Linebacker Troy Bowles listed the Buckeyes among his final three

Another linebacker has Ohio State in the final three. #GoBucks

While the Ohio State Buckeyes wait to find out if Tackett Curtis will commit, there is another top-tier talent that could be eyeing the Buckeyes. On Wednesday, Troy Bowles narrowed down his list to just three teams.

Joining Ohio State in the running are the Oklahoma Sooners and Georgia Bulldogs. If the name sounds familiar, Troy is the son of Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles. He is one of the most coveted linebackers in the country.

Bowles is ranked as the No. 2 linebacker in the country and the No. 44 overall prospect according to 247Sports composite rankings. Currently, the crystal ball predictions favor UGA but no lead experts have made a prediction at this point in time.

Bowles will officially announce his commitment on Jul. 16.

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4-star LB Troy Bowles names top schools

The Georgia Bulldogs are among the top schools for four-star linebacker prospect Troy Bowles

The Georgia Bulldogs are among the top schools for four-star linebacker prospect Troy Bowles. Bowles, who is the son of Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, is a member of the class of 2023.

That means Troy Bowles has a great mind to pick whenever he has a question about football or life. It also helps Bowles have an advanced football IQ at a young age.

Troy Bowles’ top eight schools are Georgia, Florida, Rutgers, Auburn, Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, and Oklahoma.

The rising senior plays high school football for Tampa Jesuit in Tampa, Florida. Jesuit won a state title last season in the competitive 6A division of Florida high school football.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound outside linebacker is ranked as the No. 44 recruit in his class. Bowles is disruptive and frequently makes critical plays like interceptions, pass deflections, and sacks. The four-star prospect is the third-ranked linebacker in his class and the No. 11 recruit in Florida.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles is a great resource for his son Troy Bowles. Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The Jesuit linebacker has offers from Florida, Alabama, Michigan, UNC, Tennessee, Miami, Notre Dame and more.

The Jesuit star also plays basketball and runs track. He can dunk a basketball despite only being 6-foot-1. That takes some serious athleticism. As a linebacker, Bowles shows potential to be formidable in coverage at the college level.

Bowles received a scholarship offer from Georgia on May 10, 2021. Georgia  inside linebackers coach Glenn Schumann is a key recruiter for the Florida linebacker.

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2023 LB target Troy Bowles includes Oklahoma in his top 8 schools

Oklahoma Sooners land inside the top 8 for 2023 four-star linebacker Troy Bowles out of Florida.

The focus of Oklahoma recruiting changed on Dec. 5, 2021, when the Oklahoma Sooners hired Brent Venable to be head coach. Having spent a decade in the Southeast, Oklahoma’s new head coach has had the Sooners wading into SEC and ACC territory regularly.

One of the first offers the Sooners made in the Venables era came four days after he was hired. It went to 2023 four-star linebacker Troy Bowles. Bowles had been a recruit Venables pursued during his time at Clemson.

A top 100 player in the 2023 recruiting cycle, Bowles released his top eight schools and included the Oklahoma Sooners, largely because of his connection to Brent Venables. He shared with Hayes Fawcett of On3 Recruiting, “Coach Venables and I have a very good relationship, and he’s always been honest with me,” Bowles said. “I have a lot of respect for him, and the fans are crazy. I love it.”

Bowles, the son of Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, included Rutgers, Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson, Auburn, Georgia and Florida along with the Sooners in his top eight.

Currently, On3 gives the edge in the recruiting battle to the Ohio State Buckeyes while the only crystal ball predictions issued have Bowles going to Georgia. The Sooners may be a long shot here, but never count out Venables. With an official visit coming on June 3, Oklahoma could make enough of an impression to gain ground.

Bowles is an athletic player who shows good speed and pursuit ability. Lined up as a weak side linebacker, he’s able to walk down and play on the edge as well as drop into coverage.

Andrew Ivins of 247Sports had this to say about Troy Bowles.

