Austin Howard, a three-star linebacker from Bartlett, Tennessee, has transferred from Vanderbilt University football to Mississippi State University, he announced on social media Sunday night.
“I want to thank the entire staff at Vanderbilt University. They are some of the greatest, most genuine people you will ever meet and the relationships I have developed with the coaching staff are second to none. Therefore, my family, my coaching staff and I have decided that it is in my best interest to forgo the opportunity to attend Vanderbilt University,” Howard said in a statement posted to X, the platform that used to be Twitter.
Ten minutes later, Howard announced his move to the Bulldogs in a social media post.
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound linebacker is the No. 712 player nationally ranked by the 247Sports Composite. He also held offers from Ole Miss and Tennessee.
He originally committed to Vanderbilt in April and was the Commodores' third-highest ranked enrolled commit in the class of 2025. He becomes Mississippi State's third linebacker enrolled commit.
Shortly after Howard's release, cornerback VanZaar Hinton, another Vanderbilt commit, said in a post on X, “We're doing well in the West End.”
Vanderbilt's class, which currently has just nine applicants, is ranked 63rd nationally.
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Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt University sports for The Tennessean. She can be reached at agerson@gannett.com or on Twitter. Alicia Gerson.
