Billy

Bowman Jr.

A four-year starter and defensive spark plug at Oklahoma, Bowman Jr. brings dynamic ball production and plus instincts to the 2025 safety class. A twitchy, versatile field safety in Zac Alley’s 4-2-5 scheme, Bowman logged snaps all over the back end—box, nickel, and deep—and racked up 11 career interceptions, returning three for touchdowns. His 2023 campaign (6 INTs, 63 tackles) landed him first-team All-Big 12 honors and showcased his elite reaction skills and nose for the football. Bowman tested well athletically (4.42 forty, 35.5-inch vert), but his size (5’10”, 192 lbs, 28.5-inch arms) is a limiting factor. He diagnoses quickly and plays fast, but his lack of play strength shows when tackling bigger targets or disengaging from blocks. He’s more of a drag-down finisher than a thumper, and his open-field tackling has been inconsistent throughout his career. Still, Bowman’s blend of football IQ, fluid hips, and versatility is rare. He can cover the slot, rotate post-snap, or disguise coverage from two-high shells. Though he may never be a box enforcer, he brings disruptive, turnover-hungry energy to the backend. He’s an immediate contributor on special teams and sub-packages, with starting upside in a split-safety system.

Bowman (5'10/170) pledged to Texas over fellow finalist Alabama. While schools often recruit two-way athletes specifically to one side of the ball or the other, Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman hears that Longhorns HC Tom Herman and staff are flexible as to how they will utilize the Denton, Texas, native. He profiles as either a slot wideout or a defensive back, with special teams upside either way. Spiegelman writes that Bowman is a “special athlete with fantastic vision and instincts,” noting that he possesses 4.47-second wheels in the 40-yard dash and is “always a threat to return it to the house.” Rivals ranks Bowman as the No. 88 overall prospect in the 2021 class.