The future stars of Ohio State football officially begin their college careers, as standouts from all over the country put pens to their National Letters of Intent.
Jacolbe Cowan projects to be a defensive tackle. It's something he's probably tired of hearing about his game.
O-H @JacolbeCowan12 is officially a Buckeye and a member of the #Rushmen #R2X#GoBucks #XXclusive pic.twitter.com/fgAuoyDhra
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) December 18, 2019
But today he officially set himself down the path to become the next great Ohio State pass rusher, as the four-star defensive lineman from Providence Day (N.C.) School has signed with the Buckeyes.
The Cowan File
- Class: 2020
- Size: 6-foot-5/260 lbs
- Pos: DT
- School: Providence Day School (Charlotte, N.C.)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: 15 DT
Scouts and recruiting analysts have projected to him to either be a defensive end in a three-man front or an interior lineman in a four-man front, and the Buckeyes deploying that four-man front seems to mean he would slot into a defensive tackle role. But that's not Larry Johnson's plan for him.
“I’m a versatile guy. I can do whatever and play on the interior as well. But in all honesty, I don’t think that’ll be happening,” Cowan told Eleven Warriors two days after his Oct. 4 commitment. “Coach J recruited me specifically for (defensive end). He told me he has a plan for me in that position.
“He told me the only time I’d be playing defensive tackle is if, say there’s a mismatch or a certain matchup and I have a chance to win that matchup. Yeah, I might play a few snaps against a particular man at defensive tackle, but other than that, I’ll be playing my position at defensive end.”
I am truly blessed to be in this position, without the man above none of this would ever be possible.
— J C 12 (@JacolbeCowan12) October 5, 2019
I am 100% COMMITTED!!!
And then there was 1... pic.twitter.com/ZVkSpZ5RM7
If Cowan can develop into that fearsome pass rusher for Johnson's Rushmen, it will quell any and all concerns that the 2020 class does not have the dominant five-star pure pass rusher that it's had in classes past.
Johnson has believed in Cowan for a long time, and he is eager to get the nation's 15th-rated senior defensive tackle (the 247Sports Composite rankings have him listed as a tackle) onto campus in January as an early enrollee so that he can get a head start in his physical development.
That's part of the plan that Johnson laid out for him during his official visit in the summer. It's a plan that impressed Cowan enough to give the Buckeyes a silent commitment shortly after, months before he finally made things official.
“(Coach Johnson) had particular goals for me for each year – some very high but attainable goals,” Cowan said. “He set the standard and the bar pretty high.
“I definitely wanna chase some records and break some records that have been held by a lot of the greats that have come before me."
