USC tight end Mark Bowman didn’t need a full game to make the Big Ten notice.
The freshman did his damage in just one half Saturday against Louisiana, and by Monday he had the league’s Freshman of the Week award to show for it. Bowman finished with six catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns, leading USC in receiving while also flashing the kind of open-field burst that turned heads. He even hurdled two defenders along the way.
That outburst came with a neat little footnote: the last USC tight end to catch two touchdowns in a game was Josh Falo in 2022.
After the game, Lincoln Riley didn’t waste much time explaining why Bowman was so hard to ignore.
"I've had a couple pretty good [tight ends]. He made some plays for us," head coach Lincoln Riley said after the game Saturday.
"He kind of got us going a little bit offensively and did some good things after the catch and blocked well. ... He has some skills.
He's dangerous when he gets the ball in the open field."
Bowman’s production Saturday was the loudest moment so far in what’s already been a steady first season. He has played in all three games, catching passes, breaking tackles and doing his part in the run game. On the year, he has 12 receptions for 128 yards and two touchdowns, with exactly half of those yards - 64 - coming after the catch.
At 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, Bowman brings a rare blend of size and movement. The Santa Ana (Calif.)
Mater Dei product, who also spent time in Castle Rock, Colo., arrived at USC with a résumé that matched the buzz: he was the No. 42 overall prospect in the 247Sports rankings, the fourth-ranked player in California and the No. 2 tight end in the 2026 class. He drew three evaluations in high school and earned comparisons to Brock Bowers, Mason Taylor and, most recently, Trey McBride.
USC now turns to Rutgers on Saturday, where the No. 12 Trojans will face a winless Scarlet Knights team that hasn’t dealt with a dynamic tight end yet this season.
The game is set for 12:30 p.m. PDT on CBS.
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