Ranking the projected starting quarterbacks in the Big 12 for 2023

5. Will Howard, Kansas State

The term “game manager” most often has a negative connotation hovering over it. Although Will Howard may fall into that category, there’s no shying away from the production he put into Kansas State that turned a good team into a great one.

It was still being determined how the Wildcats would move forward after Adrian Martinez suffered an injury halfway into the season. Instead of stumbling backward, Howard helped the Wildcats propel their play with a 15-to-4 touchdown-to-turnover margin, leading them to a Big 12 title and Sugar Bowl berth.

At the beginning of his career, turnover problems became a massive hazard. However, in 2022, he nearly silenced those murmurs with a much cleaner seven-game run. He didn’t use his legs nearly as much as in his 2020 season, but he didn’t need to, with Deuce Vaughn commanding all front-sevens attention.

When Howard was in the game, the K-State offense was progressing at a consistent rate.

Whether he can duplicate that over an entire season with a new cast hinders him from jumping into the top three spots.