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LGHL BOOOM!!! Ohio State lands their 2024 QB in Will Howard, five-star DB target set to announce commitment on Saturday
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BOOOM!!! Ohio State lands their 2024 QB in Will Howard, five-star DB target set to announce commitment on Saturday
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Ohio State is making moves and looking for more.
In case you missed it, the Buckeyes got some major news on Thursday evening when Kansas State transfer Will Howard announced he’s committed to Ohio State for his final year of eligibility. The sixth-best quarterback in the portal, Howard comes to the Buckeyes as a player looking to boost his stock before his plans of entering the 2025 NFL Draft.
With a Big 12 championship on his resume, Howard is a guy the Buckeyes identified as someone who can bring a wealth of experience to the position room with how many career starts he’s had, but also a player who can elevate is game even further. There seems to be a successful formula with guys leaving their first school for a second program with better talent around them.
Take Bo Nix or Michael Penix for example, and you see guys that were solid signal callers at their original school of choice, but transferring elsewhere to a place with more weapons as a supporting cast you saw their level of play increased greatly. Ohio State is hoping they can cash in on the same caliber of experience. Knowing the numbers Howard put up at Kansas State with his teammates, you see the potential knowing the talent the Buckeyes have now and coming in at the skill spots.
A 6-foot-5, 242 pound athlete, Howard is not the typical quarterback Ohio State has had recently. A more accurate arm in comparison to arm strength, the Buckeyes are getting a guy who not only can extend plays with his mobility, but is also pretty quick in his own right. With his size, you wouldn’t expect great speed, but Howard has no problem of making plays with his feet, with nine rushing touchdowns last season for the Wildcats and 19 in his career. Maybe the most exciting area of his game, imagine the red zone possibilities with his size down near the goal line.
Overall, the Buckeyes seem to have got their guy. Both Devin Brown and Lincoln Kienholz remain on the roster, and will certainly compete for the job in the spring alongside Air Noland, but it’s hard to believe the Buckeyes haven’t at least given him the inside track at the job considering other programs such as USC were also very much wanting Howard on their roster. Either way, this certainly boosts the level of play in the quarterback room, and that’s exactly what Ohio State needed to do.
The rumors had been swirling for a few days and now it’s official: Will Howard is a Buckeye!
Hoping to keep the positive news going, the Buckeyes await the decision of five-star cornerback target Devin Sanchez, which is coming tomorrow. The No. six player nationally and the second best cornerback in the 2025 class per the 247Sports Composite, Sanchez has had it narrowed down to just three schools since early November, and set his decision date for Jan. 6 at the All-American Bowl festivities.
Down to just Alabama, Texas A&M, and Ohio State, it’s been the Buckeyes who have led the way for some time now as the favorite to land the elite Texas native. A nearly perfect cornerback prospect, Sanchez is a long 6-foot-2 athlete who has the range, coverage, speed, and ball-skills to play for any top team in the country. With every 247Sports Crystal Ball in favor of Ohio State, the Buckeyes and position coach Tim Walton are ready to hear their name called if Sanchez makes it official.
Currently, Ohio State’s 2025 class with just four commits ranks 11th nationally, but an addition of Sanchez would jump them three spots into the top 10 with only five guys in the fold. To make that stand out even more, every class currently in the top 10 has at least seven or eight commits, so being able to jump several programs with just five once again shows the quality of player the Buckeyes are bringing in.
It’s not a done deal yet of course, but it would be a surprise to see Sanchez pick anyone but Ohio State tomorrow.
A player that has come under some scrutiny for his snaps in the CFP Semifinal, McLaughlin is still a very solid player and may even project higher at the guard position. Once again, it’s important to note that the Buckeyes are at least doing their due diligence. Fans want the coaching staff to be aggressive in adding guys to the roster, and that’s what they’re trying to do.
Whether an elite player or not, he’s still a guy with tons of experience in the SEC, and if he does end up moving to guard, surely his play would rise up the ranks. A visit to Ole Miss for McLaughlin is still scheduled, but look for Ohio State to do their best to add him to the fold and soon.
A 6-foot-8, 300 pound athlete, Rucci could play multiple spots up front and is looking to do so at a new home. Having Big Ten experience, this makes sense for the staff to reach out, and it wouldn’t be a shock if in the next few days he is also on the list of guys who may be heading to Columbus to see what Ohio State has to offer.
