What can fans expect from future QB Micah Bowens?
It's not often that Penn State picks up commitments from players on the West Coast, but for the second-straight year, James Franklin and his staff have added a signal-caller from the Pacific Time Zone.
On Tuesday, Las Vegas resident Micah Bowens, a three-star quarterback from Bishop Gorman, announced that he's joining the Nittany Lions. While offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne has been monitoring him for months now, he emerged as a serious candidate just over three weeks ago, when he and a few other prospects from the region - notably TE Darnell Washington and WR Rome Odunze - took an unofficial visit to Penn State. By the time Bowens left campus, he held an offer from the Nittany Lions.
"I have watched Bowens for the last few years and there are some things that really impress me about his game and then some points of improvement that will need to be made to compete in the Big 10," said Rivals analyst Adam Gorney. "The first two things that stand out are his leadership abilities and his stats against a very challenging schedule at Las Vegas' Bishop Gorman."
The stats are impressive. In his first season leading the Gaels, Bowens racked up 2,778 yards passing and another 927 yards rushing. He totaled 44 touchdowns (29 passing, 15 rushing) and threw just eight interceptions. It's also notable that Gorman played some elite competition, starting the season against the team that ultimately finished No. 1 in the nation in multiple polls: Mater Dei from Santa, Ana., Calif. Gorman, who's in a bit of a rebuilding stage, lost 42-0. Bowens finished the game 13 for 28 with 108 yards passing and one interception. He added just 17 yards rushing.
Gorman played two more Top 100 high school programs in the following three weeks in Centennial, from Peoria, Ariz., and De La Salle, from Concord, Calif. They also played Utah's 4A state champion, Orem. While Gorman lost the two matchups against Top 100 programs, they did defeat Orem to finish their non-conference slate 1-3. Bowens also showed some signs of improvement, which is important to see from a first-year quarterback facing a very tough schedule right from the start. In the final three games of non-conference play, he threw for 656 yards and added another 109 yards rushing. He totaled three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns, but also had six interceptions.
"I do believe he needs to improve his accuracy as the ball sails on him sometimes," said Gorney. "But he's comfortable throwing on the run - he might actually prefer it - and he does a great job of keeping his eyes down the field to find receivers breaking open. He completed nearly 65 percent of his passes this past season but there is a pass here or there that he would probably like back. Bowens can also run effectively."
Bowens, who primarily played defensive back his sophomore season, was recruited by multiple schools to play safety, including Oregon and Arizona, the only two Pac-12 programs to offer so far. Because of that, he's drawn some comparisons to former Nittany Lion QB Trace McSorley, who was listed as an athlete coming out of high school.
In fact, McSorley had similar stats to Bowens during his junior season of high school, totaling 2,294 yards passing and 559 yards rushing. He scored 37 total touchdowns and threw five interceptions, completing 67 percent of his passes. Comparing their schedules, McSorley played a more competitive conference and playoff schedule, while Bowens played much tougher schools in non-conference play. Both eventually led their schools to state championship.
"When Penn State offered, I think Bowens became immediately interested and he was focused on his recent trip there. He loves the coaching staff and most importantly really likes what they did with Trace McSorley," said Gorney. "There are parallels since some schools would prefer Bowens at defensive back and on down the line, but I'm not going to compare the two just yet since McSorley was one of the best QBs in school history."
Penn State's coaching staff also pushed the McSorley angle in recruiting Bowens, and it was a smart decision to do so, as it played a part in his decision to commit. Whether he ends up being a top quarterback like McSorley mainly comes down to how he improves his accuracy, as he has the athleticism and arm strength to run Penn State's offense.
"It boils down to this: Bowens jumped at his chance to be coached by the same coaches who developed McSorley into the player he is today," Gorney said. "It could be the perfect situation for him. As long as he refines his accuracy, Bowens could be a huge dual-threat headache for many Big 10 opponents."