Top Penn State running back target gets special treatment from Saquon Barkley amid heated recruiting battle
The Penn State Nittany Lions have an uphill battle to pluck a top playmaker recruit from the Auburn Tigers, but they're hoping their most famous alumni's involvement will help. 2027 4-star running back is from Birmingham, Alabama, and is projected to commit to nearby Auburn. But Saquon Barkley's involvement could tip the scales. Barkley, fresh […]
The Penn State Nittany Lions have an uphill battle to pluck a top playmaker recruit from the Auburn Tigers, but they're hoping their most famous alumni's involvement will help. 2027 4-star running back is from Birmingham, Alabama, and is projected to commit to nearby Auburn. But Saquon Barkley's involvement could tip the scales.
Barkley, fresh off winning Super Bowl 59 and breaking the NFL's all-time single-season total rushing yards record, reached out to Cowley. Cowley, the running back MVP of the Under Armour All-American game in Atlanta recently, was extraordinarily excited to get an offer from the former No. 2 overall pick.
"I actually talked to Saquon Barkley a few times about Penn State," Cowley said. "It was great, I'm not gonna lie I was a fanboy talking to one of the best running backs in the world. A Super Bowl running back.
"Saquon was just like if I go to Penn State, he'll deliver 26 for me — the number. I didn't believe it! The coach says he's not lying. It's one of the coolest moments in my life."
Penn State isn't the only powerhouse involved in the race for Cowley. The speedster said Oregon's Tez Johnson also reached out to him, and the Ducks are lurking.
"I got my Oregon offer, and immediately after, someone hit my phone," he said. "They think I'll be a great fit in that running back and wide receiver room. I FaceTimed with Tez Johnson, who started at Troy before going to Oregon.
"It just shows me how you can work to reach the point you want to be at."
Will any of it matter? It probably depends on whether Hugh Freeze stays at Auburn. He needs on-field results in 2025 after bringing in an incredible recruiting class this offseason. He's dominating in-state recruiting, but winning is the only way to maintain that.
