USC didn’t just beat Ohio State in Week 9. The Trojans got a jolt from freshman tight end Mark Bowman, and the 30-18 upset win came with a reminder of why he was such a prized piece of the No. 1 recruiting class.
Bowman, a five-star from Mater Dei in Orange County, was back after missing the previous three games with a hamstring injury. Even then, his availability wasn’t settled until kickoff.
“It was really a game time decision,” Bowman said. “Actually, right before the game, I went out, did the warm up, and just was talking, communicated with the amazing training staff that we have, and I was able to go out there and play.”
USC clearly felt his presence. Playing on a snap count, Bowman still delivered the kind of moment that can hang around all season: a 70-yard catch-and-run in which he hurdled one Ohio State defender, ran through another and broke free from a third tackle attempt. It’s the sort of play that belongs in the conversation for play of the year, and with the stakes attached to this win, it already has a place in USC lore.
Bowman, though, has already moved on.
“That game is in the past, and a bunch of guys on the field are making plays too,” Bowman said. “So just that one being recognized is kind of example of how social media can blow something up, other than the whole game being a big team dominant win.”
Even if he’s done talking about it, the highlight isn’t going away anytime soon. A high school coach who had faced Bowman several times at Mater Dei used one word for him back in January: “freak.”
That description fit the Ohio State play perfectly. Bowman had to adjust to secure the catch, then showed off the strength and athleticism to turn it into something bigger. The result was a sequence that looked less like a freshman tight end and more like a player built for the moment.
Bowman’s value goes well beyond the ball in his hands, too. He’s become a sixth offensive lineman for USC, and that matters even more when a young tight end is adjusting to the size and violence of Big Ten fronts. Through the first two months of the season, Bowman has looked like a redshirt senior in the way he handles that part of the job.
That was on display early against the Buckeyes. On the second play of the game, Bowman helped spring freshman receiver Trent Mosley on a screen pass that went for 69 yards. The bottom of the formation featured three true freshmen: Bowman, Mosley and Bowman’s high school teammate, receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt.
Bowman also brings an edge that fits the way USC wants to play. During his media availability on Tuesday, he said former New York Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey is a player he’s modeled his game after.
The comparison makes sense. Bowman has the same physical bite and receiving ability that made Shockey a two-time Super Bowl champion and former All-Pro.
That toughness showed up again with a punishing hit on Buckeyes safety Simeon Caldwell in the second quarter.
Bowman wasn’t fully healthy against Ohio State, but USC now has its second bye week, giving him another week to recover and get back toward full strength.
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