Picking a sport

Since deciding to return to the gridiron, Pearl (Miss.) junior Twymond Howard has continued to see an increase of interest in his recruitment. Also a highly-touted 2012 basketball prospect, the 6-foot-6 and 185-pound receiver prospect said it's still too early to know which sport he may play at the next level.

Howard played for Pearl as a sophomore but did not play football in 2010.

"It will just be a decision I will have to make later on," said Howard, who had 28 catches for 347 yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore. "I am starting to get some football interest. But it is kinda too early to tell how much more interest I will get until I play again this year

"But it is good being back playing football again and I missed it a lot. I am going to make as many summer camps as I can and I will also be playing AAU ball, too."

Howard has visited a couple of SEC schools thus far this year and noted of the schools showing him the most interest.

"I went to Alabama's junior day and I also went to see Mississippi State practice," said Howard. "I am starting to get a lot of letters from a lot of schools now. I am getting letters from Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Stanford, Alabama and Southern Miss. Of that group I would say Mississippi State is showing me the most interest."

As he stated, Howard checked out one of MSU's spring practice sessions earlier this month and was impressed with the "toughness" he saw with the Bulldogs.

"Everything was good there," said Howard. "I liked the way they practice with intensity and toughness. I got to talk to Coach Greg Knox and Coach Dan Mullen spoke to me, too. It was nice for them to take time out to talk with us and I know they were busy with practice.

"I watched their individual drills and everything. It was cool to see how organized their practices are run."

On the basketball front, Howard has long owned offers from the likes of MSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Baylor and Missouri. And with a recent coaching change in the SEC, Howard has added another SEC offer of late.

"I don't really have any new offers in basketball," said Howard. "Except for the coaches that went to another school like with Arkansas now. Coach (Mike) Anderson had offered me when he was at Missouri and now he is at Arkansas and he has offered me."