His blunt assessment of quarterback Will Howard still turned heads in early March, though.
“Will Howard?” Burke said before an uncharacteristic pause. “I don’t know. I guess it’s only been two days of practice so I guess we still have a lot more days to go, but you know me: I’m just gonna keep it real. I want to continue to see more. I know he has a high potential and I’m excited for him. Thirteen more practices, so we’ll see.”
Burke did not back down in July during Big Ten Media Days, telling reporters in Indianapolis he had seen flashes but still wanted to see more on the field while praising Howard’s actions in the weight room.
“Fall camp is really going to test him,” Burke said in July. “They’re going against the best defense in the country, so we’re just going to plan on getting him better and hoping for the best. The sky’s the limit.”
Howard entered preseason practice last week locked in a battle with returning sophomore Devin Brown to be the starting quarterback, and he has looked good during sessions of practice open to the media.
Head coach Ryan Day confirmed Howard has made progress, but he held off anointing a starter before the Buckeyes’ first big scrimmage of the preseason Saturday.
Burke, on the other hand, offered his most glowing assessment yet when he met with reporters Friday morning.
“Oh yeah, Will Howard’s been gaming,” Burke said. “He’s gotten a lot better, and he’s been doing his thing. Great reads. He’s only thrown one interception all camp, and he’s a great leader. Great, great person. You can tell he’s a vet.”
Burke, who practiced against future first-round pick C.J. Stroud for two seasons then saw the quarterback battle play out last year between Brown and Kyle McCord, said he appreciates Howard’s pocket presence, how he handles the huddle and finishes plays.
Does that mean he has seen all he needs to see?
“Oh yeah, yeah,” Burke said. “He’s been he’s definitely been balling. I’m really proud of him. He’s been going really hard.”
About the Author
