Four-Star Tight End Jackson Bowers Talks BYU Visit
Earlier this week, BYU hosted four-star tight end Jackson Bowers for an unofficial visit. Bowers, a native of Mesa, Arizona, is weighing offers from over 20 schools. We caught up with Bowers to get an update on his recruitment and talk about his recent unofficial visit.
This wasn't the first time Bowers has been on BYU's campus - he was in attendance for BYU's 27-17 victory over Arizona State last season. On what made this trip to Provo unique, Bowers said, "What made this trip unique is that I got to see practice…see how the boys interact with coach. One of the best things was a hour long conversation with Coach Sitake. [He is a] very wise coach and a lot of the things he said I needed to hear."
Jackson has a few connections to BYU. Most of his family has attended BYU, and he preps at Mountain View High School in Mesa, Arizona. Mountain View is home to a large number of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and multiple Mountain View players have gone on to have success at BYU. Most notably, former BYU quarterbacks John Beck and Max Hall prepped at Mountain View.
Bowers tells Cougs Daily that Washington, Alabama, Arizona, BYU, Ole Miss, Baylor, and Auburn are the schools contacting him the most. However, he is not in a rush to make a decision and he wants to take all five of his allotted official visits. He also holds offers from the likes of LSU, Oregon, USC, Florida State, West Virginia, and Washington among others.
BYU tight ends coach Steve Clark has been Bowers' primary contact over the last several months. "My relationship with Coach Clark is not like any other coaches," Bowers said. "He definitely makes you feel loved and he is just a great man. I think he is very underrated as a coach and definitely deserves more recognition."
BYU to the Big 12
Beginning in 2023, BYU will join the Big 12 conference in all sports.
"BYU has always been a good team, but adding the Big 12 just gives them the ability to prove it even more," said Jackson Bowers on BYU's move to the Big 12. "This is very appealing to me."
As BYU prepares for 2023 and its first season in the Big 12, adding a tight end like Bowers would go a long way in preparing the Cougars' offense for life in a Power Five conference. BYU tells Bowers that he could be "a do-it-all type of guy" in BYU's offense. "They said I fit [the offense] perfectly and they can use me in basically all ways you use a tight end," Bowers said.
It's easy to see why college coaches and recruiting evaluators alike are high on Jackson Bowers. At 6'5, 230 pounds, he already has the frame to be a tight end at the college level. On film, he displays soft hands, the ability to make contested catches, and the athleticism to block in the open field. As a junior, he tallied 861 receiving yards in 11 games and, in his own words, he also racked up "a lot of pancakes." You can check out a few of his junior highlights below.
Bowers is a four-star recruit according to both 247Sports and ESPN. 247Sports ranks him as the 161st best player in the 2023 class, and ESPN ranks him as the 280th best prospect in the 2023 class. On both sites, he is and a top 15 tight end in the country.
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