After just one season on the Plains, Auburn freshman Jahki Howard has officially entered the transfer portal.
Howard was a highly rated four-star recruit in the class of 2024, and was ranked among the top 100 nationally. As a top recruit, Howard received offers 21 total offers from multiple Division I programs in addition to Auburn, including Florida, Tennessee and UConn.
The 6-foot-6 wing appeared off the bench in 21 of Auburn’s 38 games this season, shooting 54% from the floor while averaging 4.2 points and 1.1 rebounds in 9.1 minutes of play.
Early in his time at Auburn, Howard and teammate Ja’Heim Hudson were thrust into the spotlight following a mid-flight altercation on the team’s flight to Houston. The incident forced the plane to return shortly after takeoff, and both players received a three-game suspension. They did not travel with the team on its return to Houston.
While it is currently unknown where Howard plans to continue his college career, his decision to enter the portal follows Tahaad Pettiford’s declaration for the NBA draft on Monday, making him the second Tiger to announce non-eligibility-related plans to depart from Auburn.
Howard, along with Pettiford and Chad Baker-Mazara, were the only Tigers eligible to return to Auburn next season, with Pettiford maintaining his college eligibility despite his entrance into the 2025 NBA draft. With the past season’s senior-heavy roster, and the departure of Pettiford and Howard, head coach Bruce Pearl and his staff face a tall task in replacing their outgoing players.
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