UTEP’s Jacob Cowing gets numerous ‘Power 5’ school offers after entering transfer portal

UPDATE, Dec. 23: UTEP's star wide receiver Jacob Cowing said Thursday that he had received eight offers after announcing earlier this week that he was entering the transfer portal, surprising Miner fans who were expecting him to return for next season.

Of those eight offers, seven were from "Power 5" conference schools.

The Chandler, Arizona native indicated that both Arizona and Arizona State in the Pac-12 were among those who extended offers.

Other schools that Cowing said had extended offers included Oregon of the Pac-12; LSU, Mississippi State and South Carolina of the SEC, and Virginia Tech of the ACC. He also said he received an offer from Liberty University, which is moving into Conference USA alongside UTEP.

Cowing tweeted that he was "blessed" to receive all the offers, but didn't indicate if there was one he was leaning towards accepting.

ORIGINAL REPORT, Dec. 21: EL PASO, Texas -- UTEP's star wide receiver Jacob Cowing announced Tuesday that he is entering the transfer portal. It's a blow to the Miners' football program as he was expected to return next year following this season's bowl appearance.

"Dear Miner Nation, I just want to start off by saying I appreciate the love and support from all the fans," Cowing said in a message posted on social media.

"I want to say thank you to Coach (Dana) Dimel and the coaching staff for believing in me and pushing me hard everyday. With that I’m entering the portal for my last two years," he concluded.

Cowing is considered to be one of the most productive wide receivers in college football this season with 1,367 receiving yards, which ranks him 7th nationally, and eight touchdowns.