Following the national championship victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard made a strong claim about his team’s receiving corps — and it’s hard to argue with.
Ohio State QB Will Howard Makes Strong Statement Regarding Buckeyes WRs in 2024
Howard had a terrific season in 2024, leading the Buckeyes to a national championship victory — their first since 2014. He had by far his best season as a collegiate quarterback, throwing for 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns across 16 games.
In the title game, Howard earned Offensive MVP.
Following the game, he deflected the praise toward other important players on the team, including the offensive line and running backs, for their excellence.
His highest praise was for the players he threw to: the wide receiving corps.
“I mean, we got the best receiver room in the country, and it’s not even close,” Howard claimed.
It’s hard to argue with that statement.
Howard’s target was none other than true freshman Jeremiah Smith, who burst into the scene of college football while playing a majority of the season at only 18 years old. By the time the College Football Playoff rolled around, there was no question that he was the best, most dominant wide receiver in college football.
His sheer dominance was on full display in the Rose Bowl against the Oregon Ducks, where Smith caught seven passes for 187 yards and two scores, annihilating the Ducks’ secondary in a 41-21 win.
The Buckeyes’ final meaningful play of the season was an extremely emblematic moment for Howard and Smith.
Facing 3rd-and-11 with under three minutes to go, Howard lofted a beautiful deep ball to Smith, who’d created nearly three yards of space on a vertical route, for a gain of 56 yards. That play sealed the deal for the Buckeyes’ championship run.
But it wasn’t just Smith catching passes.
The team’s second-leading receiver, Emeka Egbuka, is expected to be a first-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft — he caught 81 passes for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season.
Third-leading receiver Carnell Tate, a five-star recruit in the class of 2023, amassed 733 yards and four touchdowns in 2024. His biggest moment came in the CFP semifinals against the Texas Longhorns.
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With the Longhorns’ defensive game plan seemingly being to take away Smith, Tate led the team in receiving with 87 yards on seven receptions. Egbuka wasn’t far behind, with five catches for 52 yards.
All three — Smith, Egbuka, and Tate — have a high possibility of being first-round draft picks, making Howard’s claim extremely hard to dispute.
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