Nation's No. 3 center commits to North Carolina State; Wolfpack land son of NFL'er

Andrew Nemec | Jul 18, 2024

Isaac Sowells Jr. on his visit to North Carolina State / Courtesy of Isaac Sowells Jr.

Louisville Male (Kentucky) interior offensive lineman Isaac Sowells Jr. is the son of a former 4th round NFL draft pick.

But he's quick to point out his mother is on the shorter side.

Somehow he inherited the 6-foot-10 wingspan, but finds himself just shy of 6-foot-2.

"If my mom wasn't 5-foot-4, I'd probably be a tackle right now," Sowells joked.

That combination of size and length, however, makes him ESPN's No. 3 center in the class of 2025 and one of the nation's most coveted true center prospect.

On Thursday, Sowells announced his commitment to North Carolina State over fellow finalists Kentucky and South Carolina, as well as offers from Louisville and Miami.

He explained that decision in detail.

"There were three things," Sowells said. "One, the coaching staff. They offered me August 20th of last year. Coach Garett Tujague texted me every single day checking in on me and sending me motivational quotes. He was the only coach out of all my visits who had new cut-ups of my film on every single visit comparing to his guys and how he could fix it. It wasn't always what I was good at. It was how I could get better and go a long way. Coach (Dave) Doeren... there were a lot of head coaches that I never talked to. Coach Doeren made it known I was wanted. He showed me how much I mean to his program."

"Two, throughout the process NIL comes up. For some recruits, the focus is in that space. Of course they are taking care of me, but they didn't try to buy my love. They had a contract laid out for me once I get there. It wasn't about offering me money just to go there... or these cars or anything. They just kept it real with me."

"Three is the commits that they have. They really made it feel like home. I'm going away from home, so it's nice to meet guys who I know I'm comfortable hanging out with. It's good to know I click with them and the guys in the O-line room."

Despite the distance, Sowells said his family was on the same page that North Carolina State was the right choice.

"We had some pretty deep talks," he said. "I'm my dad's first-born son. I'm Junior. We've done everything together since I was a baby - with him being my coach throughout the years. I knew it was hard on him, but when he looked at the bigger picture he was happy with it. Same with my mom and my little brother, K.J. I felt a lot of backing from my family."

Of note, K.J. is a potential class of 2030 recruit.

"He's not an offensive lineman like us and plays running back/linebacker, so we've got to find his position," Sowells said.

The Kentucky product intends to graduate in December and enroll at N.C. State in January.

Here's what 247Sports had to say about Sowells as a prospect:

"One of the more pure center projections in the entire 2025 cycle. Has measured under 6-foot-2, but pushing 300 pounds and equipped with very favorable features for a trench player: 35-inch arms to go along with big 10.75-inch hands. Could best be described as a knockdown machine at the prep level that packs a powerful punch. Still working on body control and balance, but has the feet to climb and pull before finishing with authority. Spent part of junior season snapping the ball, but was also deployed as a right tackle and could ultimately settle in as a guard on Saturdays. Should be viewed as a potential multi-year starter for a Power Four program. Could fit into a variety of different schemes."