I do not know just how good Walker Howard is or what the redshirt freshman quarterback’s ceiling might be, because he attempted just four passes during his lone season at LSU. He completed two. Tough to get much of a read from that. But I know this: Brian Kelly once thought enough of Howard that he did a ridiculous dance to help secure Howard’s signature to Kelly’s first LSU recruiting class. And Kelly is a good judge of talent.
Howard is now a talent bound for Ole Miss.
The Rebels secured Howard’s commitment Wednesday. He transferred rather than face the prospect of remaining a third-string quarterback for a second season in LSU’s once-crowded quarterback room.
Ole Miss adding a transfer quarterback became necessary after backup Luke Altmyer transferred to Illinois. Altmyer’s exit left incumbent starter Jaxson Dart and veteran Kinkead Dent as the lone scholarship quarterbacks. Dent, after Howard’s commitment, told 247Sports that he plans to transfer.
Transfer quarterbacks come in a variety of forms. There are the A-list additions (see USC’s Caleb Williams last year). These are the rarest of jewels. In abundance are the “warm body” depth-chart fillers. Ole Miss could have embraced that route, promised Dart he’d remain the starter and snagged a backup to round out the roster. Instead, the Rebels reached for a better prize. Howard fits into a third category: young, unproven talent who can challenge for the starting job while also providing depth.
By adding Howard, a national top-50 prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin reaffirmed his “Portal King” bona fides. More importantly, he sent a message that mediocrity will not stand.
Oh, and it gets better for the Rebels.
On Thursday, Oklahoma State transfer Spencer Sanders announced that he, too, is transferring to Ole Miss. Now, it’s a party.
A veteran starter and a dual threat, Sanders has logged more than 11,000 yards of career total offense, but his career stalled with the Cowboys, and 2022 was his poorest season.
You don’t win the offseason by adding end-of-the-roster transfers. You do it by signing athletes who improve the team. Howard may have the zip and the accuracy to do that, and Sanders is a fail safe.
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The arrival of transfers does not overthrow Dart as starter, but it raises the stakes for the incumbent. Consider spring practice the equivalent of a contested primary.
By adding transfers of this caliber, Kiffin signaled that Ole Miss will not be complacent after a promising 2022 season fizzled.
Playing in the portal is akin to walking a tightrope and trying to balance improving a roster’s depth and talent without spooking players already in the program.
Kiffin errs on the side of being aggressive. He grabs his surfboard and rides the portal wave. A reasonable choice. Any incumbent who is scared off by competition probably isn’t suited for the job in the first place.
By adding Howard and Sanders, Kiffin broadened Ole Miss’ chance for success. Either the transfers will effectively fuel Dart to elevate his game, or one of the newcomers will offer a higher ceiling and seize the reins.
Either outcome is a better path than the alternative of adding a transfer quarterback incapable of contending for meaningful snaps.
Dart, himself a transfer last year from USC, delivered a tantalizing Ole Miss debut that sometimes went sideways. No one questions his grit, but he must develop consistency for the Rebels to advance beyond their 8-5 record, which included losses in five of their final six games after the schedule stiffened. Dart wasn’t dependable enough in reading the field, and that culminated with his three interceptions in a bowl game loss to Texas Tech.
Dart’s 11 interceptions – second most in the SEC – competed with his contributions in making Ole Miss the SEC’s No. 1 rushing offense. He amassed 614 rushing yards and absorbed more than his fair share of hits. He showed enough ability to feel hopeful for an upward trajectory.
One only needs to access recent memory to recall how a quarterback can improve from Year 1 to Year 2 under Kiffin.
Matt Corral showcased his ability but threw 14 interceptions in his first season as Kiffin’s starter. Corral harnessed his talents the following season, reduced his miscues, finished seventh in Heisman Trophy voting and led Ole Miss to the Sugar Bowl.
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Ole Miss’ starting quarterback in 2023 should enjoy a complement of weapons. Quinshon Judkins returns after leading the SEC in rushing as a freshman, and the Rebels’ wide receiver transfer haul includes Chris Marshall, a former five-star prospect from Texas A&M, and Tre Harris, a proven pass catcher from Louisiana Tech.
Maybe, Dart develops the consistency to match his mettle, and he’s firing completions to Marshall, Harris and others while reducing his mistakes.
If Dart stalls, though, Ole Miss is now armed with tempting alternatives.
Adding Howard and Sanders shows the Rebels are not content to stand still.
Blake Toppmeyer is an SEC Columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.
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