Howard visits local powerhouses

Theo Howard was committed to Oregon for months and did not give many indications that he was backing away from the Ducks but that's exactly what happened in the last couple weeks. The four-star receiver from Westlake Village (Calif.) Westlake is now back open to what he calls a "select group" of programs and he recently took trips to watch UCLA and USC fall practices.

Adoree The Great and Coach Tee featuring my ET Fingers @AdoreeKnows pic.twitter.com/J3iqNkVuF1— Theo Howard (@theohoward2) August 23, 2015

WHAT'S NEXT?: It is telling that Howard, who just backed off his Oregon pledge in recent weeks, has already taken trips to see USC and UCLA. The four-star receiver who's pushing for top billing at his position in the state drove out to San Bernardino to watch UCLA practice and it apparently went really well. This past weekend he was at USC and both coaching staffs are putting on the full-court press. For a while, Howard has also had a ton of interest in TCU but it looks like a local, Pac-12 battle at this point.

IN HIS WORDS: "It was good," Howard said of his USC trip. "SC looks strong this year. Coaches just said they would make room for me if I would come and just would love to have me there."

RIVALS' REACTION: Howard is probably going to take his time, work through the process and not jump into a second decision without playing out the recruiting process for a while longer. The four-star receiver said that USC and UCLA "definitely" look the strongest in his recruitment. With the USC coaches telling him there would be room for him that shouldn't be an issue. There is also a stockpile of receivers in this Trojans' class. UCLA has a lot of draw as well and through his senior season Howard will probably weigh both programs and take his time.

Click Here to view this Link.