4-star QB Sam Howell familiar with Gamecocks
February 05, 2018
Top-flight talent
Sam Howell enjoyed a productive month of January, adding offers from some of the nation’s top programs: Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia, Virginia Tech, Florida, Michigan, Nebraska and Miami.
While it’s “exciting” for him to add some of those offers, which he dreamed of as a little kid, it was the offer from Florida International that had him buzzing Thursday afternoon at Sun Valley High School (Monroe, N.C.).
That morning, the Panthers offered his teammate, 2021 wide receiver Gavin Blackwell, who caught 23 passes for 538 yards and 5 touchdowns as a freshman.
“He’s only 14 years old,” Howell said.
That’s about par for the course for No. 14 at Sun Valley.
“He’s a leader,” coach Tad Baucom said. “He has that ‘it factor,’ to will things to win, will things to happen, make things happen. He’s intelligent. He’s humble. He’s got it all.”
Since going 5-7 during Howell’s freshman year, Sun Valley has gone 19-8, which includes an 11-4 record and a trip to the 3AA state title game last season.
“He’s a gamer. He’s going to make things happen and his ability to draw others into that belief around him,” Baucom said. “He makes them believe they can win.”
The 4-star quarterback has thrown for 10,175 yards with 109 touchdowns and 33 interceptions over 37 career games at Sun Valley. He’s also rushed 382 times for 2,229 yards and 43 scores, so it’s a bit puzzling why the 247Sports composite lists him as the No. 4 pro-style quarterback.
Howell is most certainly a dual threat, along the same lines as his favorite quarterback, Deshaun Watson.
“Just the poise he has playing the game and how calm he can stay in all of the situations,” Howell said. “And, obviously, all the things that he does running and throwing the ball.
On Gamecocks
Howell has been to South Carolina several times, most recently for the Clemson game. He has been to three other games at Williams-Brice Stadium, at least one camp session and again for a practice.
“[Muschamp’s] obviously been able to do some good things there,” Howell said. “I mean, that program is getting better every year. It’s impressive to see the direction they’re moving in.
“I was close with [former offensive coordinator/quarterbacks] coach [Kurt] Roper and now he’s gone. The new guy, [quarterbacks] coach [Dan] Werner, I haven’t been able to meet him yet.”
Howell and Werner have spoken over the phone.
“When he got hired, he contacted me, but I haven’t heard a whole lot from him,” Howell said.
The rest
In January, Howell visited Clemson and North Carolina. This past weekend, he went to Tennessee for his first visit to Knoxville since the new coaching staff arrived.
Howell has the most contact with North Carolina State offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Eliah Drinkwitz and North Carolina quarterbacks coach Keith Heckendorf.
Clemson is the only program that has received a 247Sports Crystal Ball pick for Howell.
“It’s a cool place,” he said. “Obviously, everyone knows about their facilities and things like that, but I was able to learn a lot about [coach] Dabo Swinney and what he’s done with that program. That was the most impressive thing.
“I mean, he’s built that program, but he’s also built it to last, so they’re going to be good for a long time, as long as he’s there.”
Swinney visited Sun Valley last Tuesday with a couple of assistant coaches. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh stopped by last month; so did Ohio State coach Urban Meyer. Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente visited. Georgia sent offensive coordinator Jim Chaney a couple of times.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart, who was traveling around the area in a helicopter last week, couldn’t land at the school, because district rules prohibit it. North Carolina coach Larry Fedora tried to show up for a game last season in his helicopter, but he too wasn’t permitted to make the landing.
Moving forward
Following the trip to Tennessee this past weekend, Howell is in a holding pattern of sorts.
“I’m going to take some more visits this spring, so maybe before the end of the spring, before the summer probably,” he said, when asked about a commitment timeline.
Howell is in the midst of determining where he’ll go over the next few weeks and months.
“You want to have a good relationship with the coaching staff,” Howell said. “Personally, your quarterback coach. You can’t really tell if coaches are going to be there the whole time you’re there. One thing is the head coaching stability. You want to go to a school where the head coach is going to be there. Obviously, a good education and you just want to fit in with the guys in the program, in the locker room and things like that.”
