3/13/2017 football Edit

In-State RB Jarveon Howard feels like a priority for Mississippi State

Chad Simmons • Rivals.com

Recruiting Analyst

Chad Simmons is a Recruiting Analyst for Rivals.com. He was the expert on The Next Class on Fox Sports South from 2011-2015. He currently covers Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi.

HARVEY, La. — Jarveon Howard immediately passes the eye-test. The 2018 running back out of Columbia (Miss.) East Marion checked into the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp in New Orleans (La.) at 5-feet, 11-inches tall and 203 pounds.

He is rock solid, he is a powerful runner and he has offers from Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Memphis and Mississippi State. Plenty of other schools have their eyes on Howard, including Arkansas, Florida State, LSU, Ole Miss and Tennessee.

The school he is most familiar with is the one in his home state that has offered. Mississippi State has hosted Howard numerous times and the Bulldogs are trending early.

IN HIS OWN WORDS: "Mississippi State is my top school and it is the school I have visited the most," said Howard. "They are my favorite, but I am keeping my options open still. I have seen Mississippi State the most, I really like the program and I like how it is run too.

"I have been to a game there, I have been there for Junior Day and I stay in contact with coach [D.J.] Looney (tight ends) and coach [Greg] Knox (running backs). They make me feel like a priority, they are working hard to get me there and that feels nice.

"I like Mississippi State a lot, but I still need to see more schools. I want to see who else offers me too. I just want to be patient."

RIVALS REACTION: Mississippi State landed Kylin Hill, a top in-state running back in 2017 and Howard can be compared to him. The Bulldogs are doing an excellent job recruiting Howard early, making him feel important and the consistency means a lot to him. His next visit is to LSU this weekend. The Tigers offered Harold Joiner, another big, powerful back outside of Louisiana in 2017 class this past weekend. Could Howard be next? He is going to take his recruitment as far as he feels he needs to. Howard is not ruling out an early commitment, but he is not going to make his decision until he is completely sure of it. What is important to him is, to only commit once.