Will Howard explains Ohio State transfer decision, says Kansas State 'took advantage' of him

Former Ohio State quarterback Will Howard says he put himself first when making his decision to leave Kansas State for the Buckeyes as one of college football's top transfers in the 2024 portal cycle. Howard was the Wildcats' projected starter, fresh off a Big 12 championship season, but says freshman backup Avery Johnson was enjoying a more lucrative NIL deal.

Howard signed a one-year, seven-figure deal with Ohio State that included housing and a car -- far more than he received during the 2023 campaign, and helped lead the Buckeyes to a national title.

"Everything I did (for NIL) was on my own," Howard told The Athletic. "They kind of took advantage of me and got me for cheap, so I decided to go somewhere else and make a little money," Howard said. "It's different when you go to a school, and you're the guy getting money. It's amazing how different you're treated. It was the best decision I ever made."

Howard, who's now entering his second season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, made more money with the Buckeyes than he did as a rookie in the NFL last season. Howard signed a four-year, $4.45 million rookie contract with the Steelers last spring and said $500,000 was the starting point when he left Kansas State for his next opportunity after the 2023 season.

Howard was one of the headliners in Ohio State's resource-driven haul in 2024, a group Ohio State AD Ross Bjork infamously remarked was made possible through then record-setting NIL payouts.

Why Kansas State turned to Johnson

The writing was on the wall for Howard as soon as the Wildcats signed Johnson in 2023 as the most significant in-state addition of the Chris Klieman era. The four-star prospect was a top-100 player nationally and added a dual-threat element compared to Howard, who could escape the pocket when needed but not necessarily by design.

Collin Klein, Kansas State's quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at the time, was Johnson's lead recruiter and began working him into the offense as a freshman behind Howard. It became clear late in the season that he would soon take over, and following Howard's transfer, Johnson accounted for three touchdowns during Kansas State's bowl win over NC State in his first career start.

"There were a lot of politics the last year (at Kansas State)," Howard told The Athletic. "There were games I was splitting time with him for no reason that I knew other than there was money going to him that wasn't going to me."

Howard went 12-5 over 17 starts in Manhattan before guiding Ohio State to a national title with a career-best 4,010 passing yards and 35 touchdowns in 2024. Johnson enters his senior season in 2026 at Kansas State with a 15-10 record as the starter since that bowl victory, totaling 43 touchdown passes and 15 rushing scores over the last two years. He now reunites with Klein, his former position coach, who has returned as head coach.

"There is unfinished business here and I'm not done yet," Johnson wrote on Instagram in January, announcing his return to Kansas State. "This place, this program and this fan base mean everything to me."

Klein spent the last two seasons as Texas A&M's play-caller and said continuity with Johnson was "progressing well" earlier this spring.

"I think it's come back to him pretty quickly. But more important than any other position, it's important that we are thinking exactly the same way as play caller and quarterback," Klein told Yahoo Sports. "Gray is not a good thing in that relationship. So we are trying to make sure -- and he's been very great and detailed and thorough -- of not taking anything for granted. As a staff, we are doing the exact same thing to make sure that we're exactly on the same page."

Kansas State was one of nine Power Four programs not to hold a spring game this offseason.