Chip Kelly Bringing His Option Offense To Ohio State Creates Crucial Decision At Quarterback.
Chip Kelly quit his position as Big Ten head coach to become the Big Ten’s offensive coordinator. He will accept a wage cut of almost $4 million for a demotion at Ohio State. The action is shocking and embarrassing for UCLA. The Bruins are left with red faces.
Ryan Day reinforced his commitment to the 2024 college football season by hiring a well-known coach to replace Bill O’Brien. O’Brien left in less than a month to become head coach at Boston College Day hired Kelly.
Kelly coached Day when he was a quarterback at New Hampshire. They have coached on the same staff together at UNH, with the 49ers and with the Eagles. This is the first time that Kelly will work under Day, as opposed to the other way around.
Chip Kelly has a decision to make at quarterback.
Ohio State declined to assure Kyle McCord that he would be the starting quarterback in 2024, so he departed. The current starter has transferred to Syracuse.
That left Day with Devin Brown, Lincoln Kienholz, and incoming freshman Air Noland. He elected to go shopping and eventually signed Kansas State transfer Will Howard outside of the portal. He may not have been the Buckeyes’ initial choice, but he eventually became their guy.
Howard is most likely being payed fairly handsomely by NIL in Columbus for one season. This year will be his final year of college, and the 22-year-old fifth-year senior is likely to start.
But nothing is in stone. Kelly’s arrival makes things interesting.
His option offense is not easy. He encourages the players to ask inquiries.
Is there a world where Kelly doesn’t accompany Howard? Yes, however it seems implausible. Absolutely.
Howard has very quick feet. Throughout his four seasons in Manhattan, the 6-foot-5, 242-pound quarterback rushed 210 times for 870 yards and 17 touchdowns.
It is difficult to conceive a universe in which Howard does not win the starting job.
Especially given the amount of effort Day and his crew went into recruiting him.
More than likely, both O’Brien and Kelly’s agreements to become offensive coordinator coincided with Howard’s start.
However, it is possible that he is not the best fit for Kelly’s system. The Wildcats took snaps away from Howard last season in favor of the much faster Avery Johnson. They ultimately encouraged him to seek new opportunity in the portal because they loved what they saw from their freshman.
Who is to say that Chip Kelly won’t feel similarly?
Kienholz, a four-star Class of 2023 prospect, rushed for 1,436 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior in high school. He can scoot!
Air Noland, a five-star freshman with a cannon arm, spent most of his final season in the pocket. His legs are also a weapon, as he is outstanding at throwing on the run.
Perhaps he will grab photos from Howard like Johnson.
And then there’s Devin Brown. The former four-star lost his job to McCord last year due to minor injury difficulties. His skill set might work effectively in an option offense.
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