One of the more complete three-down linebacker prospects to come out of Florida recently given his ability to not only take on blocks and blitz, but also cover tight ends and running backs. Has done nothing but produce since he was a freshman at one of the Sunshine State’s more tradition-rich high school programs totaling over 250 tackles, 12 sacks and 5 interceptions his first three years on varsity. Intelligent player that has a good feel for what’s going on around him, which isn’t surprising given the fact that his father is an NFL defensive coordinator. A face-up tackler with good leg drive that doesn’t let many slip ball carriers out of his hands. Featured primarily as a stand-up edge player early on in his prep career, which in turn taught him how to win with a chop or a simple dip of the shoulder. Comfortable in zone coverage and is quick to anticipate throws. More than capable of making a difference outside of the hashes given his initial burst and will exert plenty of energy over the course of four quarters. Will need to cut down on the few mistakes he makes and keep mastering his craft, but should be viewed as one of the top ‘backers in the class of 2023. Traits and pro-like mentality suggests that he can emerge as a trusted contributor for a Top 25 program and eventually an impact player. NFL upside. – Ivins, 247Sports

Troy Bowles’ Recruiting Profile

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Four-star Troy Bowles has his top eight programs, Rutgers football makes the cut

Troy Bowles has a top eight that includes four SEC programs and two Big Ten football teams.

It is cutdown season, with four-star linebacker Troy Bowles the latest athlete to release his updated top list of programs. The Florida standout put out his top eight programs on Monday night.

A four-star at Jesuit (Tampa, FL), Bowles is the No. 96 player in the nation according to Rivals. He is the No. 19 player in the state and the fourth-best linebacker in the nation according to Rivals.

Bowles has narrowed down his college selection to eight programs: Ohio State, Clemson, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Rutgers, Auburn and Oklahoma.

For those keeping track at home, that is one ACC program, one that is currently in the Big XII, two from the Big Ten and four SEC schools.

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A number of big programs didn’t make the cut, including the likes of Boston College, Florida State, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Oregon and Penn State.

 

The inclusion of Rutgers football on the list is significant as Bowles’ older brother, Todd Bowles Jr., is on the Scarlet Knights roster.

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The Bowles boys are the sons of Todd Bowles, the former head coach of the New York Jets who is now head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Alabama Morning Drive: Elite LB Troy Bowles names top schools

The latest news and notes involving the Alabama Crimson Tide on Tuesday morning.

Good morning, Alabama fans! Welcome back to another Tuesday edition of Alabama Morning Drive where we try to bring you the latest news and notes on the Alabama Crimson Tide!

One of the nation’s top linebackers for the class of 2023 has trimmed his list of schools down to eight and [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] and the Tide made the cut. Troy Bowles, a four-star prospect from Tampa dropped his top eight on Monday. Joining Alabama inside Bowles’ top eight are Ohio State, Florida, Clemson, Georgia, Oklahoma, Rutgers, and Auburn.

Right now it appears that Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs have the edge for the talented linebacker, but anything can happen before signing day.

Bowles is the son of Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles.

Let’s take a look at some of the other major storylines Alabama fans should be watching this Tuesday morning.

The Insider Report: Latest on top targets, upcoming visitors & more

It’s time for this week’s edition of The Insider Report. We hope everyone had a great weekend. 4-star cornerback previews upcoming Clemson visit Prior to his unofficial visit to Penn State this past weekend, The Clemson Insider caught up with St. …

It’s time for this week’s edition of The Insider Report.

We hope everyone had a great weekend.

4-star cornerback previews upcoming Clemson visit

Prior to his unofficial visit to Penn State this past weekend, The Clemson Insider caught up with St. Joseph’s Prep School (Philadelphia, Pa.) four-star cornerback Omilio Agard. If you’ve followed our recruiting coverage since last summer, you would know that we’ve long-maintained that Agard is a name worth knowing in the class of 2024.

For the past nine months, the Philadelphia native has been strengthening his relationship with Clemson and cornerbacks coach Mike Reed.

