USC Trojans Freshman Tight End Mark Bowman Turning Heads

Five-star tight end Mark Bowman was one of the prized recruits in the USC Trojans top-ranked recruiting class this past cycle and the Mater Dei (Calif.) is already turning heads with his work ethic early in his career.

Sep 27, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley before an NCAA football game with the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

USC freshman tight end Mark Bowman is one of the more naturally talented players to come out of Southern California in recent memory. 

The five-star recruit from nearby national powerhouse Mater Dei (Calif.) was highly touted across the country, but the Trojans were able to keep him in Southern California as they worked to reestablish the pecking order of recruiting in their backyard this past cycle. 

Sep 27, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley before an NCAA football game with the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

And since arriving on campus last month, Bowman has had a workmanlike approach and it has caught the attention of USC tight ends/inside receivers coach Chad Savage, who spoke about his new pass-catcher during his press conference this past Friday. 

“Work ethic and approach. You could do the bare minimum, showing up when you’re asked to be here on the schedule, but he’s a guy that is texting me to meet at an extra time, or I'm walking out of the building to leave at night, and he's doing a walk through on his own with Sam Huard on the turf in the weight room,” Savage said. “When a guy's investing the extra time, obviously what you put in is what you're going to get out. But just his approach on how he wants to be great is going to pay off for him.”

It’s no secret Bowman is well compensated at USC but nothing is going to handed to him and he understands that. 

Offensive Chess Piece for Lincoln Riley’s Offense 

Sep 21, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley on the sideline in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

With a rare blend of size and speed at the tight end position, Bowman could be a chess piece for the Trojans offense. He offers great position flexibility. He’s a wide receiver in a tight ends body. Savage spoke highly about Bowman’s game but also where he wants to see him improve. 

“He’s pretty complete. I think the point of attack in the Big Ten, just in the blocking game, that’s what we really got to emphasize this spring. But in terms of just being a natural pass catcher, route runner, being explosive, he can do all of that, which you guys could see from the high school tape but we’re very excited to get him going.”

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USC saw a rise in production at the tight end position in Savage’s first year with the program in 2025. And Bowman had a front row seat to watch it firsthand six times at the Coliseum this past fall. It was something that Riley had been pushing for since he arrived four years ago. 

The hope is that it becomes the new norm in Los Angeles and no better recruit to keep that rolling than Bowman. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound tight end is going through this first valuable round of workouts to continue adding strength. The next step is the 15 practices teams are allowed, which is scheduled to begin shortly.

Impact of Mark Bowman’s Emergence in the Fall

Nov 2, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley stands on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Washington Huskies at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Expectations are very high for Bowman in year one because of his natural ability but also the significant investment the Trojans have made in the five-star recruit. 

His emergence could do two things for USC, one affects the team this season and the other affects the future. The first is what he could mean for quarterback Jayden Maiava in the fall. He’s grown accustomed to the tight end position becoming a valuable asset. A tight end that could stretch a defense and provide a security blanket for the Trojans signal-caller and Bowman provides both. 

The second is the impact it has on the program’s ability to continue stacking local recruits. The 2026 class saw a significant shift in USC’s ability to land blue-chip recruits in their backyard with players such as four-star cornerback Brandon Lockhart, running back Deshonne Redeaux, receivers Trent Mosley and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and defensive lineman Tomuhini Topui, just to name a few. 

Bowman is at the head of it. Seeing recruits from Southern California make noise at USC would certainly catch the attention of top prospects in future classes and make them want to stay home. It’s what happened in the state for almost a decade under legendary coach Pete Carroll.