Brighton High football star Lawrence Cowan made the toughest choice of his life earlier this week.
And now that it's behind him, both he and the BYU coaching staff are thrilled.Cowan, considered by many to be this year's top prep football recruit in Utah and one of the best linebackers in the West, put an end to his difficult college recruiting dilemma by picking BYU over Utah.
Though recruited heavily by the likes of Nebraska, Washington, Stanford, Colorado and Arizona, Cowan's decision came down to the two Mountain West Conference rivals.
"I wanted to stay close to home, and in the end it just felt right down there," said Cowan, who'll begin his senior season with the Bengals at the new Riverton High tonight. "But I like both BYU and Utah, so it was very hard choosing between the two."
Cowan struggled for a while with his decision because his father, Dan Cowan, is a former Utah basketball player, and even more because he has great admiration for Ute coach Ron McBride.
"It was a hard, hard choice for him," said his father, adding that he completely supports his pick. "He thinks in his heart he made the right choice. And I think they feel he can be a big-time contributor."
Dan Cowan, who's the athletic director at West Jordan, urged his son to make his choice as quickly as possible so he could enjoy his senior season and have fun. And Lawrence is relieved he followed his dad's advice.
"It feels good just to get the pressure off," he said. "Now I don't have to worry about who's watching me play at every game."
In Cowan, the Cougars are getting a complete-package player who'll line up as an outside linebacker. He's a solid 6-foot-4, 215-pounder and has excellent footwork thanks in part to his basketball career. His time in the 40-yard dash is about 4.6.
"I was impressed because they told me they had a specific position they're looking for me to play," said Cowan, who was recruited by BYU coaches Robbie Bosco, Ken Schmidt and LaVell Edwards. "I like how they said, 'We've got a spot for you.' Of course, I'll have to earn my spot, but I plan to do that."
Cowan is the second Utah prep standout to make an early commitment to BYU. Adam Nelson, a speedy defensive back from Orem High, will follow in his older brother Tyler's footsteps and play for the Cougars.