Ohio
Why Ohio State Quarterback Will Howard Fits With Chip Kelly
With high expectations for the Ohio State Buckeyes this season, the offense will need be a key part of the team’s success this season.
Last year, the Buckeyes featured Kyle McCord at the helm, while head coach Ryan Day called the plays for the veteran quarterback. The duo of McCord and Day had some positive moments throughout the season, but their efforts were not enough to defeat the Michigan Wolverines.
The tides have dramatically changed this offseason in Columbus and Ohio State will now put the trust in former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard and newly-hired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. Many fans are skeptical of how this dynamic will work, but the combination of Howard and Kelly could take this offense to new heights during the 2024 season.
When looking at any former Chip Kelly teams, the biggest takeaway is Kelly’s usage of a duel-threat quarterback.
Looking back at the 2022 season, UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson had an incredible jump in play. Part of it was due to his ability to run the ball. Thompson-Robinson finished his final year at UCLA with 117 carries and 646 yards on the ground on top of his 3,154 yards in the air.
This style of play is very similar to Howard’s play style at Kansas State. The 6-foot-5, 242-pound quarterback has demonstrated his capability to use his legs when called upon. In 2023, Howard reached 351 rushing yards on 81 carries. His run-style is similar to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, as both are big players and use their strength to gain extra yards.
One of the main emphasises in Kelly’s offense last year was utilizing the middle of the field in the pass game. Taking a look at UCLA’s primary starting quarterback last year, Dante Moore, we can see how much the Buckeye’s new offensive coordinator likes to use the middle of the field (stats according to PFF):
|
Depth of Pass |
Percentage of Passing Play Call |
|---|---|
|
Behind the line of scrimmage, middle |
8.9% |
|
Short, middle |
18.7% |
|
Intermediate, middle |
11.2% |
|
TOTAL |
38.8% |
Out of the 12 spots that PFF uses to identify passing zones, three of the four zones across the middle made up nearly 40% of Moore’s passes.
The usage of the middle part of the field perfectly aligns with Howard’s skillset, as his profile last year shows how well he does in those passing concepts.
|
Depth of Pass |
Percentage of Passing Play Call |
Completion Percentage |
PFF Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Behind the line of scrimmage, middle |
8.1% |
89.7% |
68.5 |
|
Short, middle |
31.3% |
75% |
68.2 |
|
Intermediate, middle |
12.0% |
58.1% |
90.2 |
Kansas State did even more through the middle of the field than Kelly’s UCLA offense last year, which could be perfect for Howard. While the former Wildcats’ quarterback did not excel outside the numbers and on deeper throws, Howard did a solid job in the areas that are basic concepts of a Chip Kelly offense.
The final piece to why this combination will work is the fact that both Howard and Kelly will have an upgrade in offensive weapons.
As a starting quarterback for Kansas State, Howard had a 1,000 yard rusher in every season except one, but did not have a wide receiver reach over 800 yards. For Kelly, he had solid running backs with no talented pass catchers.
Now, as both join Ohio State, they have weapons in order to expand the playbook while elevating the play of Howard. The Buckeyes lost a few of the team’s key pieces in the running back room, but gained former Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins and held on to TreVeyon Henderson. The one-two punch of Judkins and Henderson will be one of the best, if not the best, running back room in college football.
In terms of pass catchers, the Buckeyes return two wide receivers in Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate to command the wide receiver room. Newcomer Jeremiah Smith also has shown promise throughout the spring and could be a big piece to the core.
Ohio State coach Jake Diebler updates roster, summer plans: Part 2
Ohio State men’s hoops coach Jake Diebler discusses the 2026-27 roster, transfer portal additions and more in the first part of this June 1 interview.
Westerville North’s Tony Cornett III has steadily built up a strong list of college offers. Since the start of May, the 6-foot-4, 180-pound guard has added ones from Akron, Bowling Green and Toledo as summer camp season has gotten underway.
Now with offers from 10 schools, including one from every Mid-American Conference school in Ohio, Cornett said the mission isn’t complete because it’s never complete.
