Ole Miss frustratingly misses out on five star offensive recruit, but Lane Kiffin could still flip him away from USC late
Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels have been so close to landing some of the best players in the 2026 recruiting class this year. Unfortunately they keep coming in second or third here and there for the truly elite talents and it's happened again this week. The good news is that there's still a […]
Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels have been so close to landing some of the best players in the 2026 recruiting class this year. Unfortunately they keep coming in second or third here and there for the truly elite talents and it's happened again this week. The good news is that there's still a chance Kiffin and company can flip him back their way if things break like they should this fall.
Mark Bowman, Five Star TE Recruit
Mark Bowman has been a hot commodity all throughout 2025 ever since he reclassified from the 2027 class to 2026. He was already trending towards being a five star recruit two years from now, but decided to graduate early, getting to college a full year ahead of schedule.
Bowman profiles like a copy of Brock Bowers. He can win attached and detached to the offensive line as both a receiver and strong dominant blocker. His speed is on par with most wide receivers, and his strength is off the charts for a player of his age.
Bowman has brought in over 30 scholarship offers as a highly coveted target for most every major program in college football and Ole Miss had been pushing hard late, but ultimately lost out this week. Bowman committed to Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojeans officially on Friday.
The good news is that USC has been known to land commits and then shed them at an extremely high rate compared to most major programs in recent years. Last year that happened about a half dozen times, dropping USC from what would have been a top five class in the country to more like 13th or 14th depending on the recruiting site referenced.
How could Ole Miss pull off the flip, despite having just lost the recruiting battle? By showing that the tight end position is a huge part of the offense–which the team has already begun to do over the last two seasons.
Kiffin began featuring the tight end position significantly with Caden Prieskorn after he transferred in from Memphis back in 2023 (30 catches, 450 yards, 4 TDs). Then last season Prieskorn and Dae'Quan Wright combined for nearly 60 catches, 800 yards, and seven scores.
Now Ole Miss has brought in Luke Hasz from Arkansas to feature as a potential de facto WR1 alongside Dae'Quan Wright at tight end this year. If Ole Miss finds success with new starting quarterback Austin Simmons at the helm in a high flying, high scoring offense that centers a large portion of production around the tight end group then there's still hope to flip Bowman yet.
Lincoln Riley is in a critical "prove it" year with USC, so if the team falters early on, expect to hear some early rumors circulating on top recruits possibly flipping–Bowman included. He may be a west coast kid, but we'll see where his loyalty lies if the Rebels succeed as USC continues to fade.
Kiffin's staff always does a good job of continuing to recruit long after a player is committed elsewhere. Bowman certainly won't be an exception there. Let's hope it pays off later this year.
Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin closing in on most important defensive recruiting target in years as official visits and commitment looms
Ole Miss closing in on most important defensive recruit in years as visits loom
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If you want to see why Mark Bowman is such an elite recruit just check out his highlights in the video below. Hopefully Lane Kiffin and company keep pushing so they can flip him away from USC later this year.
