Will Howard had another good day, Carson Hinzman and Tegra Tshabola split first-team right guard reps and Jordan Hancock stood out at Ohio State’s third August practice.
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Ohio State Practice Observations: Will Howard Has Another Good Day, Interior Offensive Line Competition Comes Into Focus and Jordan Hancock Shines
Will Howard kept momentum on his side in Ohio State’s third practice of preseason camp.
After following up an underwhelming first day of preseason camp with an impressive second day, Howard looked sharp again during Ohio State’s third practice of camp at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Saturday, showing why he’s the frontrunner to be the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback for the 2024 season despite a shaky spring.
While he didn’t have any wow throws on Saturday, the Kansas State transfer was on the mark far more often than not during team drills and 7-on-7. Taking the majority of reps behind the first-team offensive line during 11-on-11 work, Howard also showcased his running ability with an explosive sprint up the left sideline that might have been an 80-yard touchdown – against the first-team defense – if the play hadn’t been whistled dead to protect the quarterback.
As was the case on Friday, Julian Sayin and Devin Brown also had their moments on Saturday.
Sayin was the most effective quarterback during a red-zone passing drill early in practice and had what might have been the most impressive throw of the day during 11-on-11 when he lofted a perfect deep ball over the outside shoulder of Jeremiah Smith, drawing defensive pass interference on Denzel Burke as Smith just narrowly missed hauling in a one-handed catch anyway.
The true freshman led multiple drives behind the first-team offensive line during team drills – the first we’ve seen in preseason camp that featured a full first-team offense on the field simultaneously – suggesting that Sayin is in the mix to be Ohio State’s No. 2 quarterback if not Howard’s top competition for the starting job.
Brown had what our contingent of
Eleven Warriors reporters agreed was his worst day of preseason camp so far on Saturday, and he ran primarily with the second-team offense in team drills. That said, he delivered a late-practice highlight with his arm for the second day in a row when he connected with Emeka Egbuka on a cannon shot over the top of the defense to beat Jermaine Mathews Jr. deep.
Three days into August practice, Howard’s standing as the leader in Ohio State’s quarterback competition feels stronger than it did when camp opened on Thursday, while Sayin is pushing Brown for position behind Howard. While the competition between all three of them continues on, it seems clear that they will be the Buckeyes' top three quarterbacks in one order or another, as Lincoln Kienholz worked primarily with the third-team offense on Saturday, while Air Noland saw no action during the 11-on-11 periods.
Hinzman, Tshabola battle at RG; Montgomery gets center work
Peoples, Williams-Dixon proving they can play
Hancock, Styles, Reese among Day 3 defensive standouts.
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Additional notes
- Saturday’s practice was the first of camp that included live field goal kicking attempts. Returning starter Jayden Fielding shanked one attempt wide left but otherwise looked to be the most consistent of Ohio State’s kickers on the day.
- Jayden Ballard delivered the highlight of the red-zone passing portion of practice when he made a catch over a defensive back and got his feet down in the back of the end zone on a throw over the middle from Sayin.
- Walk-on standouts on the day included tight end Jace Middleton, who had a long catch-and-run off a short pass, and wide receiver Reis Stocksdale, who got open frequently against the third-team defense and made multiple downfield catches for notable gains.
- NFL scouts from the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints and Washington Commanders attended Saturday’s practice.
Just sayin': You keep hearing "good stuff" about Sayin. Makes you wonder if Sayin will eventually pass Brown on the depth chart and move up to QB2.