Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1532761
3 8 M A R C H 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 2 5 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / P enn State has prioritized wide re- ceivers in its recent recruiting classes, and in August it picked up its third commitment from a pass catcher in the 2025 class, adding Koby Howard of Chaminade-Madonna College Prep in Hollywood, Fla. Checking in at 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, Howard earned an offer from the Nit- tany Lions more than two years earlier, in June 2022. Led by then-assistant coach Ja'Juan Seider, Penn State's pursuit didn't amount to much publicly until last 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 Florida 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's recruitment suffered a set- back when he was injured while attend- ing the Legends Camp at the University of Miami as a rising sophomore. He im- pressed 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, How- ard broke his tibia in what onlookers de- scribed as a "horrific" injury. Coming off a freshman season at Pen- sacola (Fla.) Catholic in which he caught 70 passes for 808 yards and 8 touch- downs, Howard was forced to miss most of his sophomore year. He played in only a couple of games and finished with 13 catches for 142 yards and 1 score. Howard transferred to Davie (Fla.) Western for his junior season and regained his freshman form, totaling 65 catches for 1,065 yards and 12 touchdowns. Last January, Howard announced that he would be transferring to Cham- inade-Madonna for his senior year. An injury impacted that season, too, but he did make 18 catches for 293 yards and 4 touchdowns. Through it all, Penn State's inter- est didn't waver. The staff continued to believe in his college potential, and that made an impression. "It had been a tough process for me with a broken leg and dealing with some adversity," Howard said. "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." — Greg Pickel Howard missed much of his sophomore and senior sea- sons with injuries but still amassed 2,308 receiving yards during his high school career. PHOTO COURTESY KOBY HOWARD KOBY HOWARD Nittany Lions' faith makes an impression on Florida receiver WR | 5-11 | 185 Chaminade-Madonna Prep Pensacola, Fla. Rankings Stars Nat. Pos. State On3 Industry ★★★ 517 81 66 On3 ★★★ — 151 114 247Sports ★★★ — 98 82 ESPN ★★★ — 97 82 Rivals ★★★★ 175 31 35 Statistics • Totaled 18 catches for 293 yards and 4 touchdowns in an injury-shortened senior season • Made 65 catches for 1,065 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior • Had 13 grabs for 142 yards and 1 touchdown as a sophomore • Made 70 catches for 808 yards and 8 touchdowns as a freshman Notable • Contributed to a state championship sea- son at Chaminade-Madonna in 2024 • Invited to play in the Dade vs. Broward All- Star Game Recruitment • Committed to the Nittany Lions on Aug. 4, 2024 • Recruited by receivers coach Marques Hagans and former running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider • Picked Penn State over Ole Miss, Florida and Florida State • Officially visited on June 21, 2024 2025 Projection Howard and his three fellow receiver sign- ees are joining a room that returns almost no production from 2024. All of the newcomers will have a chance to play as true freshmen. If Howard has put his injury problems behind him, he has the skill set to make an early im- pact. We'll project that he plays in at least four games. They Said It On3 scouting director Charles Power: "When you look at his overall physical skill set, he's going to need to continue to improve his long speed. He's a one-speed player right now, but I think he has the technical ability and the wherewithal that you look for at the position. He's versatile. When you look at how he was used as a junior, he's a high-effort player after the catch who maximizes yardage." T H E H O W A R D F I L E