Palm Beach County’s top Class of 2017 football recruit drew national attention Thursday, earning a spot on the CBS MaxPreps Preseason All-American Football Team.
Palm Beach Gardens LB VanDarius Cowan was named a Defensive Large Schools All-American Thursday. (Post file photo)
Palm Beach Gardens senior VanDarius Cowan was one of five linebackers named a Defensive Large Schools All-American.
He joins Dylan Moses of IMG Academy; Drew Singleton of Paramus (N.J.) Catholic; Anthony Hines III of Plano (Texas) East; and Bruce Jordan-Swilling of Brother Martin in New Orleans.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Cowan, an Alabama commit, is ranked No. 1 on the Post’s Class of 2017 Big Board.
He also is the nation’s fifth-ranked outside linebacker, according to MaxPreps.
Cowan finished the 2015 season with 117 tackles and seven sacks, helping lead the Gators to the District 9-8A championship and a berth in the regional quarterfinals.
He was the only Palm Beach County athlete selected to participate in the 2016 Nike Football The Opening Finals Camp, which was held last week in Beaverton, Ore.
Here is the CBS MaxPreps Defensive Large Schools All-American Team, with local players highlighted in bold:
DL – Marvin Wilson, 6-5, 315, Episcopal (Bellaire, Texas)
DL – A.J. Epenesa, 6-3, 230, Edwardsville (Ill.)
DL – K’lavon Chaisson, 6-4, 220, North Shore (Houston, Texas)
DL — Chase Young, 6-5, 225, DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)
DL – Haskell Garrett, 6-2, 298, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)
LB – Dylan Moses, 6-3, 225, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
LB – Drew Singleton, 6-3, 215, Paramus Catholic (Paramus, N.J.)
LB – Anthony Hines III, 6-3, 222, Plano East (Plano, Texas)
LB – VanDarius Cowan, 6-4, 230, Palm Beach Gardens (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.)
LB – Bruce Jordan-Swilling, 6-0, 215, Brother Martin (New Orleans, La.)
DB – Jeffrey Okudah, 6-2, 190, South Grand Prairie (Grand Prairie, Texas)
DB – DeAngelo Gibbs, 6-2, 204, Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)
DB – Amir Riep, 6-1, 185, Colerain (Cincinnati, Ohio)
DB – Xavier Mckinney, 6-1, 185, Roswell (Roswell, Ga.)
DB – Isaiah Pryor, 6-2, 195, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
P – Pressley Harvin III, 6-0, 235, Sumter (S.C.)
AP – Shawn Robinson, 6-1, 213, DeSoto (De Soto, Texas)
AP – Avery Davis, 6-1, 195, Cedar Hill (Texas)
AP – Jamyest Williams, 5-9, 180, Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)
AP — Tua Tagovailoa, 6-1, 215, St. Louis (Honolulu, Hawaii)
AP – Ryan Jones, 6-3, 219, Mallard Creek (Charlotte, N.C.)
