Zero chance that USC commit Mark Bowman should be anything other than a 5-star

Ratings and rankings can be subjective to an extent. When someone like USC commit Mark Bowman is universally agreed upon and seen as a consensus five-star talent, there isn't anything reasonable to point to in July that would then warrant a drop in status.

That is, however, what Bowman experienced after Rivals revealed their latest evaluations. Somehow, for everyone else except these so-called experts, the tight end is one of the top overall prospects in the nation.

For Rivals, however, Bowman took so much of a step back from the earlier part of 2025 that he has now been rated as a four-star by the particular recruiting service in question.

This is something that can be seen with Trojan commits. It has gotten to the point where it is far beyond coincidence. There is an inherent 'Oregon boost,' and those who decide to suit up in the Cardinal and Gold apparently are then in line for a demerit following months without high school football games.

Not that it will ultimately matter too much. There is a history of five-stars failing to meet expectations, and then there are unranked players who go on to have successful college and NFL careers.

Now-underrated USC talent

It would still be nice for these sites that position themselves as unbiased, objective third-party observers to then have some consistency and provide a thorough, fair, and equitable evaluation. There truly hasn't been anything that has transpired since the last high school football games were played this past season until now that would be able to actually justify Bowman not being a five-star.

Perhaps these media outlets understand the type of engagement and outrage that will come with demoting and downplaying USC talent. In terms of on the field and based on what he can do at tight end, Bowman is clearly a five-star. Saying otherwise is silly.