Grayson “Pup” Howard is staying in the SEC. The South Carolina transfer linebacker will continue his career at Florida.

It’s a homecoming for Howard. The former standout of Andrew Jackson High School in Jacksonville will now play about 90 minutes down the road in Gainesville. Howard shared the big news on social media.

Howard entered the NCAA transfer portal on Tuesday. He departs South Carolina after one season with the Gamecocks.

Howard played in 11 games for Shane Beamer’s squad as a reserve. He logged 19 tackles on the year, posting a TFL and a forced fumble in South Carolina’s blowout win over Vanderbilt.

As it turns out, “Pup” may be replacing another “canine” linebacker in Gainesville. Howard’s transfer to Florida follows former Gator LB Scooby Williams’ recent decision to depart UF via the portal.

As a recruit, Howard was rated 4-stars, the No. 18 linebacker, No. 43 player in the state of Florida and No. 184 prospect overall in the Class of 2023 on the 247Sports Composite. He picked up 36 scholarship offers, taking official visits with South Carolina, Florida and Georgia.

Howard has 3 full seasons of remaining eligibility and an available redshirt if needed.