Senior quarterback Will Howard’s options were limited out of high school as a member of the 2020 recruiting class. The three-star prospect from Downingtown, Pennsylvania had a solid offers list, for sure.

Ultimately, Howard chose Kansas State over additional offers from the likes of Maryland, Kansas, Rutgers, Minnesota, Cincinnati, and a handful of MAC and Ivy League options. He was passed up by all the top schools in his region, like Penn State. 

Howard has since made a strong case for himself as a big-time college QB. Now, a degree in hand after four impressive seasons and a Big 12 Championship with the Wildcats, he’s entering the college football transfer portal. 

The recruiting process is back on. This time, he’ll likely be able to choose from some of the top programs in the nation looking for a plug-and-play starter at QB in 2024. 

Will Howard 2024 Transfer College Team Odds

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Where Will Howard Land?

Howard had a lot of ups and downs during his time in Manhattan. He earned every opportunity and fluctuated in and out of the starting lineup before securing the full-time starting job midway through the 2022 season. 

That led to the biggest highlight of Howard’s career to date, a 31-28 overtime win over TCU in the Big 12 title game, during which Howard threw two touchdown passes with no interceptions. 

An 8-4 record this season was a disappointment. There were personal highlights – 327 yards in an overtime loss at Texas – and plenty of missed opportunities. 

Howard finished the year with 2,643 yards and 24 touchdowns with 10 interceptions, and he won’t play in the Wildcats’ bowl game wherever they end up. Those aren’t Heisman numbers but established, capable multi-year quarterbacks are more valuable than ever before in the transfer portal era. 

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In terms of need and fit, Notre Dame stands out among the potential suitors. The Irish went to the portal in 2023 for starting QB Sam Hartman, who came up just short in one-score losses to Ohio State and Clemson while leading Notre Dame to a 9-3 finish. This defense is still built to win immediately, and there doesn’t appear to be a sure-fire starting QB next season. 

South Bend, Indiana is also closer to Howard’s hometown than most other programs on the list. And for a kid with NFL aspirations, who knows he needs to improve his stock as a senior, Notre Dame would be a tough one to pass up. 

Speaking of teams that could be a quarterback away from serious contention, Nebraska had a solid defense but couldn’t overcome its complete lack of a downfield passing threat on a weekly basis. 

Howard addresses that need immediately and gets the exposure of a big-time brand. The chance to go Blue Blood which hasn’t won big in over a decade is an opportunity to achieve legendary status. We have Notre Dame and Nebraska as the two most likely destinations.

Also, we expect at least some type of conversation between Howard and Ohio State, which clearly lacked quarterback play above all else in a third consecutive loss to rival Michigan in 2023. 

The Buckeyes landed a big-time QB recruit in four-star Air Noland earlier this year, but one season with Howard under center might be tempting as they develop the freshman. 

BYU, Miami, Oregon, and USC will all be looking for starting QBs as well and we don’t know exactly what Howard is looking for in a new program. Given that he clearly loved his time at Kansas State, it seems like this will be a business decision. 

In terms of exposure, reputation, pro-development, need, and a chance to win big, the Irish check all the boxes. If they want him in South Bend, that’s a golden opportunity Howard shouldn’t pass up.