Will Howard praises ex-Nittany Lion, new Ohio State QBs coach

Ohio State has added several assistants with ties to the Penn State football program to its staff this offseason. But perhaps most vital to the functioning of the Buckeyes offense next fall will be former Nittany Lions quarterback Billy Fessler.

Serving as an analyst during the program’s national championship run in 2024, Fessler was promoted to quarterbacks coach following Chip Kelly’s departure to the Las Vegas Raiders in February. After the Buckeyes’ offensive production last fall, it was really the only move Ryan Day could make, says former Ohio State quarterback Will Howard.

“Billy is my dog. I’m so happy for him,” Howard said at last week’s NFL Combine. “If Coach Day didn’t hire him as quarterbacks coach, I would have had a problem with it. He taught me so much this year. He was integral in my development. He is absolutely – 100 percent, without a doubt – the best man for that job.

Howard led the Big Ten with 4,010 passing yards last fall. His 35 touchdowns were the most of his career and fourth-most in the FBS. Now, the former Buckeye expects Fessler to have the same impact on the Ohio State quarterback room moving forward.

“He’s going to be great for that room,” he continued. “He brings a human element. He’s not that much older than us, so he can relate to us on a guy-to-guy level. He taught me more than most guys in that role ever could. He was the mouthpiece for Coach Day and Coach Kelly to me. He was my personal, one-on-one QB coach at times. I felt so prepared going into every game, and Billy was a big part of that.”

In addition to Fessler, Ohio State hired former Nittany Lions assistant Tyler Bowen as its offensive line coach and added Penn State football letterman Wendy Laurent as an analyst.

Penn State and Ohio State will face off on November 1 in Columbus.

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