Bowers attended Napa High School in Napa, California, where he played football and basketball.[8] As a freshman he played quarterback for the school's junior varsity team, running the triple option.[1] Bowers joined the varsity team as a sophomore, playing tight end and linebacker, and received his first college offer from Nevada.[1] Following his sophomore season, he attended a Nike camp where his athleticism gained the attention of college scouts and led to him receiving about a dozen offers.[1][8] As a junior, Bowers accounted for 1,499 all-purpose yards and set a school record with 14 touchdown receptions, helping lead Napa to the state playoffs just one year after the team finished 0–10.[5][9] For his efforts he was named the Napa County Player of the Year.[10] Bowers entered his senior season as a preseason All-American but the season was canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions in California.[11][7][1] Unable to play or train due to restrictions, he stayed in shape by running up and down the hills of Napa.[8] Despite not playing as a senior, he would still be named to the All-American Bowl.[12]
Recruiting
Bowers was a highly sought-after prospect, deemed a four-star recruit and the second-ranked tight end of his class by 247Sports, although some programs such as Notre Dame would recruit him as a linebacker.[13][7] Despite being from the West Coast, Bowers wanted to play college football in the South due to the region's passion for the sport, later stating “It is a little different (in the South) — people just care a lot more about football, it’s like a religion out here."[5][7] He ultimately committed to play college football at the University of Georgia under Kirby Smart, citing his relationship with the team's tight ends coach Todd Hartley and a desire to play as a freshman as additional factors in his commitment.[14][15][1]
An early enrollee, Bowers arrived at Georgia in January 2021.[19] As a true freshman, he was originally set to share playing time with fellow tights ends Darnell Washington and Arik Gilbert.[1] However, Washington broke his foot and Gilbert stepped away from the team for personal reasons, leaving Bowers as the team's primary option at tight end.[1] In his first career game, Bowers led the Bulldogs in receiving with six catches for 43 yards in a 10–3 win over Clemson.[20][21] The following week against UAB, he caught his first two touchdowns, including a career-long 89-yard reception, and recorded his first 100-yard performance in a 56–7 win.[22] Two weeks later against Vanderbilt, Bowers caught two touchdowns and rushed for another en route to a blowout victory.[23] On October 16, he had another 100-yard performance, catching five passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns in a 30–13 defeat of Kentucky.[24] Bowers had additional multi-touchdown performances against Charleston Southern and rival Georgia Tech.[25][26] In the SEC Championship Game against Alabama, Bowers caught 10 passes (the most by a tight end in SEC Championship history) for a then career-high 139 yards and a touchdown in the Bulldogs 41–24 loss, their first of the season.[27] Despite the loss to Alabama, Georgia qualified for the College Football Playoff as the third seed.[28] In the Orange Bowl semifinal against Michigan, Bowers made five receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown in a 34–11 win, sending Georgia to the national championship game.[29][30] In the championship game, Georgia faced off against Alabama, who had handed the Bulldogs their lone loss of the season a month prior.[30] Bowers caught four passes in the game, including a crucial touchdown with just over three minutes remaining which extended the Bulldogs' lead to eight points.[31] Georgia defeated Alabama 33–18, capturing their first national championship since 1980.[31]
At the conclusion of his freshman season, Bowers was named SEC Freshman of the Year and was included on the All-SEC first team and All-American second team.[32][33] He finished the season as Georgia's leading receiver with 56 receptions for 882 yards and a program record 13 receiving touchdowns.[34][35][36] He also had 56 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.[35]
Following his strong freshman season, Bowers entered the 2022 season with high expectations, and was named a preseason All-American.[37] In the Bulldogs season opener against Oregon, he had two receptions for 38 yards in a 49–3 victory.[35] Two weeks later, against South Carolina, Bowers caught five passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for another touchdown in a 48–7 win.[38] The following week against Kent State, he would have the best game of his career on the ground, rushing for 77 yards and two touchdowns in a 39–22 victory.[39][40] In the Bulldogs victory over Florida, Bowers recorded a career-high 154 receiving yards on five receptions, including an improbable 73-yard touchdown catch off of a deflection which some media outlets dubbed the "catch of the season".[41][42] Following a victory over LSU in the SEC Championship, the undefeated Bulldogs advanced to the College Football Playoff as the no. 1 seed.[43] In the Peach Bowl semi-final against Ohio State, Bowers caught four passes for 64 yards, including a crucial fourth down conversion in the final quarter to extend an eventual touchdown drive.[44][35] Georgia would defeat Ohio State 42–41 to advance to the national championship.[45] In the championship game, he caught a season-high seven passes for 152 yards and a touchdown on his final catch of the year to help Georgia capture their second consecutive national championship in a 65–7 blowout of TCU, the largest margin of victory in championship history.[46][47]
At the conclusion of his sophomore season, Bowers was named a first team All-American and won the John Mackey Award for the nation's best tight end.[48][49] He once again finished the season as Georgia's leading receiver with 63 receptions for 942 yards and seven touchdowns as well as 109 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.[35][50]
Bowers won the John Mackey Award again in 2023, making him the only two-time winner for that award.[51] He won the award despite missing three games in 2023 due to an ankle injury. He still led Georgia in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns, something he accomplished in all three of his seasons at UGA.[52] In 10 games, Bowers caught 56 passes for 714 yards and six touchdowns.[53] Bowers declared for the 2024 NFL draft following the 2023 season.[54] A three-time All-American, he has been cited as among the greatest tight ends in college football history.[55][56][57][58]
Bowers was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the first round with the 13th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.[61] On May 9, 2024, Bowers signed a four-year fully-guaranteed contract worth $18.1 million.[62] In his NFL debut, he had six receptions for 58 yards in a 10–22 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1.[63] In a Week 2, 26–23 win over the Baltimore Ravens, Bowers had nine receptions for 98 yards.[64] In week 5, Bowers caught a 57-yard pass for his first NFL touchdown as a part of an eight reception, 97 yard game during an 18–34 loss to the Denver Broncos.[65]
