NCAA football transfer portal: Taulia Tagovailoa among names to watch

With former Buckeyes starter Kyle McCord heading to Syracuse (see below), Howard gets a dream landing spot following his decision to move on from the Wildcats. A Pennsylvania native who spent the past four years at Kansas State, Howard made several starts there as a freshman and took over the job midway through 2022. He led the Wildcats to a Big 12 title game win that season and is coming off a campaign in which he threw for 2,643 yards, with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while helping KSU to an 8-4 record (before the program won the Pop-Tarts Bowl last week without him). Howard can also threaten defenses with his legs, as evidenced by 81 carries for 351 yards and nine touchdowns this past season.

Having played in a pro-style offense in Manhattan, he told ESPN on Jan. 4, Howard won’t have to adjust to a whole new scheme in Columbus. He said he was excited that playing for OSU Coach Ryan Day, whose former pupil C.J. Stroud is enjoying a tremendous rookie season in the NFL, would put him in “the system that would get me the most prepared for that level.”

While Howard arrives at OSU as the favorite to be the starter next season, he could face some competition from touted recruit Air Noland. Sophomore Devin Brown, who started the Buckeyes’ Cotton Bowl loss last week to Missouri, and freshman Lincoln Kienholz, who also played in the game after Brown was injured, could also figure into the team’s positional battle this year.

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