Jacolbe Cowan Has Always Been Ahead Of The Competition

Jacolbe Cowan‍ has always been bigger than kids his age, and it has led to him being one of the most coveted defensive ends in the country. 

The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder was the first prospect Notre Dame offered in the 2020 class and will be in South Bend on Monday with his mother. 

“He has a comical personality,” stated Rykesha Cowan. “He loves music and all genres. He’s always been athletic. He started playing soccer right before he turned three. He’s played basketball since he was four. He’s played travel basketball all his life and his most recent team was Team CP3. 

“He’s a sweet child. I’ve always called him a gentle giant. He has a totally different personality and demeanor – he transforms into a different individual once he hits the gridiron. He has the aggressiveness on the field, but that’s not what you see in a daily passing. He’s very sincere and lovable. He serves as a neutral party between a lot of his peers in a lot of situations.” 

In fact, Cowan’s mother had to have her son play up a few levels in youth sports to give him some competition and to make it fair for his peers. 

“I always made him play two age groups up in football and basketball when he was growing up," said Cowan. “It just wasn’t fair.”

Maturity is something Cowan might take for granted at times as her son got some awkward looks starting at a very young age. 

“I’m so used to it,” laughed Cowan. “He’s often mistaken for a lot older than he is. I used to joke with people because he’s always been a large child. He’s been way taller and twice the size of everyone since birth. When he was two, I would carry him around because he was a toddler, but his legs would be dangling in his stroller. 

“People would look at me like ‘Why is she carrying that five-year-old around?” He was two or three. They always thought he was older because he was so advanced. He started walking when he was seven months old. He was potty trained by the time he was 14 months old.”

Cowan’s maturity was the reason he ended up at Providence Day, a college preparatory school. The chance to challenge himself academically was a huge opportunity he couldn’t pass up.

“They have a great academic prestige. Jacolbe was never challenged in public school. He was in all honors classes and made straight A’s. His grades were always 99 or 100. 

“It was important for me to have him in an environment that was challenging for him.”

It’s not an easy process to get into Providence Day. There is a thorough admissions process to get accepted, and Cowan passed with flying colors. 

“They looked at his transcripts, and he had to take a placement test. If you get in there, you’re doing pretty good because it’s a process similar to applying to college. The curriculum is pretty much in a college layout.

“I’m glad he’s there because college will be easier for him. He won’t be uptight because it’s familiar to him because he’s been in that type of setting. When they graduate from Providence Day, they get a high school diploma as well as an international diploma.” 

Academics are an important factor to the Cowan family, and the chance to get an education at Notre Dame isn’t lost on them. They are aware of the academic prestige at Notre Dame, and it’s something they want to experience on Monday’s visit. 

“Academics are very important to me and first for me. He’s always known that and I’ve never had to stay on him about his grades. He’s always been more concerned about his academics than I’ve had to be concerned for him. 

“Academics will be a huge factor, and it will play a huge factor.” 

As the largest kid on the field, Cowan’s athletic talent stood out at an early age in all the sports he played. 

“He was three, and we would win every soccer game. He would score five goals, and we would win 7-2 or 5-0. He would score because he was so tall and his legs were so long. His mechanics were there so early, and he had fundamentals. 

“I really knew he had gotten the family athletic ability then. In basketball, he would bring the ball up the court, and he was the tallest and biggest player on the court. He could dribble, so he could play anywhere on the floor. 

While the signs were there early, Cowan’s natural ability in football stood out. 

“He was aggressive on the gridiron. We had to coach him to be aggressive on the basketball court because we knew he’d be a forward or center. He knew he could be aggressive on the football field and put his armor on. He unleashed the beast as I say. 

“At five, he always had slight differences compared to the other kids. He’s always played defensive end, and there were times teams wouldn’t score on us. I thought once he got to middle school he’d slow down because the competition was tougher, but he kept getting sacks. So when he got to high school, and he’s still averaging two or three sacks a game, I’m like ‘OK, this kid is a natural.’”