Texas A&M football sees LB Alex Howard enter the spring transfer portal after arriving in College Station this winter
After only four months on campus with Texas A&M football, senior LB Alex Howard, a transfer from Youngstown State, has decided to re-enter the transfer portal. Howard announced his decision today on X (formerly Twitter).
I would like to thank Coach Elko and staff for the opportunity to play football at Texas A&M. However, after much contemplation and consideration I have decided to re-enter the transfer portal!!! pic.twitter.com/I3xlxFLjHH
— Alex Howard (@AlexHoward40) April 15, 2024
This decision from Howard is the first of what could be several from the winter portal group. There were a few positions that Elko and company made sure to target specifically, and they have something of a backlog at a few spots on the depth chart now.
In Howard's case, however, this is likely reflective of the idea that his chances of becoming a starter were not as bright as he would have hoped. With only one year left of eligibility, it makes sense that he would want to work his craft in a spot that provided him the maximum amount of exposure possible.
I personally, though, had been quite high on his potential to make an impact as a starter if things fell right. Clearly, that didn't come to fruition. What can Aggie fans take away from this eventuality, then?
Well, for one thing, I think the silver lining may be more significant than the proverbial dark cloud that this news might otherwise be. What I mean is this: if Howard came into spring ball thinking that he would be a top option at linebacker, someone else must have emerged to unseat him from that spot.
Reading the tea leaves in Aggie circles, it seems like that man is redshirt freshman Daymion Sanford. Sanford, a high school teammate of David Hicks, is a super-plus athlete who came in with raw technique. His emergence, whenever that is, would be huge for the Aggies; if it is begining to happen now, that is a great sign for Texas A&M football.
As I say: don't expect this to be the last such entry into the spring portal. There are some names that we just welcomed to campus who may turn right around and exit in this next window. As they happen, we'll be here to analyze their significance for the team going forward.