Signing Day Primer, Part 2: the Tracy Howard Extravaganza

And now, for the article I know you have been anxiously waiting for: the Tracy Howard Extravaganza. In this article, I’m going to look at 3 things: 

1. Tracy Howard, the Player, 
2. Tracy’s 3 finalists, 
3. Predicting his choice.
    

So, let's get to it.

Part 1: Tracy Howard, the player

Tracy Howard is a dynamic player, who has the ability to impact games in a number of areas. Let’s take a look at some of them.

Measurables

Howard is your prototypical cornerback from a physical standpoint. He is solidly built at 5’11’’ and 180 pounds. Having been in the weight room with the team for most of the summer, I saw the hours that Howard (along with friends Malcolm Lewis and Marrell Jackson) put in to add size and strength.

Howard has added about 15 pounds of muscle in the last year, while not losing any of his lateral quickness, or straight line speed. He has very good quickness, and average straight line speed. He is a little top heavy, and could stand to add some weight in his lower body.

Howard’s physicality lets him get a good jam on receivers on the line, but larger players (tight ends, bigger power backs) hold the advantage against him when it comes to holding the point of attack or moving upfield.

Run Support/Tackling

Howard is a willing and capable tackler in run support, and open field situations. He was credited with more than 50 tackles this past season, most of which came against the run. He may not be the most physically imposing hitter, but he usually succeeds in getting the ball carrier to the ground.

Howard has a tendency to tackle low, and could be susceptible to missed tackles against top level juke and hurdle moves at the next level.

Blitzing

While Howard was rarely deployed in this fashion, he seemed to have a knack for it. It’s unusual for Corners to blitz, but they will do it from time to time. With the success of players such as Tyrann Mathieu (the Honey Badger) at LSU and Pompano Beach Ely alumni Patrick Peterson with the Arizona Cardinals, Howard may see an increase in the amount of time he is asked to blitz from the edge.

Howard’s timing on blitzes could be better, and it would improve with more reps in this area. This is one of the many ways Howard can impact games, but this is not his strong suit.

Coverage

While run support and blitzing may not be Tracy Howard’s strong suit, coverage most definitely is. Howard uses immaculate technique, good strength, and great instincts to virtually eliminate whichever receiver he is covering.

Howard’s cover skills have been on display since his sophomore year, when he emerged as a starter on the eventual State Champion Patriots. Working opposite a slew of eventual FBS (Division 1 for most of you) receivers Malcolm Lewis, Ivan McCartney, Stedman Bailey, Terrance Gourdine, and Dante Chambers in practice tested Howard’s mettle, and also made him work harder to refine his technique.

In man-to-man situations, Howard uses his strength to jam receivers on the line, and redirect them from their intended routes. He rarely allows for separation, and will challenge any throw that comes his way. Howard ended the season with 10 interceptions, the vast majority of which came in man-to-man coverage situations.

In zone situations, Howard uses good instincts to read route combinations, and is always aware to keep receivers in front of him. Obviously as a cornerback, Howard is one of the last lines of defense for his team. He takes great care to ensure that receivers do not get behind him in position to exploit the scheme in place.

Tracy has great ball skills from his days as a receiver. He was so good at receiver that I openly questioned the decision to put him at cornerback when he moved up to Varsity for his sophomore year. It’s amazing how wrong I was about that one!

Regardless of the situation (man or zone), Howard has incredible instincts, and breaks on the ball in the air very well. Howard doesn’t take too many chances going for interceptions, but when he does, he is successful more often than not. Additionally, Howard has average to slightly above average speed for his position, which allows him to remain in close range of all but the fastest receivers.

For those still unsure of Howard’s prowess in coverage, I will leave you with the most telling statistic I could possibly offer: in the course of a 15 game season, depending on whose statistics you rely on, opposing offenses completed between 6 and 9 passes to receivers covered by Howard all season. Contrast that against the 10 interceptions he came away with, and Howard actually caught more passes than the receivers he was charged with covering.

It is production like that which has made Tracy Howard the number 1 cornerback prospect in the country.  

Part 2: Evaluating his 3 finalists

Starting as soon as he was eligible (the first day of school of his Junior year), Tracy Howard started getting scholarship offers from just about every school in the country. I once joked that “every school whose coach is currently breathing has offered Tracy a scholarship.” While that may have been slight exaggeration for the purposes of comedic effect, it wasn’t far off from the truth.

Tracy has received mail from more than 80 schools, and scholarship offers from more than 30, according to numerous recruiting sites. With all of that attention, it’s no wonder that it has taken him to this point, the day before Signing Day, to narrow down his many options.

And now that he has done so, let’s look at his 3 finalists, in alphabetical order:

Florida State University

The Seminoles have a long tradition of excellence at the Cornerback position. Starting with Hall of Famer Deion Sanders (aka Primetime), and also including Terrell Buckley, Bryant McFadden, and Greg Reid, the Seminoles have a long and storied tradition of excellence in the defensive secondary. They have played in 3 National Championship games in the last 15 years, and are consistently a threat to put together a Championship Worthy season. With more than 15 starters returning next season, the Noles look to maintain their momentum, and remind us all of the days when Bobby Bowden’s boys were the baddest team around.

Pros

• History of excellence at Cornerback
• Veteran team that should challenge for the ACC Championship
• Best returning team among his finalists
• Great coaching from both position coach and defensive coordinator
• Coach Stoops has molded some of the best NFL talent ever, including Ed Reed, Sean Taylor, Antrel Rolle, and others while at UM in the early part of the 2000s, and Greg Reid and Lamarcus Joyner in his time at FSU
• Dynamic defensive system that allows players to play to their strengths

Cons

• Party atmosphere in Tallahassee (which Tracy noted in an interview with Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald)
• Furthest school from South Florida
• Might only contribute sparingly as a freshman
• Seem to have fallen behind over the course of the past month

University of Florida

The Gators have had incredible success in the past 15 years. With 3 National Championships, there are few schools that can claim their level of success. UF has also been a top talent producer, having put many players into the NFL. Their history at the cornerback position is strong, but not as impressive as FSU’s. Joe Haden (Browns) is probably the best corner they have produced in the last decade (unless you want to count Janoris Jenkins, whose story is yet to be completed).