Continue reading...
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Ohio State is making moves and looking for more.
In case you missed it, the Buckeyes got some major news on Thursday evening when Kansas State transfer Will Howard announced he’s committed to Ohio State for his final year of eligibility. The sixth-best quarterback in the portal, Howard comes to the Buckeyes as a player looking to boost his stock before his plans of entering the 2025 NFL Draft.
With a Big 12 championship on his resume, Howard is a guy the Buckeyes identified as someone who can bring a wealth of experience to the position room with how many career starts he’s had, but also a player who can elevate is game even further. There seems to be a successful formula with guys leaving their first school for a second program with better talent around them.
Take Bo Nix or Michael Penix for example, and you see guys that were solid signal callers at their original school of choice, but transferring elsewhere to a place with more weapons as a supporting cast you saw their level of play increased greatly. Ohio State is hoping they can cash in on the same caliber of experience. Knowing the numbers Howard put up at Kansas State with his teammates, you see the potential knowing the talent the Buckeyes have now and coming in at the skill spots.
A 6-foot-5, 242 pound athlete, Howard is not the typical quarterback Ohio State has had recently. A more accurate arm in comparison to arm strength, the Buckeyes are getting a guy who not only can extend plays with his mobility, but is also pretty quick in his own right. With his size, you wouldn’t expect great speed, but Howard has no problem of making plays with his feet, with nine rushing touchdowns last season for the Wildcats and 19 in his career. Maybe the most exciting area of his game, imagine the red zone possibilities with his size down near the goal line.
Overall, the Buckeyes seem to have got their guy. Both Devin Brown and Lincoln Kienholz remain on the roster, and will certainly compete for the job in the spring alongside Air Noland, but it’s hard to believe the Buckeyes haven’t at least given him the inside track at the job considering other programs such as USC were also very much wanting Howard on their roster. Either way, this certainly boosts the level of play in the quarterback room, and that’s exactly what Ohio State needed to do.
The rumors had been swirling for a few days and now it’s official: Will Howard is a Buckeye!
Buckeyes await the decision of five-star defensive back
Hoping to keep the positive news going, the Buckeyes await the decision of five-star cornerback target Devin Sanchez, which is coming tomorrow. The No. six player nationally and the second best cornerback in the 2025 class per the 247Sports Composite, Sanchez has had it narrowed down to just three schools since early November, and set his decision date for Jan. 6 at the All-American Bowl festivities.
Down to just Alabama, Texas A&M, and Ohio State, it’s been the Buckeyes who have led the way for some time now as the favorite to land the elite Texas native. A nearly perfect cornerback prospect, Sanchez is a long 6-foot-2 athlete who has the range, coverage, speed, and ball-skills to play for any top team in the country. With every 247Sports Crystal Ball in favor of Ohio State, the Buckeyes and position coach Tim Walton are ready to hear their name called if Sanchez makes it official.
Currently, Ohio State’s 2025 class with just four commits ranks 11th nationally, but an addition of Sanchez would jump them three spots into the top 10 with only five guys in the fold. To make that stand out even more, every class currently in the top 10 has at least seven or eight commits, so being able to jump several programs with just five once again shows the quality of player the Buckeyes are bringing in.
It’s not a done deal yet of course, but it would be a surprise to see Sanchez pick anyone but Ohio State tomorrow.
Quick Hits
- Case and point of Ohio State upping their aggression in the transfer portal, along with Will Howard being on campus yesterday, the Buckeyes also played host to Alabama offensive line transfer Seth McLaughlin.
A player that has come under some scrutiny for his snaps in the CFP Semifinal, McLaughlin is still a very solid player and may even project higher at the guard position. Once again, it’s important to note that the Buckeyes are at least doing their due diligence. Fans want the coaching staff to be aggressive in adding guys to the roster, and that’s what they’re trying to do.
Whether an elite player or not, he’s still a guy with tons of experience in the SEC, and if he does end up moving to guard, surely his play would rise up the ranks. A visit to Ole Miss for McLaughlin is still scheduled, but look for Ohio State to do their best to add him to the fold and soon.
- Sticking with the trend of talking offensive line portal targets, on Thursday another name surfaced that Ohio State should definitely consider bringing in for at least a visit. Wisconsin’s Nolan Rucci is in the portal, and being a five-star talent in the 2021 class, the Buckeyes should be reaching out if improving the current unit is really a priority.
