Sean Miller hasn’t exactly been shy about the kind of program he wants to build at Texas. Since arriving in March of 2025, the Longhorns’ new head coach has made it clear he’s aiming for something sturdier than a short burst of success - a real winning standard that lasts.
That vision is starting to show up in the 2027 recruiting cycle, where Texas is lining up a string of major visits. Freshman forward Marcus Spears Jr. has already reclassified to join the program a year early, and the Longhorns now have four notable recruits scheduled to come through over the next month.
The headliner is NaVorro Bowman Jr., the son of former NFL linebacker NaVorro Bowman, who is set to visit on Sept. 19.
Bowman Jr. fits the kind of prospect Texas is chasing. He’s ranked by 247Sports as the No. 1 player in California and the No. 11 overall player in the 2027 class. Even with plenty of Division I offers in hand, only four schools are currently on his official visit list: UConn, Arizona, Illinois and Texas.
His résumé already stretches well beyond the high school level. In July, Bowman Jr. helped lead the USA Men’s U17 National Team to gold at the FIBA U17 World Cup in Istanbul, where he averaged 11.9 points and 3.6 assists. At Notre Dame High School, he’s been just as productive, putting up 22.5 points per game last season.
At 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, he’s already bigger than his father, who played eight seasons in the NFL, earned four all-pro honors and started for the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII.
For now, Bowman Jr. is taking the process in stride while weighing what matters most in a college stop.
“It’s been amazing, a lot of schools have been texting me,” Bowman Jr. said. “I just feel like wherever the best fit is for me, no matter where it is, … (I just want) a staff that’s willing to prepare me, a winning team as well. I really want to have that opportunity to compete in March Madness.”
Texas is trying to check those boxes. Bowman Jr. is one of four high-profile visitors the Longhorns have lined up soon, with four-star guard Justin Wise scheduled for Sept. 5, five-star guard Beckham Black on Sept. 9 and five-star center Darius Wabbington set for Nov. 6.
Miller’s message when he took over still frames all of it. “Think about the state of Texas and the great programs,” Miller said. “That better make you energized because there is great competition and there are high expectations.”
The Longhorns are clearly betting that if they keep stacking visits like these - and keep building on the momentum of a surprising tournament run - they can push themselves back into the national championship conversation as soon as 2027.
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There is also a growing buzz around how quickly he could fit in once he settles on campus. Arch Manning has been among those impressed by Bishops talent, and the coaching staff has made clear it plans to find ways to use him early in his college career, which only adds to the intrigue around a receiver group that already looks loaded. [Read more 🡒]