That Brock Bowers photo featured above doesn’t really do the All-American TE justice. Those pictures from that “Junior Day” visit earlier this year are more like his “before” photo.

That was before a pandemic. It was also right before he was set to have wrist surgery. He had not been lifting as he has now over the last five months.

“I need to get up there and get some new photos,” Bowers said this week during his live “Before the Hedges” interview with DawgNation.

What has Bowers done over the last six months? Well, he did commit to Georgia. Why?

Bowers boiled it down to he was essentially just looking for a chill town that was far removed from the pace and traffic of city life.

That came after he took a self-guided unofficial visit to both Georgia and Washington.

The other thing he has done is get into the gym. There was a recent Instagram post from one of his trainers that shows a significant leap in muscle tone and fitness for Bowers since those last pics he took in a Georgia uniform.

He’s also been through more than his share of adversity. Aside from having to take all of those unofficial self-guided expenses at his family’s expense during the age of COVID-19, he is currently digital learning.

The varsity football season has been postponed for this fall. As if that is not enough, his community has also been affected by the brushfires in California over the last few weeks.

If there wasn’t a pandemic, he said that his high school team wouldn’t have been practicing this week and would have likely seen their first game of the season postponed by that situation, too.

The All-American Bowl participant ranks as the nation’s No. 3 TE and the No. 98 overall prospect. Bowers scored touchdowns on 14 of his 39 catches as a junior in 2019. That’s a ratio of reaching pay dirt on 36 percent of his catches.

Did you know the weekly DawgNation.com “Before the Hedges” program is now available as an Apple podcast? Click to check it out and download it. 

Brock Bowers can be a super-sized slot receiver for Georgia in the SEC. He’s that athletic at around 230-plus pounds. (Brock Bowers/Twitter)/Dawgnation)

What did Brock Bowers say on “Hedges” this week?

Bowers had a good interview rep this week. He touched on a lot of subjects this week with DawgNation, including …

  • Why is he so competitive in the classroom? 
  • When was the first moment he was feeling that he just might be a Bulldog? 
  • What has Georgia told him about his future in the offense? 
  • Despite all those catches, he detailed why he will still enjoy a role as a run blocker
  • How would he describe tight ends coach Todd Hartley as a recruiter and a person? 
  • What was that tour guide document Hartley made for Bowers on his self-guided visit? 
  • What was it like the first time he saw Georgia LB commit Chaz Chambliss in person?
  • How much he misses that big cinnamon roll at “Mama’s Boy” in Athens. 

Brock Bowers: The quick-hit things to know here 

There’s a quote from his high school coach which will resonate with anyone who has played “Madden” or “NCAA football” video games.

Richie Wessman, his Napa High coach, even played at USC and coached in the NFL. He told the Napa Valley Register about an early evaluation period when Bowers really began to emerge.

“He broke three tackles in a very impressive fashion,” Wessman said. “It was like if you’re playing a video game and you’re pressing all the buttons. He hit the stiff arm, he hit the spin move, hit a juke and then ended with a speed burst. It was really impressive.”

That was from a story that honored Bowers as the Napa County Football Player of the Year. Lots of coaches will often say that their player might have that “X” or “speed burst” button.

When you flip on this film, his conjecture is validated. Bowers does indeed have all the buttons.

What else will help the DawgNation reader ace a Bowers 101, Bowers 201 and Bowers 301 exam?

  • His mother is a math teacher. That’s part of the reason why he excels in the classroom with a 4.33 grade-point average at Napa High in California. 
  • His mother is a schoolteacher and hails from a family of athletes. His father was an offensive lineman at Utah State. His mother played softball in college. His older sister still does.
  • California is not playing high school football this fall. He’s slated to start his season up in late December for acclimation and practice. The schedule is currently slated to begin in January. 
  • He went to an Opening regional in April of 2019 and his entire recruiting outlook changed. He timed a 4.5 laser in the 40 at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds AND posted a vertical lap of 40.2 inches. 
  • Bowers had an offer from Nevada that day. His offer sheet was in need of the old school Dewey Decimal System after that showing. 
  • The California native projects as a “super-sized slot” receiver and a traditional tight end in the Georgia offense in Todd Monken’s new offensive system. 
  • Had a season-opening game last fall in which reeled in eight catches for 91 yards and two scores AND also paired that performance up with an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. That was the same game. That’s a rarefied stat line for a tight end.
  • His 39 catches in 2019 also produced 1,098 yards. That meant a gaudy 28.2 yards per catch.
  • Bowers played tight end, running back, wide receiver, linebacker and punt returner for his high school team.
  • He also wrapped up 25 stops, eight tackles for losses and a sack on defense as an OLB as a junior.
  • In his last two varsity seasons, he has recorded 21 combined touchdown catches and over 1,700 receiving yards.
  • The 4-star recruit also finished third on his team in rushing with 355 yards, including a pair of 100-yard games.

Check out the Facebook and YouTube show feeds from the Bowers guest appearance below.

Before The Hedges: Join us in welcoming new UGA commit Brock Bowers to DawgNation

Join us in welcoming new UGA commit Brock Bowers to DawgNation

Posted by UGA DawgNation – Georgia Bulldogs on Wednesday, August 26, 2020

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