There is a small town just outside Phoenix, Arizona that is home to two of the greatest BYU quarterbacks of all-time, Ty Detmer and Max Hall. Those two QBs teamed up in 2021 to coach at American Leadership Academy, a 7-12 grade charter school.
And they have had a lot of success, going 9-2 in each of their first two seasons.
The quarterback they chose to lead them this year also has a BYU connection. Drew Cowart is the son of Jeff Cowart, a BYU defensive lineman from 2000-2001. Last night Cowart became the newest recruit to commit to play for BYU football (Class of 2023), accepting a preferred walk-on offer.
Committed 🔵⚪️🤙🏼 pic.twitter.com/N53FeVgr5M
— Drew Cowart (@drew_cowart) January 30, 2023
Cowart is a 6-foot-2 190-pound quarterback that as a senior he threw 176-for-309 (.570) for 2446 yards and 35 touchdowns to just five interceptions. He rushed 44 times for 96 yards and a score, caught one eight-yard touchdown pass, and had a QB rating of 113.5 (MaxPreps).
In three seasons at ALA, Cowart went 244-for-425 (.574) for 3293 yards and 41 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. He rushed 83 times for 221 yards and a touchdown, caught one pass for an eight-yard touchdown, and even punted five times for 181 yards (36.2 avg).
Cowart is rated 2-stars by 247Sports (77), who rate him the no. 58 overall prospect from Arizona in the Class of 2023. He has a scholarship offer from Middle Tennessee State, and has seen recruiting interest from San Jose State, Yale, and received a preferred walk-on offer from Utah. He joins the Cougs as a preferred walk on.
I caught up with Cowart to ask him about his recruiting.
BYU Insider: Why did you choose BYU?
Cowart: You know what you are getting at BYU! They don’t try to pretend to be what they are not and I love that about them. I have built a great relationship with Arod and Coach Sitake and have always wanted to play for them. Plus, my dad played at BYU and my coaches were BYU all-time great QBs.
BYU Insider: What other schools were showing you love in the recruiting process?
Cowart: Utah was showing me a lot of love during the recruiting process and made it a hard decision.
BYU Insider: What are some of your favorites?
Cowart: My favorite movies are When The Game Stands Tall, and Radio. I love country music and the band Skeggs.
BYU Insider: What are some of your recent accomplishments?
Cowart: Being 1st team all-region this year and taking my school to the open division for playoffs, which was ranked in the top 5 hardest playoffs in the country this year. I am also an eagle scout in boy scouts which is a pretty big accomplishment.
BYU Insider: What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Cowart: “Never let anyone out work you.”
BYU Insider: Who is a current player that you seek to emulate on the field?
Cowart: Justin Herbert is who I try to emulate the most. We play very similar games. Have strong arms and can make plays with our arm or with our legs if we need to.
