Howard Looks The Part
by Bo Marchionte
@bomarchionte | College2Pro.com
Published July 26, 2025, 4:45 PM
LATROBE, Pa. – Will Howard is smiling again. It’s not hard to see why. He’s back on a football field, competing, learning, and dreaming bigger than ever. The former Ohio State standout and Big Ten champion is now wearing black and gold, hoping to one day earn the chance to lead the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“Feels great,” Howard said from training camp. “It’s really, really fun, man, I’m enjoying it. It’s good to be back playing football again.”
It’s been football his entire life literally. Howard jokes that the only time he wasn’t playing quarterback came in his very first youth league game.
“I was overweight and in my pads, was like, nine years old or whatever,” he laughed. “And I said, you can play anything but quarterback. So, I played tight end that game, then I went back to quarterback, and I never went back really.”
Now, years later, Howard is in a quarterback room with three NFL veterans Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, and Skylar Thompson. Hoping to climb the NFL’s highest mountain. Becoming the guy in Pittsburgh is a tall task. But Howard, at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, has the physical tools. And just as importantly, he might have the intangibles too.
“I think the thing about myself that sticks out is my resiliency and ability to bounce back from adversity,” Howard said. “I’ve seen so much in my football career, not a lot shakes me. I think that goes very far at this level.”
That ability to stay composed under pressure helped him lead Ohio State to a Big Ten championship and etched some signature moments along the way. His precision and toughness were on full display in games like the Buckeyes’ win over Penn State, where he stood tall against a relentless pass rush and delivered throws in tight windows. Or in the conference title game, where he played with the poise of a seasoned NFL starter, commanding the offense with urgency and leadership.
Yet, for all the arm strength, size, and experience, Howard knows the NFL doesn’t often wait for seventh-round quarterbacks to develop. The league craves first-round picks at quarterback.
“You’ve got to show up and compete every day, and that’s what I’m doing,” said Howard.
He’s not alone on this climb.
“Oh, yeah. Absolutely great room,” Howard said of working with Rodgers, Rudolph, and Thompson. “It’s been a lot of fun just being in the room with those guys. They’ve treated me super well, taken me in really well. I’m really fortunate to be with a group of three veterans… obviously Aaron, you know, speaks for itself, but Mason’s played a lot of football, and Skylar’s played a lot of football too.”
There’s a deeper connection with Thompson too both are Kansas State alumni, and their paths overlapped before Howard transferred to Ohio State.
“He was kind of my mentor there,” Howard added.
When asked what separates him not on tape but in the moments we don’t see, Howard didn’t hesitate.
“The intangibles… how I relate to my teammates and how I’m able to create those connections,” he said. “At Ohio State, I was that leader for the team. I was that guy people could look to during the tough times and the hard times and the good times. You know, I was going to be neutral, but I was also going to bring that fire.”
That mindset has helped Howard embrace the quiet uphill climb of NFL development. While he’s not the loudest voice in the room yet, he’s laying the foundation.
“I feel like my voice isn’t super loud right now, but I’m setting that groundwork building relationships, and hopefully my personality can come out a little more as we go along.”
Howard may not be the first name fans think of when it comes to the Steelers’ future under center. But he might be the one to keep an eye on. His blend of ideal size, college production, football IQ, and self-awareness make him more than just a developmental arm.
“It’s a privilege and a blessing,” Howard said. “It’s something I’ve worked for and wanted my whole life. But when it becomes real… you realize that it’s a job. It’s a business. You can’t sit there and just get wowed by it all the time. You’ve got to lock in and prepare. And that’s where I’m at now.”
Howard received a heavy round of applause when he entered team drills on the third day of camp. The Steelers fan base appears eager give Howard as much as love as possible in hope he can become their starting quarterback of the future. Odds are stacked against the talented quarterback, despite his attractive qualities for the position.
Of the 32 NFL teams, 27 are currently led by quarterbacks who were selected in the first round of the draft. That leaves just five teams with projected starters who were taken outside of Round 1—two selected in the second round, one in the third, one in the fourth, and just one, remarkably, chosen in the seventh round.
And if his history says anything, it’s that Will Howard’s just getting started, and nothing can deny him at this point from becoming the next late round gem at quarterback.
Only time will tell.
Photo Credit Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com
