Former Cooper star Jaxon Howard leaves LSU, transfers to Gophers

The No. 1 football player in Minnesota from the class of 2022 is coming home.

Earlier this week, former Robbinsdale Cooper star edge rusher Jaxon Howard entered the NCAA transfer portal after one season at LSU. On Friday, it was announced that Howard is coming home to play for P.J. Fleck and the Gophers.

Back in July of 2022, Howard picked LSU in front of family and friends at Cooper High School over Miami, Michigan and the Gophers. He played one season with the Tigers, appearing in five games and making two tackles with one quarterback hit. His former high school teammate, Emmanual Karmo, committed to the Gophers in the 2025 class with scholarship offers from several schools.

Howard joins a defensive line that already features Danny Striggow, Jalen Logan-Redding, Jah Joyner, Anthony Smith and Deven Eastern. Howard was a consensus four-star recruit, and top-150 player in the country when he went to LSU.

The Gophers have about a week left of spring practice before breaking ahead of fall camp.

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