February 05, 2018
Top-flight talent
Sam Howell enjoyed a productive month of January, adding offers from some of the nation’s top programs: Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia, Virginia Tech, Florida, Michigan, Nebraska and Miami.
While it’s “exciting” for him to add some of those offers, which he dreamed of as a little kid, it was the offer from Florida International that had him buzzing Thursday afternoon at Sun Valley High School (Monroe, N.C.).
That morning, the Panthers offered his teammate, 2021 wide receiver Gavin Blackwell, who caught 23 passes for 538 yards and 5 touchdowns as a freshman.
“He’s only 14 years old,” Howell said.
That’s about par for the course for No. 14 at Sun Valley.
“He’s a leader,” coach Tad Baucom said. “He has that ‘it factor,’ to will things to win, will things to happen, make things happen. He’s intelligent. He’s humble. He’s got it all.”
Since going 5-7 during Howell’s freshman year, Sun Valley has gone 19-8, which includes an 11-4 record and a trip to the 3AA state title game last season.
“He’s a gamer. He’s going to make things happen and his ability to draw others into that belief around him,” Baucom said. “He makes them believe they can win.”
The 4-star quarterback has thrown for 10,175 yards with 109 touchdowns and 33 interceptions over 37 career games at Sun Valley. He’s also rushed 382 times for 2,229 yards and 43 scores, so it’s a bit puzzling why the 247Sports composite lists him as the No. 4 pro-style quarterback.
Howell is most certainly a dual threat, along the same lines as his favorite quarterback, Deshaun Watson.
“Just the poise he has playing the game and how calm he can stay in all of the situations,” Howell said. “And, obviously, all the things that he does running and throwing the ball.
On Gamecocks
Howell has been to South Carolina several times, most recently for the Clemson game. He has been to three other games at Williams-Brice Stadium, at least one camp session and again for a practice.
“[Muschamp’s] obviously been able to do some good things there,” Howell said. “I mean, that program is getting better every year. It’s impressive to see the direction they’re moving in.
“I was close with [former offensive coordinator/quarterbacks] coach [Kurt] Roper and now he’s gone. The new guy, [quarterbacks] coach [Dan] Werner, I haven’t been able to meet him yet.”
Howell and Werner have spoken over the phone.
“When he got hired, he contacted me, but I haven’t heard a whole lot from him,” Howell said.
The rest
In January, Howell visited Clemson and North Carolina. This past weekend, he went to Tennessee for his first visit to Knoxville since the new coaching staff arrived.
Howell has the most contact with North Carolina State offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Eliah Drinkwitz and North Carolina quarterbacks coach Keith Heckendorf.
Clemson is the only program that has received a 247Sports Crystal Ball pick for Howell.
“It’s a cool place,” he said. “Obviously, everyone knows about their facilities and things like that, but I was able to learn a lot about [coach] Dabo Swinney and what he’s done with that program. That was the most impressive thing.
“I mean, he’s built that program, but he’s also built it to last, so they’re going to be good for a long time, as long as he’s there.”
Swinney visited Sun Valley last Tuesday with a couple of assistant coaches. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh stopped by last month; so did Ohio State coach Urban Meyer. Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente visited. Georgia sent offensive coordinator Jim Chaney a couple of times.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart, who was traveling around the area in a helicopter last week, couldn’t land at the school, because district rules prohibit it. North Carolina coach Larry Fedora tried to show up for a game last season in his helicopter, but he too wasn’t permitted to make the landing.
Moving forward
Following the trip to Tennessee this past weekend, Howell is in a holding pattern of sorts.
“I’m going to take some more visits this spring, so maybe before the end of the spring, before the summer probably,” he said, when asked about a commitment timeline.
Howell is in the midst of determining where he’ll go over the next few weeks and months.
“You want to have a good relationship with the coaching staff,” Howell said. “Personally, your quarterback coach. You can’t really tell if coaches are going to be there the whole time you’re there. One thing is the head coaching stability. You want to go to a school where the head coach is going to be there. Obviously, a good education and you just want to fit in with the guys in the program, in the locker room and things like that.”
