Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day four-star senior defensive lineman Jacolbe Cowan announced on Friday that he has committed to Ohio State.
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
The Cowan File
- Class: 2020
- Size: 6-foot-5/262 lbs
- Pos: DT
- School: Providence Day School (Charlotte, N.C.)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: 15 (DT)
Cowan, an Under Armour All-American ranked as the 2020 class’ No. 7 overall player in North Carolina and the No. 15-ranked defensive tackle nationally, announced his decision on his home field following his team’s Homecoming game Friday night.
Cowan’s decision came down to Ohio State, Georgia and North Carolina, while Tennessee and Oregon were two more programs high on his list.
Cowan’s commitment to the Buckeyes is not much of a surprise, as Columbus was the only place where the 6-foot-5, 262-pounder made an official visit, and it was a unanimous belief among prognosticators that Ohio State was in the driver’s seat for attaining his talent.
The Buckeyes, who offered Cowan a scholarship in January 2018, hosted Cowan unofficially that spring, unofficially again in November 2018 and then officially this past June.
From there, Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson continued an aggressive recruitment of the nation’s No. 165-ranked overall recruit, whom 247Sports' Charles Power described as a “long-limbed” potential day three NFL Draft prospect “with a big frame that should continue filling out once he gets in a college-level strength program.”
With the addition of Cowan, the Buckeyes tack on a top defensive line prospect who is listed by 247Sports as a defensive tackle but told Eleven Warriors that he plays strongside defensive end.
Cowan gives Ohio State its 12th four-star commitment in this class, 23rd overall 2020 commit, third 2020 commitment on Johnson’s defensive line and its highest-rated recruit among a defensive line group that includes Ohio players Darrion Henry and Ty Hamilton.
The Buckeyes came into the week with the country's third-best recruiting class. However, a recent rankings update led to LSU jumping Ohio State's class. The addition of Cowan has again vaulted them back up to No. 3.
| NAME | POSITION | OVERALL RANKING | POSITION RANKING | DATE OF COMMITMENT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PARIS JOHNSON JR. | OT | No. 8 | No. 1 | JUNE 28, 2018 |
| JACK MILLER | QB | No. 238 | No. 11 (PRO-STYLE) | JULY 1, 2018 |
| LUKE WYPLER | C | No. 73 | No. 1 | JULY 7, 2018 |
| JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA | WR | No. 62 | No. 10 | NOVEMBER 4, 2018 |
| GEE SCOTT JR. | WR | No. 63 | No. 11 | DECEMBER 25, 2018 |
| JAKOB JAMES | OG | No. 805 | No. 49 | JANUARY 21, 2019 |
| TREY LEROUX | OT | N/A | No. 91 | MARCH 11, 2019 |
| LEJOND CAVAZOS | CB | No. 242 | No. 22 (S) | APRIL 12, 2019 |
| JULIAN FLEMING | WR | No. 3 | No. 1 | MAY 31, 2019 |
| JAKE SEIBERT | K | N/A | No. 2 | JUNE 4, 2019 |
| GRANT TOUTANT | OT | No. 388 | No. 30 | JUNE 9, 2019 |
| TY HAMILTON | DE | No. 735 | No. 35 (SDE) | JUNE 16, 2019 |
| CLARK PHILLIPS | CB | No. 45 | No. 4 | JUNE 21, 2019 |
| CODY SIMON | LB | No. 122 | No. 9 (OLB) | JUNE 29, 2019 |
| DARRION HENRY | DT | No. 169 | No. 17 | JUNE 29, 2019 |
| JOE ROYER | TE | No. 463 | No. 14 | JULY 2, 2019 |
| MITCHELL MELTON | LB | No. 667 | No. 43 (OLB) | JULY 3, 2019 |
| CAMERON MARTINEZ | ATH | No. 371 | No. 15 | JULY 4, 2019 |
| JOSH FRYAR | OL | No. 421 | No. 23 (OG) | JULY 4, 2019 |
| MOOKIE COOPER | WR | No. 77 | No. 14 | JULY 8, 2019 |
| LATHAN RANSOM | S | No. 75 | No. 4 | JULY 16, 2019 |
| KOURT WILLIAMS | LB | No. 162 | No. 12 | JULY 24, 2019 |
| JACOLBE COWAN | DE | No. 165 | No. 15 (DT) | OCTOBER 4, 2019 |
The Buckeyes (294.05) now trail only Clemson (304.22) and Alabama (298.47) among the national rankings as they look to try and polish off the class with four-star running back Kevontre Bradford and four-star defensive end Tyler Baron, each of whom are officially visiting Columbus this weekend.
