Chip Kelly has a QB room with improved versatility, and that's a great sign for Ohio State
Chip Kelly knows it takes a versatile quarterback to win in football these days. Fortunately, he also believes Ohio State has a QB room full of players who can hurt a defense in a variety of ways.
On Tuesday, Kelly met with the media to discuss how the training camp is going so far and the ongoing battle in Columbus. He declined to name a leader for the starting spot but acknowledged the group as a whole has more dual-threat ability to deploy.
“It challenges the defense,” said Kelly in regard to a QB utilizing his legs. “… It’s a really tough thing to defend sometimes.”
From a physical standpoint, Will Howard is the most impressive of that group. In spite of being listed at 6-foot-4 and 237 pounds, Howard has been clocked as the fastest player in the room at 22 MPH.
That speed allows Howard to gash defenses for big gains instead of nickel-and-dime runs should the defense elect to double team options in the passing game:
“We know how fast Will is, so it’s not like if he runs it’s a 6-yard gain. Like if he takes off it could be a 60-yard gain,” Kelly explained. “And he had a few of those… He’s had some really big runs in his career so far… I think that’s just another tool in your toolbox. But it makes you a little more multi-dimensional.”
While Kelly singled out Howard, it did not take long for him to mention the rest of the room when someone asked if Julian Sayin can also move the ball with his legs. Every QB in the room has been clocked at 20+ MPH per Kelly with the ability to escape the pocket.
That doesn’t mean the Buckeyes are about to run a lot of QB power, but it is an element Kelly sounds willing to mix in occasionally:
“Every QB in our group runs over 20 (MPH). And I think Will went 22.1, and he was the fastest. We don’t have anybody that’s a statue back there,” said Kelly, “But we’re also not going to run them 25 snaps a game. They’re not Tim Tebow now. It’s just another facet of what we can do.”
While Ohio State has yet to name a starter, the depth at the position is key for an offense looking to keep the Buckeyes among the national title favorites at DraftKings. Fans looking to get in on the action can take advantage of Tradition’s best DraftKings Ohio bonus offer.
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Impact for OSU
As the offense sputtered in 2023, it was clear Kyle McCord’s skill set and lack of development as the season dragged on were going to be serious problems. Calculating rushing yards for QBs at the collegiate level can be tricky with sacks accounted for in the total, but McCord was never a threat on the ground at any point in the season.
That factor alone cannot account for the struggles but it stands out.
CJ Stroud was never an elite runner, but he was the kind of generational passer who did not need to use his legs to find the big play or relief valve. And it was well-known Stroud could get out of the pocket if needed, something he displayed time and again in the Peach Bowl against Georgia.
Before Stroud came Justin Fields, and he was one of the best all-around QBs in the country during his time in Columbus. So while expectations for McCord were high as a prospect, the issues in his makeup were clearer by the end of last season.
Now, Ohio State is getting back to what made the offense shine in year’s past with a versatile QB capable of hurting the defense in both areas. Even if Howard is not a pinpoint passer, his dual-threat capabilities will make a big differences in 2024.
