Will Howard has been an underdog his entire career. A Pennsylvania kid, he had few offers coming out of high school, not even an offer from either of his home state teams, Penn State or the Pitt Panthers. He ended up heading to Manhattan, Kansas, to play for the Wildcats before transferring to Ohio State, where he would become a Buckeye legend.

Will Howard, once considered a fringe Day 2 to early Day 3 QB prospect, found himself unselected until the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft — an unforeseen circumstance the Steelers would ultimately alleviate.