There are scores of HS players in PA that grow up PSU fans, who dream of playing at PSU. And most of them never get offered by PSU.
Howard was offered by Kansas St (where he went), Minnesota, Maryland, Cincinnati, Kansas, Rutgers, Toledo, Bowling Green, Temple, Harvard, Yale, Morgan St. (that I know of). In short, none of the CFB powers were interested in him coming out of HS. He did well at Kansas St., and the ease of transferring via the modern portal worked well for him, as he ended up at tOSU. If he has a chip on his shoulder about PSU not offering him, I think he's making a mountain out of a mole hill.