“I feel like it’s more fuel for me,” he said of the recent offers from the Zips, Falcons and Rockets. “None of the offers I’ve gotten, I’m satisfied with. It won’t be a single offer that will make me fully satisfied because it’s like, why would I be satisfied with that offer? The job’s never finished.”
It’s an attitude that has helped Cornett and the Warriors reach the Ohio Division II title game in each of the past two years, winning the championship in 2025 and falling in overtime in 2026. In this year’s five-point loss to Massillon Washington, Cornett had 15 points, 10 rebounds, five steals and four turnovers in 35 minutes.
On June 5, he was on the main court inside the Jerome Schottenstein Center as Westerville North participated in Ohio State’s team camp for the second consecutive day. The Warriors opened the day with a blowout win against Massillon Jackson with multiple members of the Ohio State coaching staff keeping an eye on the game.
The Buckeyes have not offered, but they continue to show interest.
“They definitely fit high on my radar for me, personally,” he said. “I’m pretty sure they like how I play. I hope so. We talk every now and then. I’m supposed to come for a visit this month.”
Toledo and Akron are also scheduled to host Cornett on visits in June, he said. While he played in his first of three games June 5, Cornett was watched by Ohio State assistants Dave Dickerson, Mike Wells, Jamall Walker and Brian Walsh, recruiting coordinator Terence Dials and program assistant William Buford.
They saw several highlight plays, including one on which Cornett blocked a shot, gathered the ball, pushed it up the floor to an open teammate, sprinted toward the basket and took a lob thrown back to him for a dunk.
“A play like that, that’s multiple winning plays, all-in-one plays,” he said. “It made it even better that the lob came from my brother (Tyson), so that was special. He’s got to throw that one up.”
Cornett said he looks at rosters when he thinks about where he might play collegiately.
“What program could I fit in the most?” he said. “What program recruits players that are more like me and have my game style, like tall, versatile, strong, bigger guards? Also, looking at a program that develops players, too. The development is the big thing for me. If they can develop someone who plays like me, that’s something I definitely look for.”
247Sports.com ranks Cornett as a three-star prospect. He’s the No. 112 national prospect, the No. 19 shooting guard and No. 7 player in Ohio, and this season Cornett said he has to be ready to step into more of a leadership role on a team he said features only two returners with varsity experience.
Cornett said he’s working to improve his jumper and get stronger.
“I have to keep improving and getting stronger and bigger,” he said. “I’m working on my shot. Always working on my shot. That’s my No. 1 priority right now, because I have to be able to hit the open shot. Also, getting downhill, using my body, elevating over smaller defenders.”
Ohio State men’s basketball beat writer Adam Jardy can be reached at ajardy@dispatch.com, on Bluesky at @cdadamjardy.bsky.social or on Twitter at @AdamJardy.
WARREN TWP., Ohio (WKBN) — Nearly 1,400 people in Warren were without power Sunday evening after a vehicle crashed into a utility pole.
People in the affected area were without power for about three hours until it was restored around 11:30 p.m.
Police told our crew on scene that a Toyota had driven into a utility pole on Mahoning Avenue around 8:30 p.m. Officers said two people left the vehicle and left the scene on foot.
Impact from the crash caused power lines to spark about 100 yards away, just within the City of Warren. The sparking powerlines lit surrounding bushes on fire, and crews worked to quickly put out the flames.
Part of Mahoning Avenue is closed off at this time.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Dominic O’Brien contributed to this report.
NEW RICHMOND, Ohio (WXIX) – Rescue crews have located a body in their search of the Ohio River for a kayaker who vanished in the water Thursday afternoon, according to the New Richmond Fire and EMS.
Around 12 p.m. Sunday, New Richmond Fire and EMS says they located a body during the search.
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The discovery comes after a 28-year-old man went missing in the Ohio River when a boat flipped around 4 p.m., just off U.S. Route 52 in New Richmond, according to the fire department.
The body was found near Mile Marker 449.1 in the area of the 800 block of Washington Street.
Officials say the scene was immediately turned over to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
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