The Recruiting Guy

Lure of SEC fits with CB’s football aspirations

University of Arkansas cornerbacks coach Sam Carter offered an opportunity for cornerback Chase Lowery to play in the SEC when he recently extended a scholarship offer to him.

Like most high school prospects, Lowery has dreams of playing on Sundays.

“One of my long-term goals is eventually to play in the NFL. If you can play, you can make it, but in the SEC it’s an easier step because week in and week out you’re playing against NFL-caliber guys,” Lowery said. “People that have the potential to be a first-rounder.

“At Arkansas, you play against dogs every single week. You play against the best of the best week in and week out.”

Lowery, 6-0, 183 pounds, of Frisco, Texas, announced a top 11 of Arizona, Texas Tech, Iowa State, Washington State, Kansas, Memphis, Oregon State, Kansas State, Purdue, Houston and Hawaii on May 7. He also noted his recruitment still was open.

He and Carter communicated a couple of days before the offer, which Lowery didn’t expect.

“He said he liked my tape and asked for my dad’s information,” Lowery said. “I thought they were going to try and stay in contact, but the day after, coach Carter hit me and told me to call him that day. I did, and he got straight to the point and offered.”

Lowery and his parents know people who have attended Arkansas.

“One of the things I’m looking for in a college is somewhere they have a good atmosphere, not just on the the field but off the field, and from talking to them and hearing good things, that’s what their program is about,” Lowery said.

He had an outstanding junior season with 48 tackles, a tackle for loss, a forced fumble, 8 pass breakups and 4 interceptions while being named District 7-5A-II Overall MVP. He also had 34 receptions for 758 yards and 7 touchdowns, and scored 2 touchdowns on punt returns and 1 on a kickoff return.

National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming of CBS Sports Network is a fan of Lowery.

“Chase is a 3-star-plus prospect with good length and good all-around athletic ability,” Lemming said. “He has good size and runs well, excels in pass defense.”

Lowery, who also runs track and has recorded a 10.71 second split in the 400-meter relay, was contacted by Arkansas quarterback commitment Lucas Coley on Twitter.

“He hit me when I got the offer,” Lowery said. “He hit me and said if I had any questions, and also told me some things about the school.”

Lowery also has heard good things about the Razorbacks staff from a cousin of redshirt sophomore quarterback John Stephen Jones.

“They both said they loved the coaches, and they’re headed in the right direction,” Lowery said. “The coaches have your back. They won’t ask you to do something they wouldn’t do themselves.”

He and his father have been discussing a time to visit Arkansas, but any visit won’t come until the fall after recent news the NCAA extended the dead period to Aug. 31.

“We figured it would probably be after August, like September and October,” Lowery said. “Picking dates out for different schools and figuring out when we can go to some places. At least take my official if nothing else, and hopefully make a decision from that.”

His time frame for a college decision is also dependent on whether the NCAA lifts the ban on visits to schools. If not, he could decide before the start of his season.

“If there are visits, I’ll probably do it some time in October,” he said.