Jamel Howse officially signs with Appalachian State

NEWBERRY — The Bulldogs had a season to remember in 2025 and their hard working student-athletes are starting to reap the benefits of their success. One in particular is four-star tight end Jamel Howse Jr. He officially put pen to paper on National Early Signing Day on Wednesday, Dec. 3rd in the gymnasium of Newberry High School.

Howse had a huge bounce back season this year in his senior campaign. He caught 52 passes for 686 receiving yards and six total touchdowns. He also spent some time of the defensive side of the ball as a rotational player and had 15 total tackles along with an interception.

The 6-foot-6 230 pound giant was committed to South Carolina for all of his junior season and about halfway through his senior season. Howse’s decommitment from the Gamecocks was announced via social media on Sunday, Nov. 23rd. Appalachian State began to emerge as a real contender to land the four-star. He then revealed his commitment to the Mountaineers shortly after and has now made it official.

Howse took a visit to Boone in October and apparently liked what he saw. He also was intrigued by the possibility of playing for head coach Dowell Loggains, who initially recruited him to South Carolina when he was the offensive coordinator for the Gamecocks during the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

Loggains has put together quite the class and is looking to add more talent from Newberry. Senior quarterback Kenton Caldwell along with senior receiver Cash Brown could also soon pick up official offers from the Mountaineers. Both players took visits as well in October. They would all be apart of a football signing class that has already made history. App State class is ranked at the top in the Sun Belt Conference, 56th nationally and second in the Group of Six pool behind only Boise State. They signed 29 players during the early signing period from Dec. 3-5.