Georgia OL gets first offer
Helena (Ga.) is a small town in middle Georgia, but it is home to one of the state's biggest offensive lineman.
Tyler Bowen, a 6-foot-7, 309-pound (Gainesville NIKE Camp measurements) student-athlete from Telfair County High picked up offer No. 1 Saturday.
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"Coach Tom Brattan of Maryland sent me a text message and asked me to call him," said Bowen. "I called him and he told me that he and Coach Ralph Friedgen (Maryland Head Coach) saw me at the Gainesville NIKE Camp, liked what they saw, and wanted to offer me a scholarship."
The Terps have really come on strong over the last couple of weeks, but the offer was still surprising for Bowen.
"They have been talking like they were going to offer," he said. "They got real serious here recently and I am very excited about the offer. It surprised me that the offer came on Saturday."
Bowen now plans to visit Maryland in the near future.
"My parents and I are going to go up there for an unofficial visit during the summer. I just want to learn more about the program, see the campus, and that kind of stuff," Bowen said.
Offer number one means a lot to this Georgia OL.
"This offer is really going to factor into my decision," said Bowen. "Maryland really stepped up and decided to offer me first, that shows me a lot."
This offer puts Maryland high on Bowen's list.
"I would say it is Maryland, Georgia, Georgia Tech, South Florida, Duke, and Auburn," he said. "That is a list of my favorites."
Bowen feels a couple of those programs could be close to offering him a scholarship.
"Duke and South Florida seem to be very close," he said. "They have been talking serious about it here recently. Arizona and Illinois have too."
It looks like it will be a busy summer for Bowen.
"I am going to camp at Georgia Tech on June 10 and Georgia on July 7 and 8 for sure," he said. "I am probably going to camp at Florida on either June 5 or 6 and camp at Auburn on July 15. I may camp one more place, but I am not sure yet," said Bowen.
He has no timetable for his commitment.
"If everything feels right, then I could commit during the summer," said Bowen. "If not, then I will be patient and look at all my options before making my decision."