UAB running back Jordan Howard said his mind is “still spinning” after Tuesday’s news that his university is shutting down the football program. But he knows he needs to move on.

He said from an airport Friday that he was on his way to see what the Indiana Hoosiers can offer.

“I like the situation Indiana has,” said Howard, who was granted his release Wednesday. “They’re saying I can come in and compete.”

Indiana’s Tevin Coleman, the No. 2 rusher in the nation, still hasn’t officially declared early for the NFL draft. If he does leave, the Hoosiers would certainly be in need of a rusher with Howard’s abilities. Howard would be eligible to play immediately.

Howard, a sophomore, is currently seventh in the nation with 1,587 rushing yards. He’s averaging 5.2 yards a carry and has 13 touchdowns this season. About 20 coaches have contacted him since Wednesday, he said.

Both Iowa and Wisconsin have reached out to him – he’s already spoken briefly with the Badgers – and he’s already been contacted by Louisville and Vanderbilt. But nobody should get their hopes up too soon – Howard said he still has a lot of thinking to do.

“I’m not even close to making a decision,” he said. “My head’s all over the place. We’re all just so confused; we don’t know what to do because nobody’s ever really been in this position.”

UAB is the first major college football program since Pacific in 1995 to shut down. UAB president Ray Watts said the decision was made for financial reasons after a campus-wide study by a consulting firm.

Indiana was among the first schools to contact Howard, via Twitter, after he was granted his release. He likes the idea of immediate playing time, and he also has some family – two uncles – who live near Fort Wayne, Indiana.

He’s not sure where else he’ll visit. But he said he doesn’t have much time; he needs to decide where he's headed by late December or by the first week in January.

“The more choices I have, the harder it’s become,” he said.