This past weekend, Florida Gators head coach Jon Sumrall hosted his first junior day in Gainesville with several top prospects in attendance.
2028 RB Anthony Howard Jr. spoke with Gator Country after the visit to discuss his thoughts on the new coaching staff and where the Gators currently stand in his recruitment.
“The visit went great. I love the coaches’ energy; they brought it today man. They were excited to see all of us and it was a great environment to be in. I don’t think the last staff was that energized and enthusiastic like this staff is, they made me a priority, and I love the new coaching staff. They also talked about how I would fit in their system and stuff like that,” Howard Jr. said on what stood out during his visit.
The four-star prospect was originally recruited by former running backs coach Jabbar Juluke, but is enjoying what he’s seen from Jon Sumrall so far in 2026.
“I think they are a great staff, they all talk similar, and they all bring the energy and I feel like that’s the main thing you need in order to win,” Howard Jr. said on his thoughts of the new staff. “You need to have a staff in an environment where everyone wants to be there, and everyone is on the same page.”
Running backs coach Chris Foster wasted no time recruiting the Florida native and several other talented in-state prospects.
Four-Star running back Trenard Roberts looks to be a big target for Coach Foster in the 2027 class.
“He [Coach Foster] was basically telling me that he’s taking the best running backs out of Florida,” Howard Jr. said. “It was me and Trenard Roberts, he’s a 2027 prospect and I’m a 2028 prospect.”
Howard Jr. currently attends IMG Academy and is listed as the No. 9 RB and No. 123 overall prospect in the 2028 class as a four-star recruit. Before transferring to IMG, Howard Jr. recorded 307 rushing yards and a touchdown while averaging 9.3 YPC as a freshman at Auburndale High School. The Auburndale native plans to make a trip back to Gainesville sometime in the spring.