Miami, other in-state programs showing serious interest in top-300 WR: “My interest in the Canes is high”
Davie (Fla.) Western High School 2025 receiver Koby Howard, a top-300 prospect in the On3 Recruiting Database and the No. 301 overall recruit in the On3 Industry Ranking, has already racked up more than two dozen offers including Miami, Florida, Florida State, Georgia and Notre Dame, and multiple top programs are treating him like an elite recruit heading into his junior year.
Miami, Tennessee, LSU, Clemson, Florida State and Florida have targeted Howard more heavily since he transferred to Western from Pensacola after his 70-catch, 808-yards receiving and eight-touchdown freshman campaign in 2021. He only played two games as a sophomore due to injury but caught 13 passes for 176 yards and a touchdown.
“We’re talking daily,” Howard said of his list of schools. “All of those coaches are hitting me up. The Gators, they send me a lot of stuff. FSU, LSU, they all send me a lot of stuff, making sure I’m good and keeping that relationship with me. My interest with the Canes is high. I broke my leg there (at a Miami prospect camp last summer), so me and Mario Cristobal, we have a good relationship with each other. When I went there we were chopping it up, having a really good conversation, and I really like (receivers) coach (Kevin) Beard. I’d like to be coached by him one day.”
Miami continued to pursue Howard after breaking his leg at the UM camp, with Cristobal even visiting the four-star prospect in the hospital during his recovery. He visited Miami again during the last week of July for a photoshoot on an unofficial trip.
“I’d say it’s just the family they have,” Howard said. “They don’t seem like the type to switch out on each other. They seem like they’re really down for each other.”
Howard said the Hurricanes’ staff told him he can “come to whatever Miami games I want to come to” this fall, but he’s yet to formally schedule any game visits. He would like to visit several other programs as well as he searches for a pass-friendly offense and finding the team that loves him the most. Miami’s offensive progress this season could also have a major impact on how he views the Canes.
“Watching the Canes this year, I’m gonna definitely keep an eye on them,” Howard said. “Just watching their offense, seeing how it changes, that’ll be a big part of it if I commit to them. Last year, the Miami Hurricanes, they didn’t look too good. They have to show a little bit this year.”
CaneSport’s Take
It’s starting to feel like we’re hearing a different verse of the same song: Miami needs to show offensive improvement this season for a highly-coveted local skill target to consider them a viable option in 2024. We’ve heard it from major 2024 prospects like No. 1 overall prospect Jeremiah Smith and even four-star commit Chance Robinson, who remains strongly committed to Miami but hopes the offense shows real improvement after last year’s struggles.
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