The Florida Gators received a commitment from South Carolina transfer linebacker Grayson Howard on Thursday afternoon. The commitment came just two days after the 6’4, 241-pound LB entered the portal. Howard built a relationship with the Gators’ staff throughout his high school recruitment, where the Jacksonville, Florida native chose South Carolina over Florida in the 2023 class.
As a true freshman, Howard totaled 19 tackles (12 solo), one tackle for loss, and one forced fumble across 221 snaps for the Gamecocks. Howard logged 11+ snaps in all 11 of his appearances in 2023, establishing himself as a prominent rotational player in his first collegiate season. Howard recorded 19+ snaps in seven games a season ago while posting a season high 34 snaps against Florida in week seven.
Howard graded as South Carolina’s best tackler in 2023, posting a tackling grade of 88.1, according to Pro Football Focus. Howard did not record a missed tackle in 19 attempts. Howard’s run defense grade of 73.8 ranked T-5th best on the Gamecocks’ defense amongst players with more than 20 snaps. The big-bodied linebacker was credited with 13 tackles in run support including four stops, which is defined as a tackle that constitutes a “failure” for the offense, according to PFF.
In 105 coverage snaps, Howard allowed seven receptions for 89 yards on ten targets. 76 of those 89 yards were yards after the catch. Howard did not allow a touchdown in coverage.
Howard projects as an inside linebacker for the Orange and Blue as he logged 196 of his 221 snaps inside the box with the Gamecocks. Howard saw 17 snaps along the defensive line and 9 in the slot.
Perhaps the most intriguing factor in this addition is that Howard has three years of eligibility remaining, adding to a young but talented linebacker room that consists of newcomers Myles Graham and Aaron Chiles.
It’s expected that Howard will compete for a starting spot at linebacker alongside Shemar James.