Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss football will have first crack at the No.1 tight end from the 2026 class. Five-star Mater Dei High School Prospect Mark Bowman has made his first official visit to Oxford before visiting five other programs. It's possibly a decision due to Ole Miss being the first school to offer the talented California native when he was a high school freshman.
Georgia, Miami, Oregon, Texas, and USC are also in the mix and will receive OVs this spring/summer. However, Kiffin and his staff will show Bowman around this weekend as the talented tight end starts deciding on his commitment. The Longhorns are said to be the leader as it stands, with predictions in April suggesting he would be heading there. However, his recruitment looks wide open heading into the summer.
Ole Miss was the first program to offer Mark Bowman at the start of his freshman season. Now the Rebels are set to get the first official visit from the nation's No. 1 ranked tight end: https://t.co/I0BfEEMp7M pic.twitter.com/UjcdGEDzYa
— Blair Angulo (@BlairAngulo) May 13, 2025
As well as being the first school to offer the 6-foot-5, 225-pound TE, Ole Miss can provide an exciting offensive scheme that gives pass catchers plenty of opportunities to make plays. Despite having top wide receivers on the roster, Kiffin loves getting tight ends involved.
Ole Miss has just lost Caden Prieskorn to the NFL, a significant player for the Rebels at the tight-end position. They brought in excellent Arkansas transfer Luke Hasz to partner with Dae'Quan Wright, which could be a deadly duo. However, they both could leave for the pros after the 2025 season, which means a near-empty room. Freshman Hayden Bradley would love a teammate, and a five-star talent in Bowman would be an excellent addition.
Ole Miss has had a great start to May in recruiting, adding three players to their 2026 class and one to the 2027 class. A good visit for Bowman would likely not mean an instant commit for Ole Miss, but they could put themselves in a good position, then get him back during the season.