Osceola (FL) four-star offensive tackle Connor Howes is set to kick off his official visits in two weeks, but there's a chance his schedule changes.
The 6-foot-6, 290-pound lineman will kick off his visits with a trip to Arkansas the weekend of May 31 followed by a trip to Rutgers the weekend of June 7 then NC State on June 14. For now, Howes is planning to visit Ole Miss the weekend of June 21 but that's subject to change -- and Maryland is a big reason why.
Maryland was in to see Howes on Thursday as the two sides iron out a potential third visit. "We were talking about my schedule and we talked about Rutgers , but then I said I might get rid of Ole Miss. I've always said I always want to play in the SEC or Big Ten," Howes told IBG. "I also have NC State, I just really like them. I really like what they do. I research them a lot, so they're an exception. Ole Miss is the 21st because they came to talk to me, offered and it was an in-the-moment thing. I like Ole Miss but I don't talk to them anymore, so if I get rid of anyone, it's them because it seems like they put me on the backburner."
Maryland, meanwhile, has moved full steam ahead with the Florida tackle. Howes first visited campus back on April 13 when he picked up the offer and returned just two weeks later for the spring game as the four-star left campus with a glowing review of the program.
“We had a good talk. I just enjoyed talking with them. I talked with the head coach after the scrimmage, but I was mainly talking to coach Merci the whole time. I sat in with the offensive line . It was funny, when I’m sitting there with my mom, she doesn’t know what they’re saying but I understand everything they’re talking about. It’s really easy to catch on to how he coaches so I think that’s a plus,” Howes said after his first visit.
The overview of both the academic and athletic sides of the program that Howes received during his visits, along with the consistency from the staff, has put the Terps in his top group even without an official visit set.
"Maryland is always going to be in my top three. I loved it when I was there. I've been talking to coach Thomas, coach Braswell so it's been a few of them. From what I've been told, you talk academics and athletics on officials but I talk with these coaches about that every day. And if it's not on the phone, it was on the visit."
Howes is eyeing a commitment after his official visits wrap up but isn't holding himself to a firm timeframe.
"I'm planning to make it in the summer but if I commit and something goes sideways, I'll decommit. That's why I want to take my time. And come the end of June or early July, if I'm not ready to commit then I don't commit."
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