A 6-foot-8, 300 pound athlete, Rucci could play multiple spots up front and is looking to do so at a new home. Having Big Ten experience, this makes sense for the staff to reach out, and it wouldn’t be a shock if in the next few days he is also on the list of guys who may be heading to Columbus to see what Ohio State has to offer.
Continue reading...
LGHL With the addition of Will Howard, Ohio State looks to replicate transfer QB success of Nix, Penix Jr.
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With the addition of Will Howard, Ohio State looks to replicate transfer QB success of Nix, Penix Jr.
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images
The Buckeyes will hope for a final year renaissance from its new quarterback similar to that of other transfers this past season.
Ohio State made a somewhat sizable splash in the transfer portal on Thursday afternoon when former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard announced his commitment to the Buckeyes. Howard, while not quite the same caliber a transfer as Justin Fields in 2019, brings with him four years of experience in the P5, having helped lead the Wildcats to a Big 12 title in 2022, as well as an impressive dual-threat ability for a player with a bigger frame at 6-foot-5, 242 pounds.
Howard’s numbers from this past season are nothing flashy. He completed just over 61% of his passes for 2,643 yards with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Comparatively, Kyle McCord completed nearly 66% of his passes for 3,170 yards with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions — all better than Howard, aside from an equal number of passing TDs. However, Howard added another 351 yards and nine TDs on the ground, whereas McCord finished with -65 yards rushing and zero scores, and he did not have a Marvin Harrison Jr. at his disposal.
While maybe not a clear upgrade just looking at the stats, there are obvious areas of Howard’s game that Ohio State will look to capitalize on where he performed better than McCord this past season. Howard fared better under pressure, completing 45% of his passes (46-of-102) for 555 yards and eight TDs compared to 39% (31-of-79) for 387 yards and two TDs for McCord, per PFF. While the Buckeyes don't often ask their QB to run the ball, having a guy with nearly 1,000 career rushing yards and 19 TDs on the ground will also help in areas like the red zone, where Ohio State has had issues over the past several seasons without a true dual-threat QB.
Still, at the end of the day, Ryan Day will hope to get an even better version of Howard than we saw in his four seasons in Manhattan, Kansas. While it is tough to expect a significant leap from a guy heading into his fifth year of college football, there is a precedent for a quarterback to find a new gear with a better program — no disrespect to Kansas State — later in their career. It isn’t a perfect apples to apples comparison, but Day will look to mirror the success of guys like Bo Nix at Oregon and Michael Penix Jr. at Washington with Howard at Ohio State.
Nix was a borderline five-star prospect in the 2019 class, beginning his career at Auburn. In his three years with the Tigers, the Alabama native was largely average, completing under 60% of his passes with 39 TDs to 16 INTs over 34 games. He then transferred to Oregon, where he parlayed a 3,600-yard passing performance in 2022 with the Ducks into a 2023 campaign that saw him throw for over 4,500 yards with 45 TDs and just three picks, completing over 77% of his passes — all career highs — and finishing third for the Heisman Trophy.
Penix Jr. was a three-star prospect out of Florida in the 2018 class, beginning his career at Indiana. Often banged up with the Hoosiers, Penix compiled just under 4,200 yards passing with 29 TDs and 15 INTs in 21 games spanning four seasons in Bloomington. He then transferred to Washington, where he has transcended into superstardom with back-to-back 4,600-yard-plus passing seasons with 31 TDs and 8 INTs in 2022 to go along with 35 TDs and nine INTs in 2023 — finishing second for the Heisman — with still one game to play as he has helped lead the Huskies to the national title game.
Howard was a lower-rated player as a prospect than both Nix and Penix Jr., and will not have the added bonus of two years at his new destination with just one year of eligibility remaining. However, he is also coming from a better starting point than either of those other transfer QBs, as his performance in his four seasons at Kansas State was better than that of Nix at Auburn or Penix Jr. at Indiana. Again, it isn’t a perfect comparison, but the Buckeyes will be hoping for a similar leap in production for Howard at Ohio State. If nothing else, the tremendous increase in talent around him will aid in that improvement.
