Could the Valdosta-to-Georgia pipeline continue in the 2026 class?
If so, Corey Howard is certainly a name to monitor the next couple weeks.
The Valdosta (Ga.) defensive lineman took his official visit to Athens last weekend for the June 13-15 weekend. Unsurprisingly, the 6-foot-4, 265-pound defensive lineman spent much of his time away from coaches with former teammates Gabe Harris and Todd Robinson. It was a step in the right direction toward them becoming future teammates again.
"I got Gabe and Todd. It's real similar to the defense that we run at Valdosta. And the coach, just like Kirby," Howard told Dawgs247. "They said if you could take [Shelton] Felton, then you could take Kirby."
Listed as an EDGE in the 247Sports database, Howard has been recruited to Georgia by both defensive line coach Tray Scott and outside linebackers coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe, indicating a bit of a hybrid role for the rising 3-star.
Most of the conversation over the weekend, however, centered around Howard's potential physical development into a 3-technique defensive lineman, showing him film of several former Dawgs turned NFL standouts. Some of Howard's position fit at Georgia would depend on his body changes in the event he went to Georgia.
But the Bulldogs' NFL pedigree caught Howard's eye this weekend.
"Oh, it went good, you know. I've seen a lot of stuff that I like. They're very serious about football. It went real good, you know. I just seen a whole bunch of stuff, like I said, they show like the percentages and stuff of like the freshmen that they play. The chances of going to the NFL are real high at Georgia," Howard said. "Like they breed D-linemen and if you want to be a good D-lineman, go to Georgia."
Howard has taken two official visits so far: Florida at the beginning of the month and Georgia last weekend.
While Howard enters the decision-making process, the constant contact with Scott and Diribe has helped Georgia's cause.
"It's just non-stop communication. How you doing? How's school going? How's summer going?" Howard said. "You know, just getting better with them every day. They always say, 'I just want to see you succeed.'"