“I’ve been in contact with Coach Reed a lot lately and for the past two-to-three months,” Agard said. “Me and him have still been building that relationship and we have a great one now. I’m getting down there this summer, so that’s another big thing.”

“It’s great,” he added regarding his relationship with Clemson’s cornerbacks coach. “We don’t always have to talk about football and we always don’t talk about the school, we just talk about personal stuff and crack jokes and just the other day, talking about me playing basketball and everything. The relationship is very genuine and it ain’t just serious. We also connect outside of football.”

Agard will be down at Clemson on June 2; He’ll participate in the Dabo Swinney Camp and later take an unofficial visit afterward. Say that when Agard visits Tiger Town next month, he’s able to earn an offer from Clemson. What would that mean for him and his recruitment?

“That would be great and that would just show my worth to the team because I know Clemson, they don’t offer until going into your junior year,” Agard said. “Their process is different and I really appreciate that process, because if you get that offer, it’s like you’ve been building a relationship and it’s very genuine and the coaches believe that you will be a big part of the team. So, to get that offer is amazing because it just shows how great of a person you are in and out. It just shows that they’re very genuine.”

When Agard was first in contact with Reed last summer, he informed him that he was a guy that the Tigers would offer right away, but obviously, their process is a bit different. That level of honesty goes a long way and tells Agard that Clemson really believed in him. Back then, he was a freshman heading into his sophomore season.

The Tigers have been there since the start of Agard’s recruitment and watched him progress. That’s big for him and his recruitment. He’s appreciative that Clemson focused on building a relationship with him and is hopeful to get an offer sometime this summer.

While his process is still 100% open, Agard mentions schools like Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Penn State, South Carolina, Alabama and Kentucky, as those who are recruiting him the hardest.

After he visits Clemson, Agard will make his way to Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia.

Ohio QB, brother of former Tigers’ target set for summer southern tour

As we previously reported, Findlay (Oh.) High School 2025 QB Ryan Montgomery is slated to visit Clemson next month. While Montgomery tweeted out a graphic Monday that indicated he would be visiting Tiger Town on June 19, we’ve been told that the visit is still set to take place on the 18th. 

Right now, the plan is for Montgomery to spend June 18 at the University of North Carolina from 9:00 a.m. to noon, before having a late dinner in Clemson. Montgomery is also scheduled to visit the University of Virginia (June 17), the University of Georgia (June 20) and University of Tennessee (June 21).

Montgomery is the younger brother of Luke Montgomery, a 2023 four-star offensive tackle, who pledged to Ohio State earlier this year.

TCI spoke with Ryan’s head coach at Findlay, Stefan Adams, earlier this month. 

Adams is super impressed with a kid who was 6-foot-2, 180-pounds as a freshman — which as a freshman is pretty good. Ryan has grown an inch and added 20 pounds to his frame after dedicating himself to the weight room this offseason. He’s also dedicated himself to his craft and has also gotten better as a quarterback.

“Ryan’s a very high-cerebral young man,” Adams said. “He’s a little more reserved, but also he’s young. I’m super excited to see what he has to build on in the future. He played as a freshman. He started every game of the year and went on to a playoff run. He did a fantastic job and had great, solid numbers in passing, touchdown and interception ratio. He’s worked extremely hard this offseason to continue to build on his skill set.”

Even though he’s only a freshman, Ryan currently holds offers from Georgia, Georgia Tech, Miami (OH), Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Pitt, Tennessee and Toledo.

4-star linebacker includes Clemson in top group; slated to visit next month

One of the nation’s top linebackers dropped his top school’s list on Monday and it should come as no surprise to those that follow Clemson recruiting to see the Tigers included in the graphic.

Jesuit (Fla.) 2023 four-star linebacker Troy Bowles is down to Clemson, Ohio State, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Rutgers, Auburn and Oklahoma.

