O.J. Howard, considered by some the best tight end in the nation, made his decision to play football at Alabama official Wednesday a year and a half after committing to the Crimson Tide.
5-star tight end O.J. Howard enrolled at Alabama
Nick Saban’s two-time national champion Alabama Crimson Tide gets a new weapon: an elite tight end in O.J. Howard, considered by some the top at his position in the country.
Brian A. Westerholt
Howard, a 6-foot-6, 220-pounder timed as running a 4.49 40, is a five-star recruit, considered by Rivals one of the top ten players in the nation at any position. He committed to Alabama in July, 2011, and SB Nation’s Bud Elliott caught up with him in July 2012 to discuss the state of his commitment, which never wavered although he did leave the possibility of visiting Auburn open..
Tight end hasn't necessarily been the most important position on offense under Nick Saban: this past season, tight ends combined for 31 catches and just 243 yards. However, the majority of that was directed at Michael Williams, a senior who was tied for second on the team with four touchdowns, and five of the other passes were to Kelly Johnson, also a senior. That means returning tight ends account for only two catches. Brian Vogler was also a highly touted tight end in his day, but he wasn't as elite as Howard.
