4-star WR Koby Howard commits to Penn State
Davies (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna wide receiver Koby Howard took official visits to Ole Miss and Penn State in June. Those two, along with Florida and Florida State, were the finalists before the four-star committed to Penn State.
After the official visit late in June, the Nittany Lions grabbed the momentum in this race. A month later, Howard returned to Happy Valley for Lasch Bash and his mind was made up.
“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, 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 some at camp and spent more time with them and that was the icing on the cake. My second visit made it an easy decision.”
Howard said he chose Penn State over Florida in the end. At one time the Gators were trending for the No. 62 wide receiver in the country. That was early in the spring, and not long after, is when Penn State took their recruitment to another level with Howard.
Their effort paid off.
“Penn State offered me my freshman year and coach Ja’Juan Seider kept the relationships. He was always there and 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, is what got my attention.
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“They were always on my list, but how they recruited me and the visits really made a difference when I made my decision.”
Howard likes the atmosphere at Penn State
Howard has visited Penn State twice. He will be back for a game or two in the fall and he is excited about his future home.
“It is a chill environment up there,” Howard said. “It is nice when walking around and I like the atmosphere. I love football, and there is not a lot to do up there, so I am excited to work with the guys. It is a good environment for me to be in and good people for me to be around. I like the coaches a lot, I vibe with the players and I am ready to get to work with them.”
Seider was the lead recruiter for Howard. Wide receivers coach Marques Hagans was key too. Others were involved, including James Franklin. Howard likes his connection with them all.
“I just click with the Penn State coaches. We have strong relationships. We call each other, we can talk film, we can break things down and it is a good coaching environment that I am going into.
“The staff is great, coach Franklin has that longevity and Penn State is a good program for me.”