Before he left to take the head coaching position at the University of Oklahoma, Brent Venables offered Bowles a scholarship. We spoke with Bowles shortly after Clemson pulled the trigger on an offer and 

“I don’t even know,” Bowles told The Clemson Insider. “I was shocked because I had went up there during the summer for the [Dabo Swinney] Camp and they said they would keep in touch. I was shocked though.”

Wesley Goodwin has picked up where Venables left off and has done an excellent job in continuing to recruit Bowles. Clemson will continue its pursuit of the prized linebacker target when he returns to campus next month.

Bowles currently ranks as high as the No. 37 overall prospect in the 2023 class by 247Sports, which considers him the No. 2 linebacker in the country for his class.

His father, of course, is the current head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Todd Bowles.

Peach State cornerback carving out relationship with Goodwin

It doesn’t take long to figure out why Jaylen Bell has already earned the nickname, “Hollywood.”

The 2025 cornerback out of Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) is already one of the top cornerbacks in his class and has earned offers from schools like Alabama, Florida and Georgia, already.

TCI caught up with Bell Monday, as he detailed his relationship with Clemson’s defensive coordinator and his plans to visit next month.

“I’ve just been in contact with Coach Wes Goodwin and I’m just getting ready to go camp down there in the summer,” Bell said. “I just think he’s a great coach. He coaches his players very hard. He’s always been in contact with me, asking me how I’m doing and how spring ball is. I can really see us building a great relationship in the near future.”

According to Bell, Goodwin likes that he’s a “complete cornerback.” If you watch his film, you’d be able to see that Bell can tackle, he can follow receivers and make plays on the ball; he’s the complete package at corner.

While Bell doesn’t have a specific date in mind, he told us that he will be participating at The Dabo Swinney Camp at some point this summer.

Next month will be a great opportunity for Bell to prove that he’s worthy of an offer down the line. Even though he’s only a rising sophomore, we asked Bell what it would mean to eventually earn an offer from a school like Clemson.

 “That offer would mean the world to me,” Bell said, “because a lot of great players came from Clemson. Players like AJ Terrell, I know his little brother Avieon Terrell. I just got a great connection with Clemson with knowing AJ Terrell and Wes Goodwin. That would mean the world.”

Sunshine State signal-caller sets Clemson visit

Columbus (Miami, Fla.) four-star quarterback Adrian Posse announced via social media Monday that he’ll be visiting Clemson on June 1. Posse — a 6-foot-5, 225-pound rising junior in the class of 2024 — also locked in visits to Notre Dame, Pitt, Penn State, LSU, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Florida and Arkansas.

Clemson had shown interest in Posse dating back to when he participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp last summer. While he’s likely not the Tigers’ top quarterback target in the class of 2024 right now, as that honor likely belongs to Willis (Texas) five-star DJ Lagway, Clesmon continues to monitor the Sunshine State signal-caller.

It’s likely that Clemson’s quarterback recruiting board for the 2024 class will become more clear in the coming months.

Posse is currently ranked as the No. 15 quarterback and the nation’s No. 145 overall prospect in the class of 2024, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

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Son of Buccaneers HC listed Auburn in his top eight schools on Monday

2023 linebacker Troy Bowles listed Auburn in his final eight. He is the son of Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles.

On Monday, 2023 linebacker Troy Bowles announced his top eight schools via Twitter. Auburn was one of the schools listed. Other schools that were listed are Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Florida, and  Rutgers. He is the son of Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles. His father played four seasons at Temple where he was a four-year starter for the Owls. His older brother Todd Bowles Jr. currently plays defensive back at Rutgers.

Troy is regarded as a four-star by 247Sports recruiting rankings. He is listed at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds. This past season he recorded 103 tackles, six tackles for loss, and three sacks for Jesuit High School. He helped lead his team to the school’s first state championship in history this past season. The Tigers won the Class 6A state title in the state of Florida.

