'25 Ohio WR Preston Bowman says Kentucky "could be home"

Preston Bowman‘s first Divison I offer came from the Kentucky Wildcats last summer. Associate head coach Vince Marrow reached out with a scholarship after Bowman shined in a camp setting at Kroger Field. Almost one full year later, he was back in Lexington putting forth another impressive camp showing.

Bowman, a class of 2025 wide receiver out of Pickerington (OH) North, was one of the star performers during Tuesday’s UK camp. He thrived in one-on-one drills, even linking up to catch passes from Kentucky’s class of 2024 four-star commit, QB Cutter Boley, who made a surprise appearance to work with the campers. Boley was overheard saying how he enjoyed throwing to Bowman.

It wasn’t just Boley that was impressed though. Multiple Kentucky coaches took Bowman aside to talk with him throughout the camp, including offensive coordinator Liam Coen.

“We talked right after the camp just about how I could play my role in the offense and how I would be more of a slot receiver because of my frame,” Bowman said of his conversation with Coen. “Just talking about how I’m smart and have a good IQ for the game, stuff like that. And then he had talked to my parents for about 10 minutes.”

Had a great day today at the University of Kentucky. Cant wait to be back for a visit. @LiamCoen @vincemarrow @CoachWoody7 @Kstaff07 @RecruitPN @AllenTrieu @MickWalker247 pic.twitter.com/suIlHRiw6D

— Preston Bowman ¹ (@PrestonBowman9) June 6, 2023

Kentucky is currently the only Power 5 school to offer Bowman, but he holds Division I offers from Marshall, Bowling Green, Ohio, Massachusetts, Toledo, Miami (OH), and UAB. He could be on the verge of adding more offers too. Bowman camped at Wisconsin after leaving Kentucky. Tennessee and Ohio State also want him to stop by for camp visits. Pittsburgh got him on campus in January and continues to pay close attention.

Tuesday was Bowman’s first camp of the year after he finished up his track season with Pickerington North, which he helped lead to the state finals. He was actually supposed to travel to Southern California and UCLA for camp visits before his team made it deep into the track postseason. But instead, Marrow convinced him to come back for another camp at Kentucky.

“(Marrow is) the one that offered me,” Bowman said. “We weren’t really in touch or anything like that. I had been up there for a game, I think they played (Northern Illinois). I talked to him briefly there but he came to my school in May and we were talking there about coming up to camp. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to go because I had USC and UCLA but that ended up getting canceled. And so I was able to do the camp. After that camp, now my name is more out there. They’re way more interested in me now after seeing me catch and stuff like that.”

Bowman added that he’s already had talks with Kentucky staffers about coming back for another gameday visit this fall. As a whole, he’s high on the Wildcats and says he could see himself playing college ball in Lexington.

“I just like how they go about their practices,” Bowman said. “The cuts and breakdowns that they teach is what my trainer teaches. The campus is beautiful, I just love that. And the tour we got taken on? Man, it was crazy. I just love it out there. It seems like it could be home.”

During his sophomore season at Pickerington North, Bowman finished the year with 61 receptions for over 750 yards and four touchdowns. On the track, he races in the 300-meter hurdles and 200-meter flat. Bowman is not currently rated by the On3 Industry Ranking but does hold three-star status from 247Sports.