Notre Dame assistant coach Tony Alford was in Orlando on Wednesday to check on Edgewater High School slot receiver Alton Howard. While he wasn’t able to speak with Howard, Alford was able to size him up. That’s a big deal with a prospect like Howard, whose height has been a concern for the Irish.
“He told my coach I looked good as far as my height and weight,” Howard said of Alford.
Howard is said to be between 5-foot-8 and 5-foot-9, weighing in around 170 pounds. Alford didn’t have a ‘You Must Be This Tall To Be Recruited By ND’ sign with him, and it’s not clear if all of Notre Dame’s concerns were satisfied, but the reports Howard got back were certainly positive.
“He told my coach he was looking forward to me getting out there this summer,” Howard said of Alford.
Howard had hoped to visit South Bend for Notre Dame’s spring game last month, but the travel logistics just didn’t work out. He’s now planning to take an unofficial visit to Notre Dame during the summer. He’s already taken trips to South Carolina, Florida and Central Florida, but doesn’t have any others set up just yet.
“That’s what I plan on doing after spring,” he said of mapping out his itinerary.
The explosive playmaker caught 60 passes for 1,040 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior. He ran for another 546 rushing yards and threw for 130 yards and a pair of scores. He ran a 4.41 in the 40-yard dash at the U.S. Army National Combine in January before clocking a 4.39 at a Nike Combine.
He’s closing in on 20 offers after recently picking up offers from Nebraska and Louisville. He also has offers from programs like Florida, Miami, Ohio State, UCLA, USC, and Notre Dame. The Irish aren't the only program to check in on Howard recently. Ohio State, Texas Tech, Tennessee, Temple and Virginia have also been by Edgewater over the last couple of weeks.
Howard isn’t afraid of leaving the state and has been quoted in the past as saying the Buckeyes are his ‘dream school,‘ but if the Irish ratchet up their recruitment of the Florida speedster, they would be right in the mix.
“Notre Dame will always be a possibility,” Howard said. “I love the facilities, I love the program, I love the academics. Just everything about Notre Dame. They’ve got a great program and you’re going to get a great degree from there. I feel highly about them and I’m interested, but at the same time, it’s wide open.”
If Notre Dame gets him on campus this summer, the Irish will still have plenty of time to make a greater impression on Howard, who won’t be ready to decide until fall at the earliest.
“I’m going to have to take some of my official visits before I make any decisions,” he said.
