Four-star West Coast power forward Cofie gains Tony Bennett offer

By Jerry Ratcliffe

One of the most sought-after players by Pac-12 teams for the recruiting class of 2024 has been offered by Virginia.

Jacob Cofie, a 6-foot-9, 225-pound power forward from Sammamish, Washington, announced on his Twitter account Monday night that he had been offered by UVA’s Tony Bennett. Cofie also holds offers from Oregon, USC, Washington, Washington State, Ohio State, UNLV and Colorado.

An elite, face-up four man, Cofie has been impressive on the EYBL Circuit, where Virginia recently evaluated the big man.

A consensus 4-star, Cofie is rated among the top 20 power forwards in the country by ESPN and Rivals, and in the top 30 by On3 and 247Sports. Most of the recruiting services have rated him among the top 100 prospects at any position nationally for his class, with ESPN ranking him at No. 73. He is considered among the top two prospects in his home state of Washington.

The big man has already made two official visits — one to Oregon last February for the Ducks’ game against UCLA, and in September of 2022 to Washington. He said he plans to visit USC and possibly Gonzaga.

After a great conversation with Coach Bennett, I am extremely blessed to receive an offer from the University of Virginia. #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/WlGoI9gJQ6

— Jacob Cofie (@cofie_jacob) July 10, 2023

In a July 4 win over Pro Skills in EYBL play, Cofie had 14 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks, while shooting 58 percent from the field.

He plays for Seattle Rotary in the EYBL and for Eastside Catholic during his high school seasons.

“It is very encouraging to see that my hard work is getting noticed locally and nationally,” Cofie told RayJaun Stelly of The Seattle Medium. “It only pushes me to get better to be the best I can be. I do my best to stay focused since it’s only the beginning. Keeping up with my schoolwork, practice and games leaves little time to get distracted.”

His coming-out party came a year ago in a Phoenix high school tournament, when he dominated other ranked players in the competition throughout the tournament in front of college coaches.

“I think I have definitely established myself as one of the top ‘bigs’ because I’m mobile for my height, can hit jump shots and I can push the ball up the court if needed,” Cofie said.

He is shopping for a school where he can get a great education in a diverse environment.