Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Nation’s No. 1 TE Announces Commitment To Historic College Football Program

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nate Lunak | Last updated May 30, 2025 4:06 PM ET

As the college football offseason rolls on, many dominoes continue to fall in place, as many of the top players in the 2026 recruiting class are announcing their commitments.

One of the top players still weighing his options was tight end Mark Bowman, with his final options being the USC Trojans, Ole Miss Rebels, Miami Hurricanes, Oregon Ducks, Ohio State Buckeyes, Georgia Bulldogs, and Texas Longhorns.

Of course, though, only one team would be able to come out on top, and on Friday, he made his decision, choosing the Trojans to play under head coach Lincoln Riley and stay close to home as he's out of Santa Ana, California.

Through his two seasons playing varsity for the Mater Dei Monarchs, Bowman has proved to be a dangerous weapon, playing in 20 games and hauling in 43 receptions, 560 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Those impressive numbers are a big factor in On3 Industry Rankings placing him as a five-star recruit, the No. 1 tight end, the No. 2 player in California and the No. 15 player in the nation.

Throughout the recruiting process, USC had shown a tremendous amount of interest, already bringing him in for a total of three visits, with an official one still scheduled for June 17.

Bowman immediately becomes one of the best players in USC's already great recruiting class, which now ranks No. 1 in the nation with a total of 27 commitments.

He also becomes the first five-star player Riley has landed, as the rest of the class is made up of 16 four-star recruits and 10 three-star recruits.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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