Penn State fans are happy to have Chase Sowell, and they’re even happier after hearing that he could have made more money to go elsewhere.
Sowell’s father, Ronnie, posted to X Sunday evening that Sowell had multiple offers that would have paid more, and cited one in particular.
TURNING DOWN THE SWAMP
“Chase Sowell took less money from other schools, and turned down the UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA where his dad played and his mom won a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!!” Ronnie Sowell tweeted. “WHY??? MATT CAMPBELL and his STAFF!!! They are willing to SUPPORT their players when it’s good OR bad!!!! WE ARE!!! PENN STATE!!! I can’t lie. I was VERY UPSET at first, but I see God always has a BIGGER plan!!!”
Ronnie Sowell played baseball at Florida and Chase’s mother, Keisha, was a three-time All-American for the Gators in soccer, helping the team win a national title in 1998.
Chase Sowell is also joined by his brother, Hunter, who is a defensive back at Penn State.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.THE CAMPBELL EFFECT
The post didn’t specify whether Sowell turned down bigger offers to join coach Matt Campbell at Iowa State, where he played the 2025 season, or Penn State. But regardless, playing for Campbell at Iowa State is what led Sowell to Happy Valley, and he wasn’t the only one.
“I think the biggest statement about him is the fact that 24 players from Iowa State followed him,” Penn State play-by-play announcer Steve Jones told Nittany Sports Now’s Joe Smeltzer and Kyle Golik on the “Joe and the Fatman” podcast Monday, Sept. 14. “When you sit there and a guy leaves, now you are a free agent. You’re looking around. You can go anywhere you want, and you know darn well there is so much love for you out there in the transfer portal. Joe, you’re the greatest quarterback we’ve ever seen. You’re going to make a big Kyle. Like you didn’t get enough of a chance running the ball there, Kyle, with us. You’re going to get the ball twenty-five, thirty times. You’re going to be a star, Kyle. This is the portal. The fact is, twenty-four guys didn’t bother listening to other people. They followed him. That tells you everything about what they think about him and the program.”
Penn State opens the Big Ten season against Wisconsin Saturday, Sept. 26, at Beaver Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 on Peacock.
