Published Feb 25, 2018
OL Tanner Bowles has become one of the hottest '19 prospects in the nation.
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Dave Lackford  •  KentuckyPreps
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@RivalsDave

Tanner Bowles offer sheet looks like a preseason top ten. In February alone the talented offensive lineman has received offers from Stanford, Georgia, Ohio State, Florida State, Alabama, and the University of Southern California to go along with Penn State, Oklahoma, LSU, Tennessee, and others. Nine of those schools will likely be preseason top-ten selections or close to it.

"It’s incredible. It’s definitely a humbling experience to think that I’m chosen to play for any of these universities. There are many high school athletes that only can dream to do these things and it makes me think how fortunate I am to be able to do this," said Bowles.

Coaches see a smart, long, and athletic lineman, who has an athletic base with promising growth potential.

"Every single one (of the coaches recruiting him) has told me that they believe I have great athletic ability for my size. I do believe I haven’t reached my max potential at all so they believe that they can cause that. They also love the intellectual ability that I possess because it shows a sign of intelligence on the field as well," noted Bowles.

His work on the field and in the classroom has afforded him the ability to choose between pure football powerhouses as well as academic juggernauts like Stanford and Vanderbilt.

"What I’m looking for is a mix (of football and academic prowess). I’ve talked to a few colleges (with) outstanding engineering programs which is what I’m planning to major in. I just want a university that is best for me all around. Not only the athletic life or educational but just the everyday environment."

Being a Kentucky prospect usually means you either grew up a Louisville fan or a Kentucky fan, in the case of a Glasgow kid you probably prefer blue to red. Bowles situation was a little bit more complicated than most. His older brother Hunter was a three-star tight end who played for Louisville. His father played baseball for Kentucky. In a divided house, Tanner Bowles has found a balance.

Now that the 2018 cycle is in the collective rear view of every staff in the country, Bowles says that all the schools that have offered him are showing a lot of interest. He has a mixture of offers that have come from 2017 and the new offers this month and says that he is keeping all his options open at the moment, but does have some idea of who is out in front.

"I grew up supporting UK because my father was a graduate of there. Also enjoyed watching Alabama and Texas when Colt McCoy was there. After my brother went to UofL I supported them. Now that he left I just love college football all around. No specific school that I root for anymore," said Bowles.

Speaking of a specific school, Bowles kept it close to the vest when asked if he had any favorites but did provide some wise insight as to where his recruitment status stands.

"Personally I’ve narrowed down to about six schools but I’m not ready to make that public. I still believe that some teams can change my mind so they aren’t locked in yet," Bowles offered. "The only schools that I plan to visit that I have not visited are Florida State, Florida, Stanford, and Clemson. (I'm) still going to visit many that I’ve already been to."

He also noted that optimally he wants to visit schools for their spring games but knows that he may not be able to see all of them due to scheduling conflicts.

Dave's take: Bowles is a savvy customer when it comes to the recruiting process and didn't tip his early hand very much. It appears Florida State and Stanford have his attention as he specifically named them for visits but he also admitted its hard for him to keep track of all the schools off the top of his head. It appears he is also interested in Clemson and Florida, two teams who haven't offered but he named specifically when asked where he planed to visit. For the hometown Wildcats and Cardinals, they are going to have a tough time keeping a national recruit of his stature in-state but there are strong ties to both programs so one would think they have a legitimate shot. In summary, it doesn't appear he has a clear leader or really a firm grasp on where he wants to go at this point. Things are wide open for Bowles and Clemson and Florida could make a strong surge if they offer.

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