Alabama had one of the top tight ends in college football on its roster in 2016 (and 2015), but for some reason, O.J. Howard was not utilized as much as he and some Alabama fans would have preferred.
While working out and grinding at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, Howard continues to scratch his head trying to figure out exactly why he didn’t get the ball more with the Crimson Tide.
“I have no idea, honestly man,” Howard said, according to SB Nation. “It was kind of a question mark my whole career about that, but I’ve never been able to give an answer to this day.”
Howard was Alabama’s third-leading receiver in 2016 with 45 receptions for 595 yards and three touchdowns. It is worth noting the Crimson Tide had two talented wide receivers this season in ArDarius Stewart and Calvin Ridley. Howard was also third in receiving on Alabama’s roster behind Ridley and Stewart in 2015 with 602 yards and two touchdowns. Those two touchdowns in the 2015 season just happened to come in the biggest game of the year, the College Football Playoff national championship game against Clemson (Alabama won this one).
“I can be a guy like that every game,” Howard said. “Being able to make those plays in big moments is huge, but I feel like I’m the type of player who can do that consistently.”
Perhaps the relative lack of using Howard was one of the reasons some got frustrated with the offense being coached by offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, who is now the head coach at FAU. Howard had just one game during the 2016 season in which he accumulated more than 70 yards of receiving with Kiffin as the offensive coordinator, and he scored just two touchdowns in 14 games. Once Kiffin was shown the door and Steve Sarkisian was promoted to offensive coordinator for the national championship game, guess who had four catches for 106 yards and a touchdown? Yup. Howard.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban conceded after the championship game that Howard should have been more of a featured player in Alabama’s offense in 2016, although it did not hurt them at any point of a 14-0 run before the national championship game. It is no secret that Alabama has an embarrassment of riches on its roster and splitting the ball between so many different talented players can be difficult.
Now, Howard looks to prove himself worthy of taking his game to the next level, and a solid week at the Senior Bowl (the highest-profile college football all-star game) should help him grab the eyes of scouts as the NFL Draft prep continues in the coming months leading up to the NFL Draft.
