Tennessee Football made a splash over the weekend when four-star tight end Malik Howard pledged his commitment to the Volunteers during UT’s big recruiting weekend on campus. Howard is staying close to home with his decision as a native of Oak Ridge, TN.
The first time that Howard publicly revealed his commitment was at a dinner during Tennessee’s recruiting event on campus. Current Tennessee linebacker Brayden Rouse shared video of Howard revealing the news, which prompted a handshake and a hug from an excited Josh Heupel. The Vols’ fanbase and the recruiting world found out soon after as reports of the local product’s decision to stay home buzzed on social media.
But Heupel wasn’t surprised at Howard’s dinner announcement. In an interview with WATE’s Sam Rothman this weekend, Howard explained that he originally made his decision in a private setting that included only Heupel and his family.
“I had a meeting with Coach Heupel earlier in the day, where I committed with just my family in there,” Howard said in Channel 6’s news segment. “We kind of planned out what I was going to do at dinner. So he acted like he didn’t really know what was going on, but he kind of had a clue. He was extremely hyped. He jumped out of his seat, started yelling a little bit. Seemed like he was about to shed a tear or two, because I know this has been a long road recruiting for them. He probably didn’t know where I was going to go for a couple of months. But he was glad that I stayed home.”
Malik Howard is staying home. The Oak Ridge TE cancelled his official visits at Notre Dame and Oregon after spending the weekend on Rocky Top.
“I knew Tennessee was home. The plan that they had in place for me was just unbeatable. I couldn’t walk away without being a Vol.”… pic.twitter.com/AmkhNoJQJy
Advertisement— Sam Rothman (@samrothman_) June 8, 2026
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According to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, Howard is tagged as the No. 215 overall player in the class, the No. 11 tight end in the cycle, and the No. 9 player from the Volunteer State.
During his junior season at Oak Ridge High School, Howard tallied 11 touchdowns and 778 receiving yards on 53 receptions. He nearly doubled his stats from his breakout sophomore campaign, which saw him rack up six touchdowns and 389 yards on 32 catches.
“Modern F-TE projection with the hands, fluidity and post-catch urgency to be a featured target in any passing attack,” 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins writes. “Sticky hands and superb body control lead to acrobatic grabs in traffic as he can float with his timing and make mid-flight adjustments… Projects as a potential impact player at the Power Four level that can be positioned around the formation in search of matchups.”
Here’s a look at some of the talent that Howard is bringing with him to Josh Heupel’s offense:
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider and WATE for more Tennessee Football summer coverage.
