From the 206 to the Big Ten: Jacob Cofie’s Journey to Becoming a Trojan
July 31, 2025 | Men's Basketball
The Seattle native and Virginia transfer is ready to make his mark in Los Angeles under Coach Eric Musselman.
Before he became one of the nation's top basketball prospects, Jacob Cofie was just a kid learning the game at his local YMCA in Seattle — with his mom as his first coach.
"The mom that signs up is the mom that ends up being the coach, so that was her," Cofie laughed. "She never played basketball, she played soccer." Still, his mom Shawna helped pique her son's interest in the game, even using him as the example for his teammates with drills.
In seventh grade, Jacob stood at a crossroads — torn between two sports, two passions and one big decision. Football had once been a part of his identity, but something shifted that year. By eighth grade, he had locked in on basketball, leaving the gridiron behind for good and committing fully to the hardwood.
"There was a lot of kids better than me when I was younger," he said. "I loved the sport so much that I never wanted to not be the best. That's what made me stop playing football, I wanted to be the best and knew that meant focusing on one sport only."
Like many young athletes, Cofie experienced a major transformation between eighth grade and his freshman year — and his decision to fully commit to basketball, quickly began to pay off.
"I had a fast development from eighth grade to freshman year, so nobody really knew where I was going to stand," he recalls. "I became one of the best players in the state and one of the best on my high school team as a freshman. Nobody expected that from me, so I just sorta popped up out of nowhere." His first season he'd ultimately earn a spot on the varsity squad.
Playing under Brent Merritt at Eastside Catholic School, Cofie quickly realized he wanted basketball to be his future. "My coach instilled it in my brain that I had to be the best player on my team and lead. Not many coaches tell a freshman that." Those following three seasons, Jacob did just that.
As a senior at ECS (2023-24), Cofie averaged 21.9 points, 12.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game as he led the Crusaders to their first-ever Class 3A Washington State Championship.
That same season, Cofie was named the Washington Gatorade Player of the Year — a recognition that came with both pride and pressure.
"Being named Gatorade Player of the Year and being someone that people looked up to in the Seattle area definitely added pressure," Cofie said. "It felt like, no matter what, I had to be an impact player in college."
Cofie ultimately chose to start his collegiate career at Virginia — drawn in by the Cavaliers' late but persistent recruitment.
"Even though they came in late, they made it a priority to recruit me hard," Cofie said.
Just two weeks before his freshman season began, longtime head coach Tony Bennett announced his retirement — throwing Cofie into unexpected territory.
"I didn't know what to expect from college after that," he admitted. Still, his time at Virginia proved valuable in shaping his approach to the game.
"They helped me become more grounded as a player," Cofie said. "I had to really lock in on the little things. Going there as a freshman made me a more disciplined player — and now, I feel like I'm ready to succeed at the next level."
After a season at Virginia, Cofie is now at USC, ready to shine under head coach Eric Musselman.
"I feel like I wasn't able to showcase my full talent with that type of play," Cofie said of his first season at UVA. "Now though, I can unlock that with Coach Muss."
Reunited with USC assistant coach Will Conroy, a staffer that had once pursued him as a prep standout, Cofie finally feels like he's where he belongs.
"I knew Will wouldn't recruit me if he didn't think this was the place for me," Cofie says of Conroy, who played a key role in the Trojans' recruitment.
Back on the West Coast and reunited with a coach he's long respected, the forward is excited for what the Trojans can accomplish this season.
With an almost entirely revamped roster, Cofie believes this season's squad has the potential to exceed expectations and surprise USC Hoops fans.
"On paper, we're really good," said Cofie. "If we can put the pieces together, I think we can have something really special."
The sophomore credits Coach Muss and his staff for identifying an array of talent and assembling a strong roster.
"We have everything we need so far," said the sophomore. "Coach Muss and his staff did their job building a roster with the right pieces, but now it's just on us to be a really good team that can win games and make the tournament."
When asked to describe his individual playing style, he replied "I'm a very versatile player that does literally a bit of everything. You're going to get a little bit of every part of the game out of me. Some passing, shooting, rebounding and overall playmaking."
His inspiration? NBA stars who bring the full package. "I'd say Anthony Davis and Paolo Banchero," Cofie says.
Early in his development, it was his high school coach who planted the seeds of greatness — not through praise, but through challenge.
"Coach Brent put it in my head early that to be great at this game, you need to be a good leader and be coachable," Cofie says.
Now at USC, Jacob Cofie is focused on taking his game to the next level — blending discipline with opportunity in a system that suits his skill set.
"I want to take more threes and shoot them at a high percentage," Cofie said. "I just want to be more of an impactful player on the offensive side and still keep my high defensive awareness."
That growth hasn't gone unnoticed. CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein recently stopped by one of USC's summer practices and came away impressed.
"Virginia transfer Jacob Cofie is shining here at USC," Rothstein noted. "Tremendous instincts and reads defensively." He went on to call the sophomore "an under-the-radar transfer in the Big Ten" — a label that may not last much longer if Cofie delivers on his high two-way potential.
This season, Cofie will proudly represent his hometown every time he steps on the court, donning the No. 6 jersey in reference to Seattle's 206 area code.
"Coach Conroy actually helped me decide on number six," said Jacob. "We thought it would be cool if I paid tribute to my hometown, the 206."
At just 19 years old, Cofie admits his age often catches people off guard. "I think people are always surprised I'm as young as I am," he said with a grin.
He couldn't resist teasing one of his newest teammates. "Even Jerry [Easter II] is older than me, and he's a freshman," Cofie joked.
It's that mix of youth, humility, and confidence that defines Cofie — a player still growing but firmly grounded in where he's come from.
