25 NCAA players that could appear on a future Madden NFL cover
By Roje Smith
18. O.J. Howard – TE – Alabama Crimson Tide
O.J. Howard is quite the intriguing prospect. Coming out of high school, he was rated as the top TE in his class by both Rivals.com and Scout.com. Some scouts even made comparisons between him and NFL star TE Jimmy Graham. Therefore, expectations for Howard were extremely high, but he has statistically underwhelmed since his arrival in Tuscaloosa.
Howard played in 13 games as a true freshman, but finished with only 14 catches for 269 yards and two TDs. As a sophomore, many expected Howard’s numbers to improve, but he actually performed worse, hauling in just 17 receptions for 260 and zero TDs. As such, after another underwhelming season, the pressure was on for O.J. to show why there was so much hype for him.
Howard’s junior season proved much better, but it wasn’t fully realized until the biggest game of the season. In the national championship game against Clemson, Howard exploded for five catches, 208 yards, and two scores, a performance that earned him the Offensive MVP award for the game. His dominance reminded the country why Howard is the TE most likely to be a first-round NFL draft pick.
Howard is the type of player that can create mismatch nightmares all over the field. He is very fast and agile for someone that’s 6-foot-6 and weighs 242 pounds, and is expected to be featured a bit more for Alabama this season. It will help with his skill set progression and should make him even more dangerous when he enters the NFL. If he becomes as good as Jimmy Graham, or better, then he can join Rob Gronkowski as a rare TE to be featured on the Madden NFL cover.
Next: 17. One Tough Duck