Four-star CB Hayward Howard Jr. commits to Texas over Florida State, LSU, and Miami

Despite the loss of Terry Joseph, the Longhorns were able to land a lengthy cornerback out of Louisiana.

Fans found out before Steve Sarkisian and his staff, or at least along with them.

New Orleans (La.) Edna Karr cornerback Hayward Howard Jr. was waiting to make that phone call until after he committed to the Texas Longhorns live on the On3 Recruits YouTube Channel on Friday.

The 6’2, 175-pounder pledged to Texas over finalists Florida State, LSU, and Miami. Howard held almost 20 total offers, including Auburn, Colorado, Florida, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech.

Beyond the length and upside that the consensus four-star prospect will bring to the Longhorns program, his recruitment marked a notable test case for the new-look Texas coaching staff in Louisiana following the departure of defensive passing game coordinator Terry Joseph to his hometown New Orleans Saints.

The February decision by Joseph came a month after Texas officially entered Howard’s recruitment with an offer, but new cornerbacks coach Mark Orphey maintained the momentum with assists from two Baton Rouge natives — new edge coach LaAllan Clark and football analyst Malik Antoine.

“The next day, they came back with the new DB coach and he chopped it up with me. He just kept his relationship consistent with me at knowing I couldn’t even go a day without talking to Texas,” Howard said.

“He always said I was a great player. They liked me for my skill set and they wanted me to to be a great asset to their program, so I said I wouldn’t waste no time — I was just ready.”

Howard’s interest in Texas was evidence in the excitement with which he announced his attendance at the Longhorn City Limits recruiting event in April.

Howard is ranked as the No. 407 player nationally and the No. 33 cornerback, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, becoming the sixth pledge in the 2026 class for the Longhorns and the first defender to commit. The son of former Ole Miss defensive lineman Hayward Howard plans to take his official visit to Texas on June 6.

At 6’2 and with a plus wingspan, Howard’s elite length makes him an intriguing prospect without accounting for his other attributes, like some coverage versatility to play zone or use that length in press man coverage as a boundary cornerback. Howard has enough athleticism to keep up with opposing wide receivers and a much bigger catch radius than most cornerbacks.

Sarkisian has a specific mold the Horns have been recruiting to at defensive back and Howard fits it.

“It’s been a group that we’ve really tried to recruit a specific skill set, a specific body type. We’ve got really good length, we’re really athletic. We can run in the secondary. And it’s allowing us to play a style over there that I’ve always wanted — to be very aggressive. Guys that can do multiple things, but also can help on special teams,” Sarkisian said last month.