Report: Former LSU, Ole Miss transfer Walker Howard named Louisiana starting quarterback

Former LSU and Ole Miss quarterback Walker Howard is set to be named Louisiana’s starting quarterback, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported. He is expected to start the season opener against Rice.

Howard began his college career at LSU in 2022 before spending two seasons at Ole Miss from 2023-24. During that time, he appeared in six games, totaling 63 passing yards between the two schools. He then entered the transfer portal and committed to Louisiana this past cycle.

Howard arrived at LSU as a highly rated recruit out of Lafayette (La.) St. Thomas More. He was a four-star prospect and the No. 45 overall player from the 2022 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking. He was also the No. 6-rated quarterback.

Source: Louisiana has named former Ole Miss/LSU quarterback Walker Howard the school’s starting quarterback, and he’ll make his first college start against Rice on Aug. 30. Howard ranked as ESPN’s No. 3 dual-threat QB recruit in Class of 2022 behind Cade Klubnik and Ty Simpson. pic.twitter.com/9BfCg8FwVl

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 19, 2025

Howard’s arrival at LSU came at the same time the program landed Jayden Daniels from the portal, and he then sat behind Jaxson Dart for two years at Ole Miss. Now, it’s his turn, and the competition at Louisiana began in the spring.

Speaking with reporters in April, Howard acknowledged things have not gone as planned to this point. That said, he’s back home in Lafayette, and his focus remains on growing his game.

“It’s been a tough journey,” Howard said, via The Advocate, “not everything I thought it was going to be. But I’ve learned a lot in my life. I feel like I’ve lived so many lives already.

“It’s good to home and it’s good to be around people I love. I’m going to continue to grow and it’s going to make me stronger every day.”

During his time at St. Thomas More, Walker Howard put together standout junior and senior seasons. He threw for a combined 5,824 yards and 67 touchdowns during that time as he generated plenty of buzz on the recruiting trail.

Over the summer, Howard also served as a counselor at the Manning Passing Academy on the campus of Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La. He got to spend some time with the Manning family and learn from them, and he reflected on what the experience means as he got ready for his redshirt junior season.

“These are the legends right here, and being around it is a very cool experience, especially with all these other college quarterbacks here,” Howard said, via KLFY-TV. “Learning from them, seeing what they do, and watching all these guys spin it. It’s been awesome.”