The Iowa Hawkeyes largely locked up their recruiting for the class of 2020 nearly a year ago. They went into the 2019 season with essentially a full class with the flexibility to add a player or two following any departures.
That’s allowed them to turn an early focus to the class of 2021. The staff got off to a similarly fast start with six commitments already in the bag before the turn of the calendar. That’s been aided in part by an incredibly talented group of athletes from within the state’s borders.
Today, the staff kept the strong momentum going by adding yet another in-state commitment. This time it comes from just down the road in West Branch as defensive end Jeff Bowie made his verbal commitment to Iowa.
I am extremely excited to announce that I am staying home and I am 100% committed to The University of Iowa! I would like to thank all of my coaches, family, and teammates for helping me get to this point! Go Hawks #swarm21 #fightforiowa pic.twitter.com/D5XkJ45Ys4
— Jeffrey Bowie (@jeffreyjbowie) January 25, 2020
Bowie is a big time prospect who has seen his recruitment really take off over the last year. At 6’5” and 245 pounds as a junior, Bowie has excellent size for a defensive end. He’ll surely add bulk through his senior year and should enter college with a body as close to ready as nearly any other Iowa recruit not named A.J. Epenesa.
On film, Bowie jumps off the screen given his combination of size and quickness. At the 1A level in Iowa, he dominates his opponents. As a junior, he tallied 15 tackles for loss and six sacks. The one question will be his level of competition, though concerns should be mitigated by the extensive opportunities for evaluation from the staff.
Bowie becomes the seventh commitment for Iowa in the class of 2021 and the fifth from within the state’s borders. He is the second defensive lineman in the class, joining fellow Iowa native Griffin Liddle of Bettendorf.
Welcome aboard Jeff Bowie!
Jeff Bowie
Position: Defensive End
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 245
Hometown: West Branch, IA (West Branch)
Stars: 247 Sports - 3; Rivals - 3