Former LSU quarterback Walker Howard finally got an opportunity to be a starting quarterback this season with the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns. After backing up Jayden Daniels at LSU in 2022, Howard transferred to Ole Miss. He backed up Jaxson Dart for two seasons before transferring to his hometown of Lafayette to join the Ragin' Cajuns for the 2025 season.
Howard was named the starting quarterback for the season opener against Rice, but unfortunately, suffered a serious oblique injury in the contest last Saturday. Medical personnel have recommended surgery for the injury, and Howard is set to undergo the procedure this weekend. Thus, it appears that his 2025 season is over.
Former LSU QB Walker Howard suffers oblique injury in season opener
The injury occurred in the fourth quarter when Howard took off running on a 4th and 2 attempt that gained one yard. He returned for one play in Louisiana's next series, completing a 25-yard pass to Shelton Sampson Jr, but had to exit the game after that.
Before the injury, Howard completed 10 of his 22 pass attempts for 88 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. He also ran for 47 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. The Ragin' Cajuns ultimately fell to Rice by a score of 14-12.
It's a crushing blow for Howard, who was making his first college start. He had finally gotten his opportunity to be a starting college quarterback after three seasons of rarely seeing the field at two different schools. He returned to his hometown team, and earned the QB1 role over redshirt sophomore Lunch Winfield and redshirt freshman Daniel Beale. Beale replaced Howard after his injury, and will get the start in Louisiana's next game against McNeese this Saturday.
Howard was a highly-touted recruit coming out of Lafayette's St. Thomas More High School, drawing interest from several big time programs including Notre Dame, Alabama, Ole Miss, Penn State, Texas A&M, USC, and LSU, among others. Ranked as the No. 6 QB in the 2022 recruiting cycle, He chose to attend LSU, but transferred to Ole Miss after one season in Baton Rouge. He appeared in two games for the Tigers, which included completing two passes for seven yards in LSU's 63-7 Citrus Bowl win over Purdue.