Several true freshmen saw the field for Alabama this season, but none had the physical attributes and ability as tight end O.J. Howard.
At 6 feet 6 inches, 237 pounds, Howard is not only imposing in his crimson uniform, but he possesses the speed of a wide receiver.
“He’s one of those guys, when they first get here on campus, you see what he does and you think, ‘Okay, this guy is something special,’” former left tackle Cyrus Kouandjio said. “He’s showing flashes of things that guys who have been here five years can’t do.”
Howard was a five-star recruit out of Autauga Academy in Prattville, Ala., and the top-rated tight end in the 2013 class, according to Rivals.com and 247Sports.com.
In 2013 for the Crimson Tide, he recorded 14 catches for 269 yards and two touchdowns. Howard averaged 19.2 yards per catch.
“It’s been a good first year. I definitely learned a lot,” Howard said. “Playing tight end, it’s different from when you’re in high school. I really had to learn how to block. I became a better blocker every week. I really improved on that. But next year I want to improve on a little more and become an all-around tight end.”
Howard showed glimpses of being that all-around tight end this season, and the most convincing example of that came in the game against LSU on Nov. 9.
In the second quarter of the game, AJ McCarron hit Howard on a modest slant route, but Howard did more with it than the average tight end. He darted diagonally across the field toward the left pylon and outran the entire LSU secondary for a 52-yard touchdown.
Howard showed he has NFL-caliber speed and three years of eligibility to get faster. That speed and size, flanked next to Alabama’s offensive line, gives the Crimson Tide a weapon it has not had in its arsenal for a long time.
“To have a tight end like him, that is certainly a threat in the passing game, either vertically, horizontally or play-action passes, is really a tremendous asset for us,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said.
The LSU game was Howard’s introduction as a future star of college football, and he still hears about it to this day.
“I hear about it a lot. My friends back home always talk about it. They try to tell me that I’m still slow, they make fun of me,” Howard said. “But it was an exciting moment also, and I’ll look at that one and always remember it.”
Howard is roommates with fellow freshman Derrick Henry, who agrees with Howard’s friends from Prattville, Ala. The freshman running back said the one area Howard needs to work on this offseason is his agility.
“I just think he can do more as he runs faster,” Henry said. “He’s got moves. He does it in practice, and it t ranslates to the game.”
The speed is obviously there. Now, Howard just needs more catches to be able to break for more 50-yard touchdown runs.
With new offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin in town and a new quarterback under center for Alabama next season, Howard will look to be an integral part of this offense.
“I think that guy’s going to be an outstanding tight end for us,” Saban said.
