USC football is 'definitely under consideration' for 4-star defensive lineman prospect Jason Dowell

Dowell, who stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs 275 pounds, is rated as the No. 286 player nationally by the 247Sports.com composite

Throughout the recruiting process, 2025 Cahokia (East Saint Louis, Ill.) defensive lineman Jason Dowell is staying grounded.

His main goal right now is to have fun and continue just being a kid. 

"At the end of the day, people like to make this more than it is," the four-star prospect told SI All Trojans. "Until you get to college, you're in high school and this is where you're supposed to have fun. Don't ruin the game for yourself."

Dowell, who stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs 275 pounds, is rated as the No. 286 player nationally by the 247Sports.com composite. He received an offer from USC earlier this month and he remembers it well. 

"When I heard from my coach about the offer from Coach Manning, it was pretty crazy and pretty eye-opening because USC, that's a real big thing," he said. "Getting an offer from them was pretty wild. I definitely will put them under consideration."

It's still very early in the recruiting process for Dowell, but he's already identified what he wants from a program at the next level.

"I'm looking for a school that will not only develop me as a football player, but also as a man in general," he said. "Academics are certainly very important. No matter how far away it is, as long as the school feels like home, that's important. I want to be comfortable there, comfortable with the coaches and comfortable with the team."

Dowell also wrestles and plays baseball at Cahokia. On the mat as a sophomore, Dowell went 41-10 and placed third in the state in the 285-pound weight class. On the diamond, he's a versatile utility player who has experience at all three outfield spots, first base and third base.

"Being a multi-sport athlete is very important to me," Dowell said. "In high school I really like it because I'm always busy and I'm always doing something I love and having fun. It also helps me stay in shape regardless of what season it is. That's what I like. Being able to play two sports in college, that's pretty amazing to me. If I ever could, I would definitely take the opportunity. It would be a lot on me, but I can handle a little pressure."

Although the USC offer was a big one and will be "under consideration," there are four main schools the Trojans will have to fend off with Dowell, he admitted.

"The three schools that offered me and it was crazy when I got an offer from them, it was Iowa, Missouri and Illinois," he said. "Those were my first three, schools that were always close to me and I could watch them on TV. Oregon too. When them four offered me, it was really crazy."

Like his approach to high school, Dowell is staying focused but also loose in regards to his recruitment over the next few months. 

"I might be visiting some schools this summer, but at the end of the day, I just want to be a kid," he said. "I want to have fun. The whole recruiting process is crazy and right now, I just want to live my life a little bit. I still want to go to the church events I want to go to, go to my baseball games and just be a kid. Don't get me wrong, there are some visits I might be going on, but I'm just trying to soak it all in."

So what type of football player will the program who lands Dowell end up getting? 

"I'm disciplined, but very energetic," he said. "I'm passionate about the game and I just like to have fun."