Notre Dame is among the two teams “making the strongest push” to pull a dynamic passing game weapon out of SEC country
There is a 2027 Notre Dame tight end recruiting target that Notre Dame continues to push hard for. They are currently a top-2 team for him.
Notre Dame football is arguably the best program in college football when it comes to recruiting and developing tight ends. There is an expectation that head coach Marcus Freeman and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock will routinely attract some of the best in high school football each and every year. That, of course, also includes the 2027 recruiting class.
The Fighting Irish gained an early commitment from 2027 Choctaw (Okla.) High School standout Titus Hawk, who is an intriguing developmental option as an in-line tight end. At 6-7 and 215 pounds, it is unlikely that Hawk will contribute early in his Notre Dame career as he develops physically. That is a part of the reason that Freeman and Co. have some interest in bringing in a second tight end for the 2027 class.
There is no question who that second tight end is that Notre Dame wants. 2027 Oak Ridge (Tenn.) High School standout Malik Howard is the top target on the board. He would be an outstanding flex option to pair with Hawk for the long-term future.
Notre Dame has been in a good spot for Howard, and continues to battle against several SEC programs. Rivals national recruiting analyst Chad Simmons recently updated the latest on Howard. Two teams are recruiting him the hardest right now, and yes, Notre Dame is included in that top group.
The other program noted was the Tennessee Volunteers, which wasn’t much of a surprise. Howard has an official visit to South Bend on June 12-14, while also heading to Tennessee on June 5-7. As of today, the Tennessee native will also travel to Alabama on May 29-31 to kick off his official visits. Notre Dame having the final official visit is notable, assuming that he makes the trip.
As we have seen over the last couple of years, when Notre Dame gets recruiting targets on campus, they have a very high success rate when closing. We will see if they can close the deal with Howard, a player they very much want right now.
Malik Howard’s recruiting background
Howard is considered to be a four-star player by each of the major recruiting platforms outside of rivals. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Howard is currently rated as the No. 216 overall player, the No. 11 tight end, and the No. 9 player from the state of Tennessee for the 2027 recruiting class. ESPN is the highest on Howard, pegged as the No. 157 overall player.
If Howard’s recruiting rankings don’t excite you, his offer list probably will. Some of his top offers include the Fighting Irish, Alabama, Michigan, Oklahoma, LSU, Florida, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Miami, Florida State, Auburn, Indiana, Nebraska, Missouri, Kentucky, South Carolina, Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Mississippi State, Maryland, Colorado, UNC, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Syracuse, West Virginia, Duke, and Purdue, among others.
As a junior in 2025, Howard put together a tremendous season for Oak Ridge. The 6-3.5, 231-pound pass catcher managed to haul in 53 receptions for 778 yards and 11 touchdowns in 11 games. That is an average of 14.7 yards per reception, a healthy number for a tight end.