Deuce Vaughn was a talented backfield mate for Howard in his first three seasons at K-State, but Howard has never had anything near the caliber of weapons around him that he will with the Buckeyes. In 2023, the Wildcats’ three leading pass-catchers were a former walk-on tight end, a formerly unranked 5-foot-9 wide receiver, and a three-star freshman receiver ranked in the low 1,300s. I’m sure all three of these guys are wonderful teammates who have or will put together respectable collegiate careers, but Howard wasn’t exactly playing with a stacked deck. Kansas State has not had an offensive skill player drafted in the first five rounds since Tyler Lockett in 2015.
Now, Howard will be leading an offense with nothing but four- and five-star players across the board. It seems more than likely that TreVeyon Henderson — former five-star and No. 1 overall RB in 2021 — will return to join Howard in the backfield, while his receiver core will be made up of some combination of Carnell Tate (five-star), Brandon Inniss (five-star), Jeremiah Smith (five-star, No. 1 overall player in 2024) and potentially Emeka Egbuka (five-star) plus an exciting young tight end in Jelani Thurman (high four-star). Needless to say, Howard will have a lot more dependable options at his disposal at Ohio State, likely all of whom will be in the NFL in the near future.
I’m not saying that Will Howard is necessarily going to have the type of season that Nix or Penix had in 2023 with the Buckeyes in 2024, but it isn’t out of the question that the fifth-year man could see his play improve somewhat significantly next season with Day’s knowledge of the position and a treasure trove of supreme talent around him. Howard is coming to Ohio State to try to win a national championship and improve his NFL Draft stock, and he will have a chance to do both of those things as QB1 in Columbus.
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images
The Buckeyes will hope for a final year renaissance from its new quarterback similar to that of other transfers this past season.
Ohio State made a somewhat sizable splash in the transfer portal on Thursday afternoon when former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard announced his commitment to the Buckeyes. Howard, while not quite the same caliber a transfer as Justin Fields in 2019, brings with him four years of experience in the P5, having helped lead the Wildcats to a Big 12 title in 2022, as well as an impressive dual-threat ability for a player with a bigger frame at 6-foot-5, 242 pounds.
Howard’s numbers from this past season are nothing flashy. He completed just over 61% of his passes for 2,643 yards with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Comparatively, Kyle McCord completed nearly 66% of his passes for 3,170 yards with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions — all better than Howard, aside from an equal number of passing TDs. However, Howard added another 351 yards and nine TDs on the ground, whereas McCord finished with -65 yards rushing and zero scores, and he did not have a Marvin Harrison Jr. at his disposal.
While maybe not a clear upgrade just looking at the stats, there are obvious areas of Howard’s game that Ohio State will look to capitalize on where he performed better than McCord this past season. Howard fared better under pressure, completing 45% of his passes (46-of-102) for 555 yards and eight TDs compared to 39% (31-of-79) for 387 yards and two TDs for McCord, per PFF. While the Buckeyes don't often ask their QB to run the ball, having a guy with nearly 1,000 career rushing yards and 19 TDs on the ground will also help in areas like the red zone, where Ohio State has had issues over the past several seasons without a true dual-threat QB.
Still, at the end of the day, Ryan Day will hope to get an even better version of Howard than we saw in his four seasons in Manhattan, Kansas. While it is tough to expect a significant leap from a guy heading into his fifth year of college football, there is a precedent for a quarterback to find a new gear with a better program — no disrespect to Kansas State — later in their career. It isn’t a perfect apples to apples comparison, but Day will look to mirror the success of guys like Bo Nix at Oregon and Michael Penix Jr. at Washington with Howard at Ohio State.
Nix was a borderline five-star prospect in the 2019 class, beginning his career at Auburn. In his three years with the Tigers, the Alabama native was largely average, completing under 60% of his passes with 39 TDs to 16 INTs over 34 games. He then transferred to Oregon, where he parlayed a 3,600-yard passing performance in 2022 with the Ducks into a 2023 campaign that saw him throw for over 4,500 yards with 45 TDs and just three picks, completing over 77% of his passes — all career highs — and finishing third for the Heisman Trophy.
Penix Jr. was a three-star prospect out of Florida in the 2018 class, beginning his career at Indiana. Often banged up with the Hoosiers, Penix compiled just under 4,200 yards passing with 29 TDs and 15 INTs in 21 games spanning four seasons in Bloomington. He then transferred to Washington, where he has transcended into superstardom with back-to-back 4,600-yard-plus passing seasons with 31 TDs and 8 INTs in 2022 to go along with 35 TDs and nine INTs in 2023 — finishing second for the Heisman — with still one game to play as he has helped lead the Huskies to the national title game.
