Will Howard will open the 2024 season as the starting quarterback for Ohio State.

The Kansas State transfer has won the battle for the quarterback position and will start for the Buckeyes in Week 1 against Akron, Ohio State coach Ryan Day told reporters Thursday.

(See also: Ohio State is No. 1 in RJ Young’s Ultimate 134 CFB rankings)

“When you add up all the numbers, Will performed significantly better than the other guys in terms of teamwork,” Day explained.

Devin Brown is currently the team’s No. 2 quarterback, Day said. However, Day added that the team has a “big scrimmage game” on Saturday that could change things, and pointed out that the team still has a lot of practices to complete.

At the start of the offseason, it was unclear who Ohio State’s starting quarterback would be in 2024. Kyle McCord left the program after a disappointing end to the 2023 season.

Day eventually managed to get Howard and Julian Sayin (Alabama) out of the transfer portal. Howard was considered one of the most successful quarterbacks in the portal after his two-year stint as Kansas State’s starting quarterback.

Sayin was arguably the most talented quarterback in the portal. Sayin, a five-star recruit in the class of 2024, transferred from Alabama after Nick Saban decided to retire in January. He had enrolled early at Alabama.

Brown was considered the incumbent with the best chance of winning the job. The redshirt sophomore lost the battle for the quarterback spot with McCord last season, but started the team’s loss to Missouri in the Cotton Bowl.

Ryan Day talks about the return of experienced players and new additions from the transfer portal

But ultimately, it was Howard’s experienced presence that helped him get the job.

“We’re excited to have Will as the starter,” Day said of the five-year quarterback. “I think Will has the offense under control. You can feel it in the huddle. You can feel his experience. He’s rebuilt his body really well in the offseason. He’s become a threat with his legs and arms. The more he understands what he’s doing out there and what he’s doing, the better he executes it.”

“I think the guys are excited when he comes into the huddle. That’s not to say they’re not excited when the other quarterbacks are there, but they sense Will and I know he’s excited to lead the team.”

Howard threw for 2,643 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, as well as 351 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns last season, helping Kansas State win the Big 12 in 2022.

Ohio State has arguably its most talented team in Day’s six seasons as head coach through 2024. The Buckeyes finished second in the first AP poll for the 2024 season on Monday.

(Want great stories delivered straight to your inbox? Create or log in to a FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized daily newsletter.)

Get more out of college football Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more