Clemson defensive tackles coach Dan Brooks and offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell stopped by Bolivar (Tenn.) High School on Saturday to check out a 2018 prospect with prominent pedigree in Woodrow Lowe III.
Lowe III, a 6-foot-3, 185-pound dual-threat quarterback, has strong football ties in his family.
His grandfather, Woodrow Lowe, is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. Lowe played linebacker at Alabama under Bear Bryant from 1972-75, when he was a three-time All-American who ended his career as the school’s all-time leading tackler with 315. Lowe went on to play in 164 NFL games with the San Diego Chargers across 11 seasons prior to serving as an assistant coach with the Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs and at the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
Lowe III’s father, Woodrow Lowe Jr., has been his head coach at Bolivar since 2014. Before moving to the high school ranks, Lowe Jr. was a graduate assistant offensive tackles coach at Alabama in 2013, and has also coached professionals in the XFL and Arena Football League.
So, it’s no surprise Brooks and Caldwell wanted to take a look at Lowe III.
“Their visit was good,” Lowe Jr. told The Clemson Insider. “Any time you have a school with their prestige that stops by, that’s big.”
Lowe III currently has offers from Memphis, Southern Miss and Alcorn State, and has commanded the attention of Alabama and Duke among other schools.
“He’s a big kid with a strong arm,” Lowe Jr. said. “He’s had a lot of coaches come through and look at him. He’s just a big-armed kid with big size.”
If Clemson offers, Lowe III is sure to be interested, in part because he notices shades of Deshaun Watson in himself.
“He loves Clemson,” Lowe Jr. said. “He loves what they’re doing with the quarterback now. They have a lot of similarities as far as size and what they can do athletically. So, when he sees their quarterback, he sees himself.”
Originally from Alabama, Lowe Jr. and his family are very familiar with Dabo Swinney, and know Clemson director of football administration Woody McCorvey personally.
“We’re from Alabama, so we know about Coach Swinney and his connections and all that,” Lowe Jr. said. “Coach McCorvey, my family knows him because we’re from Alabama, and I was a graduate assistant coach at the University of Alabama, so we know a lot of people.”
Lowe Jr. has learned a lot from his father and his own experience in football, and is able to impart advice to players at Bolivar involved in the recruiting process — especially his son.
“It’s a little different than it was when we were coming up through, but me being around football my entire life growing up in it, my son has had the same opportunity to be around it all his life,” Lowe Jr. said. “You just try to work on what you can control, and that’s just working every day — coming to work every day and not getting caught up in all the hype and stuff.
“That’s the advice that I give, not just to my son, but all the kids — you’ve just got to focus on what you can control.”
Lowe III runs a 4.7 40-yard dash, and also plays baseball at Bolivar.
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