By Jim Naveau

jnaveau@limanews.com

COLUMBUS – It had become a matter of when, not if, that Will Howard would be named Ohio State’s starting quarterback and Ryan Day decided Thursday was the day to make it official the Kansas State transfer will be the starter when OSU opens its football season against Akron on Aug. 31.

“When you take the aggregate of all the numbers Will graded out ignificantly ahead of the other guys,” Day said.

“We’re excited about Will being the starter. Will s really has taken command of the offense. You feel him in the huddle, you feel his experience. He has done a really good job of changing his body so he could become a threat both with his legs and his arm,” he said.

Howard, a fifth-year senior, completed 61 percent of his passes for 2,643 yards and 24 touchdowns last season for Kansas State. He was intercepted 10 times. He also rushed for 351 yards and nine touchdowns.

The biggest passing game in his career was when he threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-26 loss to Texas last season. His biggest rushing game was 104 yards in a 34-15 loss to Oklahoma State last season. He has 48 career touchdown passes and 17 rushing touchdowns.

Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said, “Will earned it. We grade everything and obviously he graded out highest at the position. I think he worked really hard in the offseason. From April 13 (the date of Ohio State’s spring game) to now he has made great strides. We gave him a plan to work on over the summer and he took it and ran with it.

“Where he is now is pretty impressive. The one thing you know he has is experience. He’s been in a the huddle in lot of games, he’s been in the huddle in big games. It isn’t new to him.”

Day said that last year’s back-up quarterback Devin Brown is the No. 2 QB for now, ahead of the Buckeyes’ other three scholarship quarterbacks – Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz and Prentiss “Air” Noland.