Bowles certainly has what it takes to be an elite linebacker at the next level. Here is what 247Sports’ Southeast recruiting analyst Andrew Ivins had to say about Bowles:

“One of the more complete three-down linebacker prospects to come out of Florida recently given his ability to not only take on blocks and blitz, but also cover tight ends and running backs. Has done nothing but produce since he was a freshman at one of the Sunshine State’s more tradition-rich high school programs totaling over 250 tackles, 12 sacks and 5 interceptions his first three years on varsity. Intelligent player that has a good feel for what’s going on around him, which isn’t surprising given the fact that his father is an NFL defensive coordinator.”

With the Tigers possibly losing several linebackers to the NFL draft next season, Bowles could be quick to touch the field as a starter for the Tigers. Several other prestigious programs are in the mix. However, the Tigers’ coaching staff could utilize the fact that they need instant help at the linebacker position in their favor. There is also another factor that helps the Tigers. It is the fact that Bowles pulled for Auburn growing up. Here is what he told On3’s Hayes Fawcett after releasing his top eight schools:

“Auburn is a real college town and you really get that community feel when you’re there,” Bowles said. “I have a ton of respect for them and the coaching staff, that was my team growing up.”

Oklahoma Sooners summer recruiting primer for the 2023 recruiting cycle

With the summer on the horizon, we took a look at the names to know as the Sooners look to make a push on the recruiting front for 2023.

Brent Venables and Co. are weeks removed from their first spring as a staff together. It was a successful one with no notable injuries and some standout performances across the board. All told, things went as well as they could’ve hoped considering the positive reviews from the media and recruits in attendance.

The spring game served as an eye-opener for recruits and gave the Oklahoma Sooners some significant momentum to ride as they head into the most crucial time of the year for recruiting. With spring ball done and the team going home to recharge before fall camp, the staff will be all in on recruiting. With that in mind, it’s time to map out the targets to watch as the 2023 class begins to materialize this summer.

Top-three linebacker recruit to visit Auburn on A-Day

Troy Bowles, son of NFL head coach Todd Bowles, will be in the stands for Auburn’s spring game.

Auburn will be hosting one of the nation’s top 2023 recruits at its spring game on Saturday.

Linebacker Troy Bowles will be in attendance, according to On3’s Jeffrey Lee. Bowles is considered among the very best linebacker prospects in the nation for the 2023 class, with On3 themselves even giving him the No. 1 spot in their rankings.

Troy Bowles is the son of NFL head coach Todd Bowles, so it should come as no shock that he possesses excellent defensive instincts at the linebacker position. Bowles is an all-around prospect, displaying strong abilities as both a pass rusher and dropping back in coverage. While 247Sports’ Crystal Ball has him heading to Georgia, it would be a huge get for Bryan Harsin and the Auburn Tigers to make a strong impression on Bowles at A-Day on Saturday.

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Troy Bowles’ Recruiting Profile

 

Florida brings in impressive amount of recruits for first day of spring practice

Florida kicked off spring practice on Tuesday and a host of impressive recruits were in attendance.

Everyone is excited to see what Florida is like under new head coach Billy Napier. Fans and media members can only see snippets of what is going on in practices until the Orange and Blue game on April 16, but recruits can see whole practices when they visit the Swamp. On the first day of spring practice, Florida hosted over 15 prospects as it kicked things off on Tuesday.

Some of the elite names to stop by includes four-star linebacker Troy Bowles, four-star wide receiver Bryson Rodgers, four-star cornerback Dijon Johnson, four-star pass-catcher Eugene Wilson III, four-star offensive tackle Lucas Simmons and four-star linebacker and Michigan commit Raylen Wilson.

Eugene and Rodgers sit pretty close to the top of Florida’s wide receiver board. This will be Eugene’s second visit to the Gators this month, naming the Orange and Blue his leader after his first visit. For Rodgers, this is his first visit under the new staff.

For Johnson and Simmons, it’s their first visit to see Florida under Napier too. Johnson’s name has soared up the Gators defensive blackboard after a strong performance at the Under Armour event in Miami last month. Also, Napier, Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton have impressed Simmons so far and finally got him on campus.

Look for more prospects to visit throughout this week and then a flurry of them over the weekend.

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