KNOXVILLE – Alton Howard could have made the comfortable decision.
The four-star receiver from Orlando’s Edgewater High School instead decided to chase one of his dreams.
Howard, who’s nicknamed “Pig,” publicly committed to Tennessee on Wednesday during a ceremony at his school. The 5-foot-9, 180-pounder picked the Volunteers over Central Florida, the hometown school where his half-brother, Quincy McDuffie, is a junior receiver.
“The reason I picked Tennessee was Coach [Terry] Joseph has been recruiting me real hard throughout the process,” Howard said in a phone interview with the Times Free Press following his announcement. “I picked up a great connection with him, and my dream was always to play in the SEC. What stood out to me the most was just the fan support, the facilities and just in general the coaching staff and chemistry of the team and how the coaching staff cared about the team.
“It caught my attention, and it made me feel like I was at home. I loved everything about it.”