Howard has some early favorites
Theo Howard had a great experience at the USC Junior Day last weekend but the four-star receiver said there are a few other schools standing out more at this point.
Still, the Westlake Village (Calif.) Westlake recruit who's rated as the No. 18 receiver and the No. 104 prospect in the 2016 class by Rivals.com was impressed by what the Trojans had to offer and he's especially appreciative that the USC coaches have made it clear he's a top priority.
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"It was great," Howard said. "I really liked the tour of the campus. We got to see the dorms and everything and had a big meeting about academics and football. We got to see the facilities and everything so it was good.
"They said they understand every athlete in the room won't be coming to USC but they definitely do feel like USC would be the right fit for everybody. They talked a lot about academics and how it's not just about football. They definitely have a balance there."
USC assistant coaches Clay Helton and Tee Martin, the wide receivers coach, have been especially involved with Howard early on.
"I definitely like USC," Howard said. "I've had a very good relationship with them since the summer especially with coach Helton and coach Tee. They really hit me up a lot and I could see they really have a lot of interest in me and that's why USC is one of the top schools."
Others seem to have a slight edge though. Howard, who plans to visit Oregon, Oregon State and TCU later in February, has a flexible top three.
"I have a top list of schools that I definitely have a lot of interest in," Howard said. "Some of my favorites are Oregon, TCU and UCLA."
In his junior season, Howard finished with 52 receptions for 869 yards and seven touchdowns.