After it was revealed that Carson Rowland won’t be returning for season 5 of Netflix’s Sweet Magnolias, many fans are now convinced that he may be joining season 2 of Amazon Prime’s hit series Off Campus as Jake.
Sweet Magnolias showrunner Sheryl J. Anderson exclusively confirmed to Us Weekly that Rowland, who portrays Tyler “Ty” Townsend, made the “decision” to sit out on the upcoming season, which premieres on Thursday, June 11. After the announcement was made, several fans took to social media to speculate that his next project will be on Off Campus.
One fan shared a screenshot showing that Rowland, 28, follows Jalen Thomas Brooks and Antonio Cipriano on Instagram, which Us Weekly can confirm. The actors appeared on season 1 of Off Campus as hockey players John Tucker and John Logan, respectively.
The speculation continued when an Off Campus fan account pointed out that Brooks, 24, and Cipriano, 26, followed Rowland back. Additionally, the Sweet Magnolias alum also happens to follow fellow Off Campus star Stephen Kalyn, who appears on the show as Dean Di Laurentis.
The fan account wrote that the mutual followings are “sparking rumors about a possible appearance by [Rowland] in the series.”
Meanwhile, several fans have expressed hope that Rowland will play Jake Connelly in Off Campus. In the popular book series that inspired the show, written by Elle Kennedy, Jake is the star forward and captain of the Harvard hockey team.
“I hope that Carson Rowland, whom the Off Campus guys have been following, is Jake Connelly,” another social media user wrote.
One fan said that Rowland “looks just like Jake,” while another chimed in that Rowland being cast as Jake was her “first thought” and she won’t be “complaining” if the actor actually joins the show.
Despite the fan speculation, neither Rowland nor the creative team behind Off Campus has publicly commented on the casting rumors. Us has reached out to Rowland for comment.
At the end of season 4 of Sweet Magnolias, Ty was at a crossroads while deciding if he should tour the world with his bandmate Olivia (Tommi Rose) or stay close to Serenity amid his romance with Annie (Anneliese Judge). Ty and Annie ended the season at odds when he asked her to defer her dream college in California so that she could go on tour with him instead.
While many fans were hoping to see Ty and Annie’s relationship continue to bloom, Anderson insisted to Us that the show will continue to share meaningful stories amid Rowland’s absence.
“In his leaving, we wanted to make the best of the situation,” she said. “And look at what happens when people leave the people they love to chase a dream.”
