Former Ohio State Buckeyes defensive lineman Jacolbe Cowan commits to North Carolina
Just over a week after hitting the NCAA transfer portal, former Ohio State Buckeyes defensive lineman Jacolbe Cowan has his new home. His new home also happens to be his old home as he heads back to Charlotte to play for the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Cowan announced the news on Twitter, sharing, “There’s no place like HOME!!!”
The 2020 signee opted to enter the transfer portal following spring practices in Columbus. Cowan, a Charlotte, North Carolina, native, was one of 10 Buckeyes who missed all 15 practices during the offseason.
In two years with the program, the 6-foot-4, 272-pound defensive tackle accumulated three tackles in three games played, all during the 2021 season.
He had one tackle in each game versus Michigan State, Indiana and Maryland. After getting a free year from the NCAA for 2020, Cowan has several years of eligibility left.
Jacolbe Cowan committed to Ryan Day and Ohio State in 2019 over offers from 37 other D-I programs. He was a standout player at Providence Day School, accumulating 57 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, 37 quarterback hurries and three forced fumbles as a senior.
Since this is his first transfer, Cowan is immediately eligible to contribute to Mack Brown’s Tar Heels in 2022.
Cowan joins Lejond Cavazos in move from Columbus to Charlotte
North Carolina picked up another Buckeye this week – Lejond Cavazos. It was a major win for head coach Mack Brown after nearly 55 schools reached out to the defensive back.
Cavazos took an official visit to Chapel Hill over the weekend. Colorado also got him on campus and was viewed as the biggest competitor going up against North Carolina. He was seen with basketball star Armando Bacot during the visit, with the center trying to help out the football program. His now fellow defensive back Tony Grimes was there as well, with Brown hoping the two can make huge contributions within the secondary this season.
Coming out of high school, Cavazos was a four-star prospect according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting services. He ranked as the No. 362 overall player in the 2020 recruiting class and No. 55 within his home state of Florida after attending IMG Academy.
Cavazos played in 12 games during his time in Columbus, with 11 of them coming during the 2021 season. The defensive back was not able to gain a start but contributed eight tackles throughout the year. He also defended two passes, with one coming against the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Michigan State Spartans.
On3’s Griffin McVeigh contributed to this report.