LSU Quarterback Signee Walker Howard Lands on Postseason SI99 Rankings
Walker Howard has been one of the pillars of this 2022 LSU class from the very beginning. It only makes sense as the 2022 recruiting cycle winds down, Howard continue to be recognized as one of the nation's elite quarterbacks.
On Tuesday, SI All-American released its final SI99 rankings, with Howard coming in at the No. 66 spot and the No. 6 overall quarterback in the country. There's plenty to like about the St. Thomas More state championship quarterback, not the least of which is his toughness.
He has all of the intangibles and talent to be an elite college quarterback but he's the ultimate team player. Just one example came during his senior season when he broke his leg early and could've very well just shut down his high school career and shifted focus to LSU. Instead Howard rehabbed hard and was back on the field for St. Thomas More's playoff run.
A relatively smooth and easy over-the-top throwing motion represents Howard as a quarterback. When he throws from a clean pocket, Howard delivers passes with that same delivery time and time again. When throwing on the run Howard also provides advanced mechanics for a high school player. He finds a way to create a good balance of avoiding the rush, while still finding a way to at least somewhat set his feet to deliver a pass while on the move.
In addition to Howard, the Tigers are also still pursuing a couple of SI99 members of the 2022 class in safety JaCoby Mathews and linebacker Harold Perkins. Mathews came in at the No. 79 spot while Perkins was ranked No. 16 in the final SI99 rankings.
Howard is walking into a quarterback situation much better than thought a month ago, with Myles Brennan returning to the program and redshirt freshman Garrett Nussmeier also showing promise in 2021. His father Jamie has come out and publicly said that Walker is fine with redshirting his first season in Baton Rouge to learn the college game, which could open the door for adding another QB if Brian Kelly really wants to.
“All three of them will get an opportunity,” Kelly said on the Texas Bowl broadcast. “We’ve got Nussmeier who will have an opportunity as well. Those three guys will be our centerpiece at the quarterback position. They’ll all have the opportunity to compete."
While he may not be an immediate starter for the program, there's no secret that the Tigers have a potential star on their hands in Howard.
