4-Star 2021 Texas WR Billy Bowman Spurns Longhorns for Sooners
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
As the up and down season for the Longhorns plays out on the field, life on the recruiting trail in October was troublesome. Texas lost three key recruits over a span of three weeks with in-state four-star receiver Billy Bowman flipping to archrival Oklahoma on Sunday night.
Texas started out the 2020 college football schedule as a preseason Top 15 squad taking down UTEP (59-3) and Texas Tech (63-56 OT) before dropping back to back contests against unranked foes in TCU (33-31) and Oklahoma (53-45 OT). The Longhorns dropped out of the Top 25 as the Big Ten was about to join the fray and before the Pac-12 began their season. The fanbase received some light in the dark beating Baylor (27-16) and notching perhaps a season saving win over then- No. 6 Oklahoma State (41-34) in overtime in Boone Pickens Stadium.
As play on the field supports efforts off it, the turbulent waters with recruiting started surfacing on Oct. 7 when four-star Class of 2021 receiver Billy Bowman decommitted from the Longhorns. Per 24/7Sports rankings, Bowman is the third best senior athlete in the country ranked No. 35 nationally. The 5-10, 175-pound, target has been a four-year impact player for Denton’s Ryan High School on offense putting up career numbers as a junior with 54 receptions for 824 yards while adding 17 touchdowns. On defense, he put an end to 55 plays with two tackles for a loss, a sack, broke up two passes, forced a pair of fumbles, and picked off three taking each back to the house.
The bad news kept coming for Texas with the announcement on Oct. 28 that five-star Southlake Carroll quarterback Quinn Ewers was having a change of heart. After the Class of 2022 top-rated gunslinger backed off so did four-star junior Lancaster receiver Phaizon Wilson.
Texas’ 2021 recruiting class is holding on at No. 17 nationally, second in the Big 12 to Oklahoma. The Longhorns currently have 17 commitments comprised of one five-star and seven four-star prospects. With two less commits, the Sooners are outpacing Texas in four-star players with 10 while having a five-star of their own, dual-threat Caleb Williams.
As life goes on with football, Bowman’s Raiders’ squad (5-0) is ranked No. 13 nationally, No. 2 in Texas. In stats posted through four games, Bowman has rushed 17 times for 125 yards with three touchdowns and brought down 18 passes for 225 yards with four more trips into the end zone.
And as for the Longhorns, Texas is back in the Top 25 ranked No. 22 ready to host West Virginia on Saturday. With four regular season games left in total, Kansas, Iowa State, and Kansas State, against unranked opponents, Texas has a chance to run the table setting up for a nice national ranking, a solid bowl game. With Kansas State, Iowa State, and Oklahoma State atop the Big 12 standings, Texas is still in play for a 2020 conference title.
Photo credit: Burnt Orange Nation; Tom Herman on the Texas sidelines