Brock Bowers was the best tight end in college football in at least the last decade. Not only did he produce 2,538 receiving yards in his career, but he was a key weapon in Georgia’s back-to-back national championships. John Mackey Award, First Team All-American, SEC Freshman of the year, there was no major accolade that Bowers didn’t win. You must be wondering why the nostalgia? Because, in the 2026 class, we might be getting a Brock Bowers 2.0 in five-star tight end Mark Bowman. And due to that hype, his recruitment is shaping up to be a full-fledged battle.

Standing at 6’4 and 230 lbs, Bowers is the product of Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California, which is known for producing top footballing talent. As the first-ranked tight end in the country, Bowman has already received more than 35 offers, with Oregon and Texas leading. The Longhorns even hosted the player in March, where he had nothing but praise for Steve Sarkisian’s staff and the job they were doing.

“We really appreciate the amount of effort, it’s impressive. We had a really good time, enjoyed watching practice, kind of seeing how the tight ends are used in the offense,” said Bowman about Texas’s practice games. The TE also had praise for the coaching staff at Texas. “Watching all the young tight ends, it was good to see them in action. Definitely being in Austin and the coaching staff stands out. That’s a big part for me.” Dan Lanning also hosted the tight end last year and extended his offer. Even ON3’s Chad Simmons earlier this year reported Oregon being at the front. “Oregon may hold a slight edge heading into the spring.” But now again another report has come up with an update, but it’s not Oregon or Texas.

According to On3’s Steve Witfongs’ latest report, Bowman is now heavily leaning towards Lincoln Riley’s USC Trojans. “USC has quickly taken pole position in the recruitment of Mark Bowman,” Wiltfong said. “From the love of the school, proximity, power of the alumni, NIL, and direction of the program, the Trojans are trending heavy for the coveted prospect.” Lincoln Riley, with his in-state trend of recruiting, certainly has an edge.

Over the years in his tenure at USC, Riley had increasingly ignored California, which is considered one of the recruiting power bases. For context, in the 2023 class, Riley had 45% in-state players, which declined significantly to 32% in 2024 and finally fell even lower with just 24% of the 2025 recruits coming out of California. This demanded a change, and now Riley’s 2026 class already has 26 commits and ranks 2nd. Moreover, the 62% composition of in-state recruits is a pleasant change. So, Bowman is out of California and with just 27 miles separating his home from USC. It’ll be very hard for other teams to flip Bowman’s mind.

Mark Bowman finally opens up on USC Trojans’ interest

Standing at 6’4” and 225 lbs, Bowman is already a world-class talent. Just last year, the guy made it into the MaxPreps All-America second team after he caught 32 passes for 435 yards. His performances last year were pivotal to the context that his Mater Dei High School won the MaxPreps national championship, and Bowman became pivotal in helping with that. So, the battle for him, seeing his talent is at an all-time high, he might still have a soft spot for the Trojans. Bowman, when asked about USC, was all in praise for the program.

“It is so different with USC now,” Bowman told On3’s Chad Simmons. “It has changed a lot over the last year since they made changes. They have been recruiting much harder the last few months. It is every day with USC now, and that has changed things for me with them. I like what the staff is doing, their energy, and they are close to home, too.”

It looks like Lincoln Riley’s in-state recruiting change has finally caught the attention of Bowman, who will be able to live closer to home and play for Lincoln Riley. The class he will be coming in is packed with talent, with 62% blue chip recruits, and some of the best recruits in the pipeline. These include 3rd-ranked CB Elbert Hill and 5th-ranked OT Keenyi Pepe. And with plenty of time still left until National Signing Day, the recruiting class is gearing up for a powerhouse finish.