At different points in his recruitment this spring there were different programs that looked like they would be the future home of elite tight end Mark Bowman. Friday, that was all put to rest when the four-star prospect from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana announced his commitment to USC.

The 6-foot-5, 225-pound prospect has been compared to former Georgia star Brock Bowers at times, and the Bulldogs were just one of the teams that had gained buzz for Bowman in recent weeks and months. Texas, Oregon, Miami and Ole Miss had all been part of the list of top contenders as well.

Instead, the four-star recruit will stay put in Southern California to play for the Trojans as the 27th commitment in the top-rated 2026 class.

Bowman decided to reclassify earlier in the year and become part of the 2026 group speeding up his recruiting timeline and bringing several programs from across the country into the picture.

The Trojans made him a priority this spring, and the 30th-ranked recruit in the class has continued to build a strong relationship with Lincoln Riley's staff, particularly new tight ends and inside receivers coach Chad Savage.

"Since he got hired, he made it his thing to make sure he recruits me the hardest out of anybody else," Bowman recently told TrojanSports.com. "So, it's been good hearing from him all the time, and just he's got some swag to him that I like. He's just kind of got swag, so I like hanging out with coach Savage for sure."

The commitment from Bowman continues to help restart the pipeline from Mater Dei to USC with the elite tight end being the latest player from the program to make his home. He joins teammates Tomuhini Topui and Shaun Scott as the third Mater Dei prospect to commit to the Trojans in the cycle.

Bowman is the 17th in-state pickup for Riley's program for 2026.