Pros

• Very advantageous depth chart
• Plays in the premier league for College Football: the SEC
• Great coaching at all levels of the team (Head Coach, Defensive Coordinator, Position Coach)
• Would DEFINITELY play as a freshman
• Pro style defense translates well to the next level

Cons

• Only mild success in Coach Muschamp’s first year. Could be a trend that continues
• Coaches seem to leave UF often, and that instability could affect Howard’s decision
• Only a few South Florida players on the team

University of Miami

Few schools, if any, can match the Hurricanes when it comes to putting players in the league. This past season, 26 out of 32 NFL teams had a Miami Hurricane player on their roster. While the group of Canes in the  NFL is notably missing one position (Quarterback), it is heavy on guys who starred on Defense while in Coral Gables. Ed Reed. Antrel Rolle. Kenny Phillips. Ray Lewis. DJ Williams. Jonathan Vilma. Philip Buchanan. Mike Rumph. The late Sean Taylor. All these players were first round draft picks, evidence of the tradition of excellence that the Hurricanes have established.

Pros

• Closest school to home (SunLife stadium is only 3 square miles from Miramar High School)
• Very advantageous depth chart (only 2 scholarship cornerbacks on the roster at the time this article is being written)
• Rising star in the coaching profession in Al Golden
• Lots of South Florida players on the roster, including Randy “Duke” Johnson (Norland), Deon Bush (Columbus), and Malcolm Lewis (Miramar), all of whom are close friends with Howard.
• Long tradition of Hurricanes excelling in the NFL.

Cons

• Looming sanctions for NCAA violations in the Nevin Shapiro case
• Mediocre performance in an average league since joining the ACC
• Has never appeared in ACC Championship Game
• Last season of National Prominence was 2009
• Coral Gables could be too close to home

Part 3: Signing Day Prediction

There have been many articles written about Tracy Howard and his recruitment. Here are a couple for your perusal:

• Tracy Howard giving hometown Canes a shot by Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald
• Nation's Top Cornerback talks recruiting by Derek Tyson of ESPN's GatorNation
• Tracy Howard staying in Florida by Bud Elliot of SBNation.com
• U.S. Army All-American Tracy Howard remains humble by William Wilkerson of ESPN's Recruiting Nation
• Tracy Howard leaves Twitter to Mom by Derek Tyson

In a previous article on this very blog (Ask Me Anything, #2) I said that Tracy would choose between 2 schools. I was right about that part. I was wrong about the schools he would choose from.

In that article, I said it would come down to Florida and Florida State, for a variety of reasons. I also said that there was a chance that Miami could creep up into the discussion. As it happened, Miami has entered into the discussion, and Florida State appears to have dropped out.

In my mind, Tracy's Signing Day decision comes down to 2 schools: The University of Florida and the University of Miami.

I have debated this prediction in my head for the last week. Obviously, when picking one side, the other will feel slighted. That's just part of the prediction business.

Florida has shown a lot of attention to Tracy from day 1. They sent coaches to at least 6 games and more than 10 practices this past season, for the sole purpose of trying to get Howard to Gainesville. He has been one of their top priorities, and their dedication in his recruitment shows that.

The Gators even went so far as to send 4 coaches to the 8A State Championship game for the sole purpose of recruiting Howard. The coaches sat with his mother in the stands, and were treated to a typical Tracy Howard performance: 4 tackles, 1 pass broken up, 1 interception. It was the type of performance we have seen many times over the last 3 years, and solidified to the Gators that they were chasing after the right player for their team.

Miami has taken a very different approach to recruiting Howard. They were one of the first schools to offer him, but then they seemed to play it slow, not coming to games or practices as often as other schools, like UF and FSU. It wasn't until recently, within the last month, that the Canes have turned up the heat on Howard, calling and visiting him as frequently as the rules would allow.

Adding into the recruiting process for the Hurricanes are 3 of Howard's close friends: Deon Bush, Duke Johnson, and Malcolm Lewis. All three of these players are committed to UM, and are trying their hardest to get their good friend Tracy Howard to join them.

Howard and Lewis are best friends, and can routinely be found together walking the halls of Miramar High School. Having spoken to the pair together, it is clear that Malcolm is doing his best Bobby Bowden/Nick Saban/(insert awesome recruiter here) impression to try and get Tracy to join him on campus down in Coral Gables.

With all of that being considered, I have no doubt that Tracy will be successful regardless of his chosen destination. He has a singular focus on excellence, and his work ethic is among the best that I have ever seen.

So now we come to the question at hand: where do I think Tracy Howard will sign?

My head has been saying Florida for a long time. But...there's just this feeling in my gut that UM has played this perfectly. I can't pinpoint where my gut feeling is coming from, but I've had enough conversations with people, and seen enough circumstantial evidence to go with my gut.

There's nothing left for me to do but actually say it.

Tracy Howard will be signing with the Miami Hurricanes.

Want to find out for yourself? Be sure to tune in to ESPNU's Signing Day coverage, which will be broadcasting Tracy's announcement live at 9:50AM.

So tune in and see for yourself.

The Tracy Howard Extravaganza article has come to an end. The real-life media circus is just beginning.


Until Next Time,


Cameron J. Underwood
Miramar Sports