USC head coach Shane Beamer and running backs coach Montario Hardesty may not be finished adding to the running back room from the Transfer Portal. They have already picked up pledges from Rocket Sanders of Arkansas and Oscar Adaway of North Texas.
Thursday morning South Carolina State transfer Jawarn Howell (6-1 215), the Rookie of the Yer in the MEAC, wrapped up his official visit with the Gamecocks. Wednesday night, while out bowling with some of the players, Howell recapped his time with the Gamecocks.
“I still don’t have a clue where I’m going yet, but the visit has been good,” Howell said. “Great hospitality and everything like that, so I really can’t complain about that. Pretty much they’re saying the same thing as all the other schools. I will be a valuable part to the offense, to add another element, things like that.”
Howell is from the heart of NASCAR country, Mooresville, NC (Martin Truex Jr. is his favorite driver). He was a freshman at State this season and emerged as the Bulldogs top running back rushing for 644 yards and seven touchdowns in nine games. He averaged over nine yards per carry. He capped off his season with a 27 carry, 283-yard, three touchdown performance against Howard.
Howell said Beamer and Hardesty were telling him that he has what it takes to get to the next level.
“They think that I can get developed to be an NFL player,” he said. “I love the coaches, I love everything here. I still don’t have a clue where I’m going to go.”
The fact the Gamecocks have already taken a pair of running back transfers, and have three other running backs on the books, won’t have an impact on Howell’s final decision.
“That doesn’t affect anything with me,” Howell said. “At the end of the day, you are always going to have more than one running back ready to play.”
Howell plans to take an official visit to Indiana this weekend. He said Charlotte and James Madison are two other programs of interest. He doesn’t plan to make his decision until around the middle of next week, perhaps on Signing Day.