USC Trojans just showed that they are not playing around when it comes to the new era of college football

USC Trojans make Mark Bowman very rich

Mark Bowman is a five-star tight end from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California, where he is one of the top recruits in the 2026 class and a key addition to USC’s No. 1-ranked recruiting class. In fact, he may be the biggest addition, as USC just proved based on everything being reported.

At 6'4" and around 225 pounds, Bowman is a versatile athlete with strong hands, advanced route-running, and excellent run-blocking skills. He has all the makings to be the next Brock Bowers, who is the best tight end in college football history, and the best tight end in the NFL last year as a rookie for the Las Vegas Raiders.

Ranked as the No. 1 tight end and a top-15 overall prospect by 247Sports and On3, he committed to USC on May 30, choosing the Trojans over Georgia, Texas, Alabama, and others. It was one of the biggest wins in recruiting that Lincoln Riley and USC have had in a while.

Bowman’s commitment strengthens USC’s focus on Southern California talent, as he joins fellow Mater Dei recruits Tomuhini Topui and Shaun Scott in the 2026 class. And, they have shown how valuable that is, because, according to Rivals, the Trojans are making Bowman the highest-paid tight end ever in this new era of college football with NIL.

Five-star prospect Mark Bowman is expected to sign a multi-year deal that will make him the highest-paid tight end recruit of all time. Sources have told On3 that Bowman’s total deal value is between $5 and $6.5 million over three years. Viewed as one of the best route-running tight end prospects in recent memory, Bowman picked the Trojans over Texas and Georgia. - Pete Nakos, On3

The USC Trojans are in a great position to be a force to be reckoned with in the future.