The Pitt Panther football team recently opened pre-season camp and a number of recruits were in attendance. One of them was hulking 2015 tight end verbal commitment Nick Bowers (6-foot-4 inches, 245 pounds) from Kittanning, PA.
Bowers grew up a Pitt and was one of the first players to verbally commit to the Panthers. He caught 53 passes for 850 yards a junior in 2013. He set Kittanning Senior High School’s single-season record for receptions and receiving yards. Nick rushed the ball 56 times for 426 yards and amassed 17 touchdowns.
“I had a great time at practice. It was great being able to see practice and meet a lot of my future teammates,” said Bowers. “I hung out with Tre (Tipton), Dane (Jackson), Kevin (Givens) and Johnny (Petrishen). It was my first time meeting Dane and Kevin. Kevin and I actually played against each other during a 7-on-7 tournament last year. Both are great guys. All of us talked about our recruiting experiences and future at Pitt.”
“Johnny (Petrishen) was the only uncommitted player. We were trying to talk him into going to Pitt. I already knew him from playing basketball. He would make a great addition to our class,’ he said. “I know Tre spoke with him a bit longer after practice as well. He didn’t say too much to me other than his top four schools. I hope he ends up joining us. All of us were working on him.”
Bowers grew up a Pitt fan. He had hoped for a scholarship offer from the Panthers, but never expected the timing of the offer. “My sophomore year was cut short due to a concussion. I came back and played pretty well my junior year,” he said. “When Pitt offered me a scholarship shortly after my junior year, my father and I were shocked. I was happy but shocked.”
Bowers continues to grow exponentially. He weighed 210 to 215 pounds as a junior. Nick currently weighs in excess of 240 pounds. He has the frame to carry an additional 20 to 30 pounds. “I stepped away from basketball a year ago. I would usually lose a lot of weight during basketball season,” he said. “I opted to start working with a speed trainer and strength coach. Both coaches have made a big difference. I’m losing a little bit of weight now running for football season, but I’m still a lot bigger than last year.”
When asked about his strengths at the tight end position, he stated, “I actually play wide receiver for my high school. I’m a strong route runner and my blocking is improving. I’m working a lot on technique. As my technique improves, my blocking will improve.”
Pitt recruited Bowers as a tight end, but he has the potential to be an impact player on defense. He had an impressive junior year recording 92 tackles (56 solo). He was named the team’s defensive MVP. Although the Panthers coaching staff has never discussed a shift to the other side of the ball, he did state, “I’ll do whatever it takes to help the team. If they ever needed me to shift to defense, I would do it.”
“I enjoyed watching Pitt in their opening practice,” he said. “I noticed that you had team leaders like Tyler Boyd finishing plays. He would get the ball and go straight to the endzone. The team looked great.”
Harry G. Psaros can be followed on Twitter at @PittGuru