Will Howard Nearly Chose Notre Dame Before Leading Ohio State To 2024 Title

Will Howard, the quarterback who led Ohio State to the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship victory over Notre Dame, revealed he was very close to committing to Notre Dame before they signed former Duke quarterback Riley Leonard instead. Howard was blindsided by Notre Dame's decision and used that as motivation going into the championship game, where he completed 81% of his passes and earned Offensive MVP honors. He shared on the "Not Just Football" podcast that the Notre Dame general manager's presence on the sideline during warmups intensified his determination. After Leonard's commitment, Howard briefly considered entering the NFL Draft but ultimately chose Ohio State, which had also shown strong interest including a secret meeting in Dallas. Other schools like USC and Miami made offers, with Miami providing a lucrative NIL deal, but Ohio State was the only team that ultimately pursued him exclusively. Howard's journey highlights the competitive nature of the transfer portal and how close he was to playing for Notre Dame instead of Ohio State in the national title game.