His journey may have started with his mom running drills at the Y, but today, Jacob Cofie is ready for the big stage. From eighth-grade dreams to the bright lights of the Galen Center, Jacob Cofie's path hasn't been linear — but it's been his.
And now, he's read to show the world he's really capable of.
"The mom that signs up is the mom that ends up being the coach, so that was her," Cofie laughed. "She never played basketball, she played soccer." Still, his mom Shawna helped pique her son's interest in the game, even using him as the example for his teammates with drills.
In seventh grade, Jacob stood at a crossroads — torn between two sports, two passions and one big decision. Football had once been a part of his identity, but something shifted that year. By eighth grade, he had locked in on basketball, leaving the gridiron behind for good and committing fully to the hardwood.
"There was a lot of kids better than me when I was younger," he said. "I loved the sport so much that I never wanted to not be the best. That's what made me stop playing football, I wanted to be the best and knew that meant focusing on one sport only."
Like many young athletes, Cofie experienced a major transformation between eighth grade and his freshman year — and his decision to fully commit to basketball, quickly began to pay off.
"I had a fast development from eighth grade to freshman year, so nobody really knew where I was going to stand," he recalls. "I became one of the best players in the state and one of the best on my high school team as a freshman. Nobody expected that from me, so I just sorta popped up out of nowhere." His first season he'd ultimately earn a spot on the varsity squad.
Playing under Brent Merritt at Eastside Catholic School, Cofie quickly realized he wanted basketball to be his future. "My coach instilled it in my brain that I had to be the best player on my team and lead. Not many coaches tell a freshman that." Those following three seasons, Jacob did just that.
As a senior at ECS (2023-24), Cofie averaged 21.9 points, 12.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game as he led the Crusaders to their first-ever Class 3A Washington State Championship.
That same season, Cofie was named the Washington Gatorade Player of the Year — a recognition that came with both pride and pressure.
"Being named Gatorade Player of the Year and being someone that people looked up to in the Seattle area definitely added pressure," Cofie said. "It felt like, no matter what, I had to be an impact player in college."
Cofie ultimately chose to start his collegiate career at Virginia — drawn in by the Cavaliers' late but persistent recruitment.
"Even though they came in late, they made it a priority to recruit me hard," Cofie said.
Just two weeks before his freshman season began, longtime head coach Tony Bennett announced his retirement — throwing Cofie into unexpected territory.
"I didn't know what to expect from college after that," he admitted. Still, his time at Virginia proved valuable in shaping his approach to the game.
"They helped me become more grounded as a player," Cofie said. "I had to really lock in on the little things. Going there as a freshman made me a more disciplined player — and now, I feel like I'm ready to succeed at the next level."
After a season at Virginia, Cofie is now at USC, ready to shine under head coach Eric Musselman.
"I feel like I wasn't able to showcase my full talent with that type of play," Cofie said of his first season at UVA. "Now though, I can unlock that with Coach Muss."
Reunited with USC assistant coach Will Conroy, a staffer that had once pursued him as a prep standout, Cofie finally feels like he's where he belongs.
"I knew Will wouldn't recruit me if he didn't think this was the place for me," Cofie says of Conroy, who played a key role in the Trojans' recruitment.
Back on the West Coast and reunited with a coach he's long respected, the forward is excited for what the Trojans can accomplish this season.
With an almost entirely revamped roster, Cofie believes this season's squad has the potential to exceed expectations and surprise USC Hoops fans.
"On paper, we're really good," said Cofie. "If we can put the pieces together, I think we can have something really special."
The sophomore credits Coach Muss and his staff for identifying an array of talent and assembling a strong roster.
"We have everything we need so far," said the sophomore. "Coach Muss and his staff did their job building a roster with the right pieces, but now it's just on us to be a really good team that can win games and make the tournament."
When asked to describe his individual playing style, he replied "I'm a very versatile player that does literally a bit of everything. You're going to get a little bit of every part of the game out of me. Some passing, shooting, rebounding and overall playmaking."
His inspiration? NBA stars who bring the full package. "I'd say Anthony Davis and Paolo Banchero," Cofie says.
Early in his development, it was his high school coach who planted the seeds of greatness — not through praise, but through challenge.
"Coach Brent put it in my head early that to be great at this game, you need to be a good leader and be coachable," Cofie says.
Now at USC, Jacob Cofie is focused on taking his game to the next level — blending discipline with opportunity in a system that suits his skill set.
"I want to take more threes and shoot them at a high percentage," Cofie said. "I just want to be more of an impactful player on the offensive side and still keep my high defensive awareness."
That growth hasn't gone unnoticed. CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein recently stopped by one of USC's summer practices and came away impressed.
"Virginia transfer Jacob Cofie is shining here at USC," Rothstein noted. "Tremendous instincts and reads defensively." He went on to call the sophomore "an under-the-radar transfer in the Big Ten" — a label that may not last much longer if Cofie delivers on his high two-way potential.
This season, Cofie will proudly represent his hometown every time he steps on the court, donning the No. 6 jersey in reference to Seattle's 206 area code.
"Coach Conroy actually helped me decide on number six," said Jacob. "We thought it would be cool if I paid tribute to my hometown, the 206."
At just 19 years old, Cofie admits his age often catches people off guard. "I think people are always surprised I'm as young as I am," he said with a grin.
He couldn't resist teasing one of his newest teammates. "Even Jerry [Easter II] is older than me, and he's a freshman," Cofie joked.
It's that mix of youth, humility, and confidence that defines Cofie — a player still growing but firmly grounded in where he's come from.
His journey may have started with his mom running drills at the Y, but today, Jacob Cofie is ready for the big stage. From eighth-grade dreams to the bright lights of the Galen Center, Jacob Cofie's path hasn't been linear — but it's been his.
And now, he's read to show the world he's really capable of.
Players Mentioned
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