Freshman William Howard Jr. has started his high school career with a bang. The 5’11”, 164-pound defensive back’s early impact on the varsity has resulted in 32 tackles, 2 for a loss, and 3 interceptions.
The exclamation point to those three interceptions happened last week, when the 2030 defensive back picked off a pass at midfield, but this time with end zone aspirations. After the catch, Howard did a nice job keeping his balance through contact, gained his footing, then evaded a few Forest Park players before finding an alleyway down the right sideline. Howard adeptly made one last cutback, then trucked over the last Forest Park player before running into the endzone.
To put it succinctly, that was an insane play by the freshman, and atypical for a player his age. Howard was named to the state’s top 10 plays and was later voted the #2 play of the week.
The freshman spoke about his first season of high school ball, saying, “This season has been great! I’m still learning the game and developing as a player. I improved everywhere on my game. I’m faster, stronger, and I really improved at the free safety position by understanding my assignment.”
No doubt, when you watch Howard’s adept football IQ, especially how he drops back in coverage, you can see why the 2030 prospect has found early playing time for the 5-2 Lions. Howard reads the QB’s eyes well, stays over top the receiver, and is extremely aggressive going after the football.
With the regular season three-quarters of the way done, Howard wanted to outline some goals to finish off his freshman season, saying, “My goals for the remainder of the season are to continue learning the game and having a better football IQ.”
For now, Howard has not been contacted by any colleges, but that won’t last much longer. Howard has great ball skills and instincts at defensive back, plus shows impressive body control that is truly unique for a freshman athlete. When you find a young player equipped with these intangibles, the only question is how they will continue to develop athletically; considering his frame, Howard looks like a future FBS standout.
Whether that happens or not, it’s a waiting game, so follow @RecruitGeorgia on Twitter/X to find more emerging prospects like Howard across every corner of the state.
