Despite a challenging day for the Florida Gators’ defense last Saturday, transfer linebacker Grayson “Pup” Howard emerged as a standout performer. In his 30 snaps against Miami, Howard showcased an impressive array of skills including physicality, communication, play recognition, coverage, and speed. His performance demonstrated the instinctive linebacker play that Florida has been lacking in recent seasons.
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Howard’s impact was quantifiable, as he earned Florida’s highest defensive grade from Pro Football Focus. He led the team with six tackles and achieved the top overall PFF defensive grade of 80.5 in the Gators’ season opener.
The 6’4, 238-pound linebacker’s flawless tackling was highlighted by a crucial play on third-and-4 from the Florida 5-yard line, where he made a touchdown-saving stop, forcing Miami to settle for a 23-yard field goal.
“As a linebacker, you got to tackle,” Howard said. “It’s part of the game so I try to make sure that I always get a chance to correct my form and everything like that. And the linebackers we always do extra work here and there, tackling is one of the things that we do.”
Howard, a Jacksonville native, was initially a significant loss for Florida’s 2023 recruiting class. However, after spending a season at South Carolina, he felt compelled to return closer to his roots and family.
“I was going back and forth. There’s a lot of a lot of things (that factored in),” Howard said. “Football, family as well. And I think overall, God showed me that I need to enter closer to the closing time. So, when I knew it was time, I went in, gave it couple days, and God showed where I needed to go. So, I decided to come here.
“God told me that I needed to enter the portal, come home. So, I knew that if I made that decision, that I needed to make an impact, and push towards my goals and everything like that. So, the perfect opportunity was to come here, and the coaches did a great job with helping me and preparing me to earn a role in this defense.”
The proximity to his family has had a profound impact on Howard’s performance and preparation. “It’s a little different, especially being real close, just an hour down the road,” Howard said. “Having my dad here and my brother here, making it easy for them to get to the games. It definitely took my game to another level, and my preparation to another level thinking about that.”
Head coach Billy Napier was quick to acknowledge Howard’s outstanding performance and character.
“Pup did a lot of good things. Pup’s a good communicator. Pup’s a big, long, rangy player. He’s got play strengths,” Napier said. “He’s very consistent. You know what you’re going to get. He’s one of the first in the building. He’s one of the last to leave. He’s that type of player. He watches film. He’s definitely one of the best younger players that we have. He’s got a bright future.
“I’ve been impressed with how quickly he’s picked up the system, and then certainly for him, he had minimal experience at South Carolina. And then to come over here, he took advantage of the reps in the spring because [Derek] Wingo was out. He’s one of the best workers that we have, in the weight room, how he lives life, self-discipline. We need more guys like Pup Howard.”
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