What is Penn State getting in receiver Koby Howard?: Commitment impact
Penn State earned its 23rd commitment overall in the Class of 2025 on Sunday when Davie, Fla., Chaminade-Madonna Prep receiver Koby Howard picked the program. He did so shortly after returning from State College following his second trip to town in as many months for the Lasch Bash. He is the fifth player to pick the program after attending its top recruiting event of the summer. In this commitment impact breakdown, get to know Howard and also take a closer look at the Lions’ class so far in the next cycle.
1. How it started
Penn State was not the first program to offer Howard. That honor goes to in-state school Florida State, who was also a finalist. More than 40 programs joined the race for the talented four-star pass catcher. He took over 40 visits, as well.
2. Who else was involved?
Howard narrowed his list from 40 to four schools before making a decision. Besides the Nittany Lions and Seminoles, Ole Miss and Florida were also in the running. The Gators hosted him more than any other school with Florida State being a close second.
3. Path to a decision
In January of 2023, Florida State led for Howard on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. Florida moved to the lead in April of that year. There was no change on the RPM until the Gators surged back ahead in May of 2024. Ole Miss took the lead on July 1. An RPM prediction in favor of Penn State from Ole Miss insider Zach Berry, however, tightened the race. But Florida snuck back ahead before the Lions took over for good on the backs of RPM picks from On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons and Vice President of Recruiting and Transfer Portal Steve Wiltfong on July 31 and Aug. 1, respectively.
Penn State made Howard a priority ahead of the Lasch Bash. It got him to campus and cemented its lead, and ultimately, a win.
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4. What is Penn State getting in Howard?
Howard is 5-foot-11, 190 pounds. Last season, Howard caught 65 passes in 10 games for 1,065 yards and eight touchdowns. He also had 26 rushes for 224 yards and one score on special teams.
“He’s a high floor player with good positional skills that will bring a level of consistency to the Penn State offense,” BWI film analyst Thomas Frank Carr says. “Improving his athleticism will help him maximize what he can be in Andy Kotelnicki’s offense.
5. What has he said about the Nittany Lions?
Howard raved about Penn State during his Lasch Bash experience, which was ultimately the deciding factor in picking the Lions.
“I got to talk to Coach [James] Franklin after everything and we had a great conversation,” Howard told BWI. “He was telling me that I looked great and also gave me some pointers on some things. But Coach Franklin said my workout went great and that I did a really good job at camp. He said they didn’t need to see too much, but they wanted to see a little something, so that went well.”
