Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1525333
5 4 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State has prioritized wide receiv- ers in its recent recruiting classes, and on Aug. 4 it picked up its third com- mitment from a pass catcher in the 2025 class, adding Koby Howard of Chami- nade-Madonna College Prep in Holly- wood, Fla. Checking in at 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, Howard earned an offer from the Nit- tany Lions more than two years ago, in June 2022. Led by South Florida recruiter Ja'Juan Seider, Penn State's pursuit didn't amount to much publicly until this spring when Howard was added to the team's official visit list. He ended up taking that visit June 21-23, and he returned in July for the Lasch Bash Barbecue. Howard also took official visits to Flor- ida and Ole Miss, but neither was able to sway him away from the Nittany Lions. "I went into Lasch Bash with Penn State as my top school, and on that visit I made the decision," Howard told On3. "On my official visit [in June], I knew I liked it a lot. I met with the coaches, I learned about the offense and I saw a good fit. It bumped them up my list. "Then at Lasch Bash, I worked with the coaches at camp and spent more time with them, and that was the icing on the cake. My second visit made it an easy de- cision." Howard totaled more than 30 scholar- ship offers before choosing the Nittany Lions. He's also been very active when it comes to checking out other schools; On3's Visit Center has tracked 40 trips dating back to 2021. Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Texas A&M are just a handful of the schools that offered and hosted him for at least one visit. Howard's recruitment suffered a set- back two years ago when he was injured while attending the Legends Camp at the University of Miami as a rising sopho- more. He impressed the Hurricanes' staff and earned an offer, but coach Mario Cristobal had to deliver it while visiting Howard at a nearby hospital. During the camp, Howard broke his tibia in what onlookers described as a "horrific" injury. Coming off a freshman season at Pensacola (Fla.) Catholic in which he caught 70 passes for 808 yards and 8 touchdowns, Howard was forced to miss most of his sophomore year. He played in only a couple of games and fin- ished with 13 catches for 176 yards and 2 scores. Howard transferred to Davie (Fla.) Western for his junior season and re- ga i n e d h i s f re s h m a n form, totaling 65 catches for 1,065 yards and 8 touchdowns. Then in January, he announced that he would be trans- ferring to Chaminade- Madonna for his senior year. There are big shoes to fill at the school. The Li- ons boasted two top-50 wide receivers last year in Jeremiah Smith, who signed with Ohio State, and Joshisa Trader, now with Miami. Howard said PSU's in- terest didn't waver while he was recovering from his injury, and that made an impression. "Penn State offered me my freshman year, and coach Ja'Juan Seider kept up the relationship," he said. "He was always there recruiting me, but in the spring Penn State started coming really hard. How they recruited me changed things. It had been a tough process for me with a broken leg and dealing with some adversity. It was a tough journey, so for Penn State to show more interest, that's what got my attention. "They were always on my list, but how they recruited me and the visits really made a difference when I made my deci- sion." Howard, who joins fellow receivers Lyrick Samuel and Jeff Exinor Jr. in Penn State's 2025 class, holds a four-star grade in the On3 Industry Ranking and is the No. 387 prospect and No. 62 wide re- ceiver nationally, as well as the No. 55 prospect in Florida. On3's scouts have given him a three-star grade and rated him 108th among receivers nationally and 70th among all Florida prospects. ■ Florida Receiver Appreciates Penn State's Steadfast Pursuit RYA N S N Y D E R | RYA N . S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M Howard put the Nittany Lions at the top of his list following an official visit in June, and he made up his mind during a return trip for the Lasch Bash the follow- ing month. PHOTO COURTESY KOBY HOWARD COMMITMENT PROFILE KOBY HOWARD You can see that Koby Howard runs and moves like a wide receiver. He's one of those guys who looks like he was born to play the position. From what you see on the highlight reel, he understands how to use his body in space. Penn State is getting a good football player who has a good chance of being pro- ductive at the college level. He doesn't have the highest testing numbers, but they're not bad. They're not outside of the realm of what Penn State usually looks for. He doesn't nec- essarily have a special trait that he shows, but he's good at a lot of different things. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N