Lincoln Riley’s on a tightrope, and the safety net’s made of pure dollar bills—$88 million of them, to be exact. After 3 years of mediocrity, USC fans started calling for his headset. Riley’s job isn’t just safe because of belief—it’s locked behind a buyout clause so massive, even the boosters are blinking twice. And now, just when the whispers of doubt were growing louder, five-star tight end Mark Bowman slid into the national spotlight with a message that might’ve just bought Riley a little more time… or more pressure.
Bowman, the No. 2 tight end in the 2026 class (reclassified), didn’t drop some dramatic quote. Nah, he let his actions do the talking—lining up USC as one of his six official visits, right in the middle of some of the hottest recruiting programs in the country. That’s not just an interest. That’s respect. And for Lincoln Riley, who’s been catching strays for months, it’s a quiet, calculated vote of confidence from a kid every coach wants in their war room.
Let’s be real: Riley hasn’t exactly been the toast of L.A. lately. After crashing to a 7–6 finish in 2024, the whispers turned into headlines. “It was on the Stuart Mandel, Bruce Feldman podcast over the weekend for The Athletic,” The Next Round Podcast host Jim Dunaway spilled the tea before pouring the entire kettle. “One athletic director, blue-blood AD, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said, ‘USC would gladly fire Lincoln Riley if they could get out of his contract.’” But there’s a catch—an $88 million buyout. Unless Riley quits (which he won’t), USC is strapped in for this ride, whether they like it or not. Think Jimbo Fisher 2.0, but with better weather and worse optics.
Mark Bowman is an elite tight end in California and the five-star has six official visits lined up and they start this weekend.
Bowman gives the latest heading into a very busy summer: https://t.co/QmldzpRcoX (On3+) pic.twitter.com/m7uznvFcwm
— ChadSimmons (@ChadSimmons_) May 13, 2025
Even Vegas isn’t buying the comeback hype. FanDuel’s win total for USC in 2025 is sitting at 7.5, with odds so lukewarm they might as well be room temperature: -118 for the over, -104 for the under. Big Ten title odds? Try +3500. That’s not contender energy—that’s middle-of-the-pack noise. But USC’s recruiting is actually picking up some serious steam, maybe the only real positive for Lincoln Riley and the crew right now. They’re really locked in on California talent, especially that Mater Dei connection, which makes sense with GM Chad Bowden focusing on the home-state guys. And yeah, Bowman’s definitely noticed. “It is so different with USC now,” he told On3. “It has changed a lot over the last year and since they made changes. They have been recruiting much harder the last few months. It is every day with USC now, and that has changed things for me with them.”
A talent like Mark Bowman doesn’t just visit for fun. He’s got six officials lined up—Ole Miss on May 16, Miami on May 30, then Texas, Georgia, USC (June 17), and Oregon to close it out. He saw Ole Miss and Miami last month, and both impressed. “It was really my first visits to both schools,” Bowman said. “On both visits, I had meetings with the staffs, I saw the campus, and both schools caught my attention.”
Mark Bowman’s recruitment: A battleground for Lincoln Riley
Mark Bowman isn’t just another big body with hands. At 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, this Mater Dei monster is clocking a 4.6 in the 40-yard dash. That’s scary fast for a tight end. He’s not just big—he’s explosive. He stretches the field, bullies in the red zone, and blocks with the kind of nastiness you don’t teach. Brock Bowers? Yeah, Bowman’s already name-dropping him as his blueprint.
In 2024, he racked up 32 catches, 435 yards, and 8 touchdowns—averaging 13.6 yards per grab. That’s not just production. That’s domination. He helped power Mater Dei to a MaxPreps national title, and it wasn’t just the numbers. It was the timing—third downs, red zone moments, clutch grabs.
Recruiters are wide awake. ESPN slapped him with an 88 scout grade. Rivals threw a 6.0 on him and ranked him 30th nationally. On3, usually stingy with their valuations, already has him clocking $95K+ in NIL value—and that’s before he even decides on a program. Offers? He’s got the full house: Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Oregon, and, of course, USC.
But Bowman’s not rushing anything. “I am still in between on when I want to commit,” he told On3. “I am torn between late summer or in November or December. If I know after official visits, I will commit. If I am not 100% sure, I will wait.” Well, whoever wants him better bring more than a cool pitch.
He doubled down too, making it clear what actually matters to him: “I have already talked Xs and Os with all these schools… I want to build on the relationships and see how I fit in with the team. See how I bond with the players… The NIL is a part… but it is not what I am looking for first.” Translation: Don’t sell him a dream. Show him the locker room vibe.
And that’s exactly why USC is still in the mix. After a 7-6 meltdown and media fire raining down on Lincoln Riley, they somehow flipped the switch on the recruiting trail. That June 17 visit? That’s not just a date. It’s a temperature check. If Bowman walks out feeling that brotherhood, if the vibe’s real? It could change the whole narrative.
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