JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida got better on the defensive side of the football Thursday when it picked up a commitment from transfer linebacker Grayson Howard, a Jacksonville native and former area star.
Howard was the All-News4JAX defensive player of the year in 2022 at Jackson. The Gators were one of Howard’s final teams when he picked South Carolina in 2022. Howard’s signing bolsters a solid signing and portal effort by coach Billy Napier, who is coming off back-to-back disappointing seasons in Gainesville. The Gators signed Buchholz star Myles Graham and Aaron Chiles during the early period, players who should get snaps in the linebacker rotation in 2024.
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Gators linebackers coach Mike Peterson personally checked in on Howard several times when he played at Jackson. Howard joins several area scholarship defensive players at Florida, including Columbia product Jaden Robinson (linebacker), Bartram Traill’s Sharif Denson (cornerback) and Bolles edge Jack Pyburn.
Howard said felt right at home when he signed with South Carolina but spent just a year under coach Shane Beamer in Columbia. Howard 19 tackles, a tackle for loss and forced a fumble in his time there. Howard’s departure was the 18th in the portal for the Gamecocks.