Howard was a lower-rated player as a prospect than both Nix and Penix Jr., and will not have the added bonus of two years at his new destination with just one year of eligibility remaining. However, he is also coming from a better starting point than either of those other transfer QBs, as his performance in his four seasons at Kansas State was better than that of Nix at Auburn or Penix Jr. at Indiana. Again, it isn’t a perfect comparison, but the Buckeyes will be hoping for a similar leap in production for Howard at Ohio State. If nothing else, the tremendous increase in talent around him will aid in that improvement.
Deuce Vaughn was a talented backfield mate for Howard in his first three seasons at K-State, but Howard has never had anything near the caliber of weapons around him that he will with the Buckeyes. In 2023, the Wildcats’ three leading pass-catchers were a former walk-on tight end, a formerly unranked 5-foot-9 wide receiver, and a three-star freshman receiver ranked in the low 1,300s. I’m sure all three of these guys are wonderful teammates who have or will put together respectable collegiate careers, but Howard wasn’t exactly playing with a stacked deck. Kansas State has not had an offensive skill player drafted in the first five rounds since Tyler Lockett in 2015.
Now, Howard will be leading an offense with nothing but four- and five-star players across the board. It seems more than likely that TreVeyon Henderson — former five-star and No. 1 overall RB in 2021 — will return to join Howard in the backfield, while his receiver core will be made up of some combination of Carnell Tate (five-star), Brandon Inniss (five-star), Jeremiah Smith (five-star, No. 1 overall player in 2024) and potentially Emeka Egbuka (five-star) plus an exciting young tight end in Jelani Thurman (high four-star). Needless to say, Howard will have a lot more dependable options at his disposal at Ohio State, likely all of whom will be in the NFL in the near future.
I’m not saying that Will Howard is necessarily going to have the type of season that Nix or Penix had in 2023 with the Buckeyes in 2024, but it isn’t out of the question that the fifth-year man could see his play improve somewhat significantly next season with Day’s knowledge of the position and a treasure trove of supreme talent around him. Howard is coming to Ohio State to try to win a national championship and improve his NFL Draft stock, and he will have a chance to do both of those things as QB1 in Columbus.
Continue reading...
LGHL Bucketheads Podcast: Recapping Ohio State’s wins over West Virginia and Rutgers, women’s hoops update with Thomas Costello
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- 0 Replies
Bucketheads Podcast: Recapping Ohio State’s wins over West Virginia and Rutgers, women’s hoops update with Thomas Costello
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Clare Grant/The Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Thomas is the LGHL Ohio State women’s vasketball beat writer, and we talked about everything within the program.
“Bucketheads” is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. Every episode, they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in the college hoops world.
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
On the 99th episode of ‘Bucketheads,’ Connor and Justin welcome back Thomas Costello, the Ohio State women’s basketball writer for Land-Grant Holy Land.
The boys talked with Thomas about all things Ohio State women’s basketball, the expectations for the team, the commitment of Jaloni Cambridge, Jacy Sheldon and how they have replaced Taylor Mikesell.
Before the conversation with Thomas, Connor and Justin talk about the Buckeye's wins over West Virginia and Rutgers, and how we feel about the team as they sit at 12-2.
Be sure to like and subscribe to the podcast and leave a review of your thoughts on the show!
Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGPN
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Connect with Thomas:
Twitter: @1ThomasCostello
Continue reading...
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Clare Grant/The Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Thomas is the LGHL Ohio State women’s vasketball beat writer, and we talked about everything within the program.
“Bucketheads” is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. Every episode, they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in the college hoops world.
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
On the 99th episode of ‘Bucketheads,’ Connor and Justin welcome back Thomas Costello, the Ohio State women’s basketball writer for Land-Grant Holy Land.
The boys talked with Thomas about all things Ohio State women’s basketball, the expectations for the team, the commitment of Jaloni Cambridge, Jacy Sheldon and how they have replaced Taylor Mikesell.
Before the conversation with Thomas, Connor and Justin talk about the Buckeye's wins over West Virginia and Rutgers, and how we feel about the team as they sit at 12-2.
Be sure to like and subscribe to the podcast and leave a review of your thoughts on the show!
Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGPN
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Connect with Thomas:
Twitter: @1ThomasCostello
Continue reading...
