Fans began dreaming of freshman tight end O.J. Howard on the field this fall as soon as he committed to the Crimson Tide as the top-rated tight end prospect of the 2013 class. Howard has not disappointed in Alabama’s first three games of the season.
The 6-foot-6-inch, 237-pound tight end has provided quarterback AJ McCarron with a big target in the passing game, and head coach Nick Saban said his versatility has provided the offense with a wrinkle it has not had in recent years.
“O.J. Howard’s done a good job,” Saban said. “He’s maturing now at that position, which gives us other options to do other things. He can block, and he can run and catch.”
Howard made his Alabama debut in the season opener against Virginia Tech but failed to make an appearance on the team’s stat sheet, despite contributing as a run blocker and being targeted by McCarron once down field.
It was against Texas A&M where Howard had the biggest impact and his best performance of the young season.
He hauled in three catches against the Aggies for 68 yards, with a crucial catch on third down.
“He grew up a bunch in the Texas A&M game. He had to,” McCarron said. “[On] third down and we completed a pass to him late in the game to kind of seal the deal. He’s done an excellent job for us.”
Against Colorado State, Howard caught three passes for 38 yards. McCarron looked to Howard early and often, with all of his catches coming in the first quarter.
In three games, Howard is third on the team in receiving yards, trailing wide receivers Christion Jones and DeAndrew White. He is also tied for third in receptions and is second in yards per catch with a 17.7-yard average.
Junior tight end Brian Vogler said he has been there if the young tight end ever had a question. He said he’s impressed with Howard’s ability to learn the offense as a true freshman and translate what he has learned into production on the field.
But Vogler might want to stop sharing his secrets, as Howard is becoming one of McCarron’s favorite targets.
“Sometimes you get disappointed when they call a big play and they throw it to the other tight end, but I know O.J.’s abilities,” Vogler said. “There’s been a couple times when if they call my number and there’s a deep ball, I just want to be like, ‘Put O.J. in.’”
Big, athletic tight ends are a staple on most successful NFL teams. Players like New Orleans’ Jimmy Graham, New England’s Rob Gronkowski and Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez are security blankets for their quarterbacks and force defenses to change their schemes.
Defenses have been forced to cover Howard with either a smaller corner or a slower linebacker, and McCarron’s eyes light up when that happens.
“It creates mismatches, and that’s what this game’s all about,” McCarron said.
