Bigger, faster, smarter: Kansas State QB Will Howard has evolved into ‘field general’
Just about everyone is expecting big things from Kansas State quarterback Will Howard this season, but no one seems to be higher on him than his head football coach.
Why?
Chris Klieman shared an illuminating response when he was asked to provide an example of how Howard is a better football player today than he was late last season as he averaged 233.3 passing yards per game and led the Wildcats to a Big 12 championship.
“He understands what the defense is doing,” Klieman said. “He understands what we are doing. His ability to see the pressure, change the protection, change the play, have one play called and know that we don’t like that picture without having to look at a coach and just know that we are changing the play. Those are things that Skylar (Thompson) was doing in his last couple years ... That has him playing at such a high level.”
Klieman went on to say that Howard’s newfound ability to read a defense and quickly move the K-State offense into an ideal play “is probably where I have seen the most growth out of him.”
That sounds like an excellent development for the Wildcats. Not only is he a bigger and faster quarterback than he was a year ago, he is also smarter.
Howard has always possessed the physical traits necessary to be an excellent quarterback in the Big 12. At 6-foot-5 and 242 pounds, he is literally the biggest quarterback in the conference. He also showed off his capabilities as a downfield passer while throwing for 1,633 yards and 15 touchdowns in just seven games last season.
But no one has ever praised his football IQ ... until now.
“That’s a huge compliment,” Howard said earlier this week.
Mastering the playbook that K-State offensive coordinator Collin Klein has compiled in Manhattan was a top priority for Howard during the offseason. In previous years, he lacked the confidence to shake off bad throws and overrule his play caller at the line of scrimmage. But he is now assertive and experienced enough to do both.
“Coach Klein always tells me, ‘Listen, you have got the chalk last,’” Howard said. “He tells me, ‘I’m going to get you in a position that I think is good for us, but if we’re running an exotic play and we have got pressure you have got to save me.’”
The same is true for when Klein calls for a conservative play and Howard notices a defensive formation that he can exploit with a different strategy. The Wildcats have given Howard a green light for every scenario, and he took advantage of his new freedom during training camp.
Every time K-State set up a scrimmage between its starters, you could count on Howard using audibles at the line of scrimmage to check into successful plays.
“He knows when this play has no chance to work with how we called it,” Klieman said. “He knows that we have got enough time on the play clock to change the play, change the protection and do whatever he needs to do to get us in a positive play.”
Several K-State players described the offense as “vanilla” at times last season with Klein as a first-time offensive coordinator. They say the Wildcats may show myriad new wrinkles this season now that both Howard and Klein are back.
They understand each other at a deeper level this time around. Howard says “there is a true trust there.”
Add that on to his physical tools, and it’s easy to see why Howard’s coach believes in him.
“That is something that I feel like I’ve improved on a ton,” Howard said. “I know what he’s thinking. He knows what I’m thinking. We know what plays we want versus certain looks and he’s given me the green light to access whatever I want to. I can check a hitch here and do basically whatever I want. I take a lot of pride in that, because it’s something I’ve worked a lot on and thought a lot about.
“It is one of the things I think that will separate me is my mental understanding of the game and my ability to understand what’s going on around me, not only on my side of the ball but on the other side. I’ve taken huge steps in that and just gotten more comfortable operating as a field general. That’s what I what I want to be.”
This story was originally published August 24, 2023 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Bigger, faster, smarter: Kansas State QB Will Howard has evolved into ‘field general’."