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:
- Tracy Howard, the Player,
- Tracy’s 3 finalists,
- 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:
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
