2025 Football Roster
Jersey Number 9
Leon Lowery Jr.
- Position:
- OLB
- Class:
- Senior
- Height:
- 6-3
- Weight:
- 255
- Major:
- Recreation, Sport & Tourism
- Hometown:
- Elizabeth, N.J.
- High School:
- North Brunswick
- Prev School:
- Wisconsin
2025 Senior
- Academic All-Big Ten
- 11 games played with four starts
- 18 total tackles (10 solo) with 3.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, three quarterback hurries, and one fumble recovery on the season
- Tied for second on the team with 2.0 sacks during the regular season
- First Illini sack vs. Western Michigan (9/13/25) and added second the following week at #19 Indiana (9/20/25)
- Season-high four tackles in wins at Duke (9/6/25) and vs. Western Michigan (9/13/25)
- Signed with Illinois on Dec. 17, 2024
- Transferred to Illinois with one year of eligibility remaining
2024 Junior (Wisconsin)
- Played in all 12 games with 10 starts at outside linebacker
- Led all Wisconsin outside linebackers with 29 tackles
- 29 tackles, 1.0 sack, and four quarterback hurries on the season
- Season-high five tackles and 1.0 sack against #4 Alabama (9/14/24)
- Four tackles against Western Michigan (8/30/24) and USC (9/28/24)
2023 Sophomore (Syracuse)
- Started all 12 regular season games at linebacker
- Fourth on the team with 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks
- 46 tackles, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup on the season
- Five tackles and a fumble recovery in the win at Purdue (9/16/23)
- Career-high two sacks, adding 2.5 tackles for loss, a pass breakup and three tackles vs. Clemson (9/30/23)
- Third-straight game with at least a half sack against North Carolina (10/7/23)
- Career-high eight tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss at Georgia Tech (11/18/23)
2022 Redshirt Freshman (Syracuse)
- Played in 13 games with two starts at linebacker
- 24 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks on the season
- First collegiate sack against Virginia (9/23/22)
- Season-high seven tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss against Wagner (10/1/22)
- Two solo tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss against NC State (10/15/22)
- Three tackles against Clemson (10/22/22)
- Five tackles and 0.5 sack at Wake Forest (11/19/22)
- Six tackles in his first collegiate start against Boston College (11/26/22)
2021 Redshirt Freshman (Syracuse)
- Played in two games and redshirted the season
- Two tackles on the season
- Member of the SU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll in the fall semester.
2020 Freshman (Syracuse)
- Played in three games
- Three tackles in his collegiate debut vs. Duke (10/10/20)
- Two tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss against NC State (11/28/20)
High School
- No. 73 weakside defensive end in the Class of 2020 and the No. 33 player in New Jersey by the 247Sports composite index
- Played for head coach Michael Cipot at North Brunswick
- PrepStar All-East Region selection
- 2019 USA Today Network All-New Jersey First Team
- 2019 NJ.com All-State Second Team
- 2019 NJ.com All-Group 5 First Team
- 2019 Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) Defensive Player of the Year
- 2019 Home News Tribune All-GMC First Team
- Totaled 95 tackles and 26.0 sacks over his final two prep seasons, including 47 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss and 13.0 sacks as a senior captain
- Led a North Brunswick defense that allowed 15.2 points per game, as the Raiders went 9-2 overall and 4-0 in conference play to claim the 2019 Greater Middlesex White Division title
- Also caught two touchdowns passes and was North Brunswick’s second-leading receiver
- Played his freshman season at Moore Catholic High School on Staten Island (N.Y.)
Personal
- Son of Leon Lowery Sr. and Fatimah James
- Has six siblings
- Graduated from the University of Wisconsin in May 2024 with a degree in human development & family studies
- Majoring in recreation, sport, & tourism (Master's)
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