Louisiana transfer, former LSU QB Walker Howard signs with Ole Miss

Louisiana quarterback Walker Howard, who previously played at both LSU and Ole Miss, has signed a contract to return to the Rebels out of the NCAA Transfer Portal, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. Howard will have one more season of collegiate eligibility remaining.

Howard, a redshirt junior this past season with the Ragin’ Cajuns, returns to Oxford, where he backed up Jaxson Dart between 2023-24. He previously spent his true freshman season at LSU, where he appeared in just two games in 2022 under then-Tigers head coach Brian Kelly.

Despite his well-traveled career, Howard hasn’t seen much action on the field, the most coming in 2025 when he completed 18-of-41 attempts for 155 yards and three interceptions in six games with Louisiana. Howard appeared in just two games in each of his previous three seasons with Ole Miss and LSU.

Howard officially entered the transfer portal on Tuesday and signed with the Rebels and first-year head coach Pete Golding on Wednesday, just two days before the 14-day portal window closes.

The 6-foot, 195-pound Howard originally signed with LSU as a four-start prospect in the 2022 recruiting cycle out of St. Thomas More (Lafayette, La.), where he was ranked as the No. 45 player overall, the No. 6 quarterback in the class, and the No. 4 player in Louisiana, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting media companies.

After seeing limited playing time as a true freshman with the Tigers, Howard first hit the portal and landed at Ole Miss, where he was brought in to backup Dart, a former USC transfer the prior year. Dart went on to set multiple passing records over his next two years in Oxford before moving on to become a 2025 first-round NFL draft pick of the New York Giants. Howard also opted to move on following the conclusion of the 2024 season, committing to transfer to Louisiana on Dec. 10, 2024.

Howard would go on to be named the Ragin’ Cajuns’ starting QB before the season, and started the opener against Rice on Aug. 30. But an oblique injury against the Owls cost Howard the next six weeks and he was never able to regain his starting spot at Louisiana.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.