of pure production or athleticism, but he hasn’t exactly been bad this season, either.

Heading into the national championship game, Howard is completing nearly 73 percent of his pass attempts while covering 3,779 yards and scoring 33 touchdowns against 10 interceptions.

He commands an offense that ranks top 30 nationally in total production and top 25 in passing, and is in the top dozen in scoring, averaging almost 36 points per game.

“Yall got beat by Michigan for the 4th year in a row, at home as a 20+pt favorite, got the flag planted in the middle of yall field and beat up after the game while ya head coach watched,” Zaire said in another post. “Lmao yall have nothing to tell me about this Ohio State team lmao.”

There’s no arguing with the Michigan point, but the Buckeyes responded to that low point by emerging as the most dominant team in the country once the College Football Playoff began.

In three postseason games so far, Ohio State has defeated its opponents by an average of 20 points and finished 59 combined points better on the field in total.

OSU clobbered Tennessee in a 42-17 decision, beat up on Big Ten champion Oregon in a 41-21 result at the Rose Bowl quarterfinal, and got past Texas in a 28-14 win in the semifinal.

Key to that success has been its quarterback, who head coach Ryan Day said has been an integral part of the program since his arrival.

“When I see him get around our team, when I saw him on the stage tonight, when I saw him embracing everybody in the locker room, this guy loves his teammates,” Day said.

“He’s only been here a year, but in such a short period of time, he has made such an amazing impact on our team. He’s made an impact on me. There’s been times when I’m coming to work, and maybe I’m down, maybe I’m stressed, maybe I’m whatever, and this guy picks me up.

“He has an amazing approach to life. I told his parents that. They’ve done a great job with him, but he’s also done it himself, the positive mindset that he has.”

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