Priority four-star DL target Johnny Bowens sets commitment date

2023 Converse (Tex.) Judson four-star defensive lineman Johnny Bowens is down to three schools: Texas, Oregon and Texas A&M. The top-300 prospect is also set to announce his commitment on Nov. 24, Thanksgiving Day.

The four-star was previously committed to the Aggies, but backed off that pledge over the summer. Now, after making visits to Oregon and Texas A&M, the four-star is ready to announce his final decision.

Texas A&M defensive ends coach Terry Price has maintained near-daily communication with the four-star, even after he decommitted and has continued to treat Bowens as if he’s still committed to the Aggies.

““It’s good,” he previously said of his relationship with Price. “He calls me everyday to check on my family and my mom and everybody.”

Beyond his relationship with Price, the four-star has a lot of love for the program and Texas A&M as a University.

“I have a lot of respect for the University and all of the traditions,” he told On3’s Hayes Fawcett. “The Aggie Fanbase are very passionate fans and are a very strong community. It is the in-state school that consistently stood out to me throughout my recruitment. If I end up deciding I want to stay close to home, that is the school I will be choosing. I have built good relationships with a lot of the current players and current recruits in the state. That would make it feel comfortable to go there.”

He recently made back-to-back visits down to College Station, one a surprise unofficial trip to see the Aggies take on Ole Miss, then returned a week later for his official visit to see the Florida game. He’s also tentatively expected to be in attendance to see Texas A&M’s season finale against LSU, just days after he makes his decision.

Intel on Bowens

This recruitment is likely coming down to the Aggies and Ducks. Texas has maintained communication but multiple sources indicate the Longhorns aren’t a true contender at this time. Oregon has long been the biggest threat to Texas A&M for the four-star, and he’s visited three times since May and still could use an official visit on the Ducks. He’s a fan of Dan Lanning’s staff and the vision Lanning has for the program. Ultimately, this could come down to whether or not the four-star wants to stay in-state. Texas A&M is reeling on the field, while the Ducks are 8-2 in Lanning’s first season, but on-field records don’t appear to be a factor for Bowens. He has a lot of trust in defensive ends coach Terry Price and has liked what he’s seen from the Aggies’ defensive line this season. The Ducks will continue to push until he makes his decision, but as things stands, Texas A&M is favored in his recruitment per the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, with an 87.3% chance to land his commitment.

Bowens ranks as the No. 270 prospect and the No. 35 defensive lineman in the country per the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. The four-star has an On3 NIL Valuation of $10.6K. The On3 NIL Valuation is an index that looks to set the standard market value for both high school and college-level athletes. The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.