For Chase Sowell, the goal has always been to be the best version of yourself you can possibly be. However, when the odds are stacked against you, that means you have to work that extra bit harder to even be noticed. That is what makes Chase Sowell's college football ascension so important to how Penn State will look for the rest of the season as they contend with several key offensive issues.
Sowell grew up in the footballing state of Texas, where everyone has to play big to get recognized. he certainly did so his senior season, where he had over 1,300 yards and 16 touchdowns. Still, no one really gave him much thought as a three-star recruit, and because of that, he had only one scholarship offer: the University of Colorado. Before Deion Sanders,
Sowell could have been given the chance to be a key weapon for the Buffaloes. However, he only had 2 catches for 23 yards in his lone season with the team. Thus began his circuitous journey through the college football landscape.
He transferred to East Carolina in 2023, where he immediately saw an uptick in form. He led the team in receptions and yards with 622. Still, for an encore, he went even better with 34 catches for 678 yards with second-team All-ACC honors to boot. Still, he wanted even more for himself and foundIowa State to be his next stop on his college football tour. That is where his true potential shone when in his lone season with the Cyclones, he had 500 receiving yards and was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.
Now though, the stakes are higher as the Nittany Lions are the final stop on his college football journey with a ton more expectations. In order for Sowell to succeed, he needs to become a much more pivotal threat in the receiving game. Especially now that Koby Howard is out for the foreseeable future, he needs to be that journeyman receiver who provides for his team wherever he ends up. You could say that his whole football journey depends on it.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State WR Chase Sowell has had quite the journey
