SIGNING DAY PREVIEW: Athlete Lynn Bowden
Cats Illustrated isn't waiting until National Signing Day to get you ready for all the action. We're rolling out Signing Day content all week.
In our new Signing Day Preview series we'll profile every single one of Kentucky's 2017 early enrollees as well as those who won't be signing until Wednesday.
STATUS: Will sign on Wednesday and enroll in June.
RESUME: Bowden was a finalist for the prestigious Mr. Ohio award, finishing as the runner up (when many believed he should have won it). Bowden had 1,366 passing yards, 2,277 rushing yards and scored 57 total touchdowns for Warren Harding as a senior in 2016.
RECRUITING HISTORY: Bowden committed to Kentucky late in the process, although it was rumored that he was a Wildcat lean for the last several months of his recruitment. He took a later official visit to Kentucky and had previously visited the school over the summer and before the season. Vince Marrow was instrumental in securing his commitment. He had a long list of other finalists that ranged from Michigan State and Iowa State to Maryland and others. Ohio State was showing a lot of interest even very late in his recruitment and, yes, even after his commitment to Kentucky.
SCOUTING REPORT: Bowden is the most versatile player in Kentucky's class. He was a stellar quarterback for Harding this year and should give Kentucky the ability to put him in the Wildcat while also serving as a threat to pass the ball from the formation. He can excel on jet sweeps, on carries, in the slot, at receiver or on returns. He has exceptional vision, quickness, acceleration, change of direction and balance. His football instincts are second to none and many believe he was the most dynamic player in Ohio and one of the most explosive in the entire country. He doesn't have elite size but for the roles he will play his build is more than adequate. He's quicker than he is fast but he still has the speed to run away from defenders.
CATS ILLUSTRATED PROJECTION: Bowden is very likely to make an impact for Kentucky as a true freshman in 2017. With the loss of Boom Williams and Jeff Badet the Cats are looking for playmakers to emerge and Bowden can excel in a number of spots. Don't be surprised if he averages several touches a game and sees his workload expand as the season goes on. The sky is the limit and he's one of the best recruits Kentucky will have landed in the modern era.
| Size | Speed | Quickness | Instincts | Versatility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
7/10 |
8/10 |
9/10 |
10/10 |
10/10 |
