2024 QB Recruit, West Virginia Native Atley Cowan Would Love to Represent State as Mountaineer

The history of WVU football is full of great college quarterbacks, but the best of the best to lead the Mountaineers haven’t been from West Virginia. Atley Cowan would love to change that.

Cowan, a class of 2024 recruit out of the Linsly School in Wheeling, West Virginia carries with him a label as being ranked the top quarterback prospect from the Mountain State. He talked with WVSN after his recent appearance at WVU football practice.

The 6-foot-2 and 191-pound Cowan truly believes his game would translate well into the current WVU system despite being more of a pro-style player than a dual-threat. He said what he witnessed from West Virginia at practice and what he’s heard from coaches is similar to what he’s running now in high school.

2024 WV Native, Linsly School Product QB Atley Cowan to Visit WVU Again

“When looking at the QB room now at WVU, I feel I would stack up well when it comes to measurements and size. Also, the offense they currently run is a offense similar to what I currently run at Linsly,” Cowan said. He then shared what head coach Neal Brown and assistant coach Jeff Koonz told him about if the possibility he could receive an offer from the Mountaineers exists.

“After talking with him (Koonz), we are potentially setting something up where he can come see me throw and get some video. Also, talked to Coach Brown and he was just welcoming me back and that he wants to see me throw in person as well,” Cowan said. Cowan also added that he’s developed a close relationship with Koonz.

Regardless if Cowan ever gets a chance to make history at WVU, his main focus is currently centered around working on his game and making his last high school season his best one yet. He even expressed some extra motivation to perform in 2023.

“A lot of people in the (Ohio) Valley think I lost all my threats at WR, O-line, and us just going 9-1 was a fluke, but I think my teammates and I are really down for the challenge of doing what nobody thinks we can. We have the hardest schedule in school history upcoming so I think my answer to that would definitely be, be better than last and go 10-0,” Cowan explained.

Cowan is now excited to prove his doubters wrong. And if he can achieve his goal for 2024, he will surely open the eyes of more major programs well beyond just West Virginia.

To this point, Cowan has been mostly communicating with MAC programs, some Ivy League schools and Maryland, in addition to WVU.

While landing an offer from WVU would be big for any player from West Virginia, it would be extra special for a quarterback to get an opportunity to wear the Old Gold and Blue and represent his home state. This is even true for a kid who grew up bleeding green as a Marshall fan.

But to no surprise, Cowan was in Huntington recently.