Jaxon Howard
DL · Senior
6'4" · 260 lbs · Defense
Also wearing #1: Darius Taylor (RB)
Background
- Hometown
- Crystal, Minn.
- High school
- Robbinsdale Cooper
- Previous school
- LSU
Recruiting
- Rating
- 4-star (0.9809 247 composite)
- National rank
- #40
- Class
- 2022
- Source
- 247 composite
2026 season
No 2026 stats recorded yet.
Season by season
2025tap to read
Played in all 13 games • made 29 tackles • recorded 5.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. Game-by-Game: Totaled two tackles against Buffalo • recorded one tackle against Northwestern State • played at Cal • tallied three tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and had one sack against Rutgers • registered one tackle at Ohio State • made three tackles against Purdue and had half of a tackle for loss • recoded two sacks and had three tackles versus Nebraska • finished with two tackles and half of a tackle for loss at Iowa • made four tackles and had one sack against Michigan State • made one tackle at Oregon • totaled two tackles at Northwestern • had three tackles against Wisconsin • made three tackles against New Mexico.
2024tap to read
Played in 10 games and made nine tackles. Game-by-Game: Made two tackles against North Carolina • tallied one tackle against Rhode Island • played against Nevada • competed at UCLA • had two tackles against Maryland • made two tackles at Illinois • competed at Rutgers • played against Penn State • made one tackle at Wisconsin • had one tackle against Virginia Tech. PREVIOUS SCHOOL: Spent the 2023 season at LSU where he redshirted as a true freshman • played in five games and recorded two tackles • saw most of his action on special teams and as a reserve edge rusher • made one tackle against Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl and had a tackle against Grambling • also competed against Florida State, Mississippi State and Texas A&M. HIGH SCHOOL: Attended Robbinsdale Cooper in New Hope, Minn. • wore No. 11 for the Hawks and was coached by his father, Willie Howard • as a senior, recorded 120 tackles, four tackles for loss and one interception on defense and played tight end on offense • four-star prospect and was ranked No. 121 in ESPN300 • ranked as the No. 1 player in the state of Minnesota in the 2023 class and was ranked No. 9 in the nation at his position by Rivals • also played baseball and threw shot put and discuss in high school. PERSONAL: Son of Willie and Chaconas Howard • has three sisters (Chanell Koch, Sterling Sproles and Aeyva Howard) and one brother (Phoenix Sproles) • father, Willie, played college football at Stanford • named Third-Team All-American in 2000 and in 1999 he earned All-Pac 10 honors and won the Morris Trophy as the top defensive lineman in the Pac-10 • drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round with the 57th overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft • NFL career was limited to one season because of injuries • brother, Phoenix, played five seasons of college football at North Dakota State (2018-22) and one season at James Madison (2023) .
Official bio
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HONORS
Academic All-Big Ten (2025)
OVERVIEW: Enrolled at Minnesota in June 2024 • spent the 2023 at LSU.
2025 • SOPHOMORE SEASON: Played in all 13 games • made 29 tackles • recorded 5.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.
Game-by-Game: Totaled two tackles against Buffalo • recorded one tackle against Northwestern State • played at Cal • tallied three tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and had one sack against Rutgers • registered one tackle at Ohio State • made three tackles against Purdue and had half of a tackle for loss • recoded two sacks and had three tackles versus Nebraska • finished with two tackles and half of a tackle for loss at Iowa • made four tackles and had one sack against Michigan State • made one tackle at Oregon • totaled two tackles at Northwestern • had three tackles against Wisconsin • made three tackles against New Mexico.
2024 • FRESHMAN SEASON: Played in 10 games and made nine tackles.
Game-by-Game: Made two tackles against North Carolina • tallied one tackle against Rhode Island • played against Nevada • competed at UCLA • had two tackles against Maryland • made two tackles at Illinois • competed at Rutgers • played against Penn State • made one tackle at Wisconsin • had one tackle against Virginia Tech.
PREVIOUS SCHOOL: Spent the 2023 season at LSU where he redshirted as a true freshman • played in five games and recorded two tackles • saw most of his action on special teams and as a reserve edge rusher • made one tackle against Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl and had a tackle against Grambling • also competed against Florida State, Mississippi State and Texas A&M.
HIGH SCHOOL: Attended Robbinsdale Cooper in New Hope, Minn. • wore No. 11 for the Hawks and was coached by his father, Willie Howard • as a senior, recorded 120 tackles, four tackles for loss and one interception on defense and played tight end on offense • four-star prospect and was ranked No. 121 in ESPN300 • ranked as the No. 1 player in the state of Minnesota in the 2023 class and was ranked No. 9 in the nation at his position by Rivals • also played baseball and threw shot put and discuss in high school.
PERSONAL: Son of Willie and Chaconas Howard • has three sisters (Chanell Koch, Sterling Sproles and Aeyva Howard) and one brother (Phoenix Sproles) • father, Willie, played college football at Stanford • named Third-Team All-American in 2000 and in 1999 he earned All-Pac 10 honors and won the Morris Trophy as the top defensive lineman in the Pac-10 • drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round with the 57th overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft • NFL career was limited to one season because of injuries • brother, Phoenix, played five seasons of college football at North Dakota State (2018-22) and one season at James Madison (2023) .