The son of a former NFL player is a major target for the Fighting Illini in the Class of 2027.
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Brad Underwood is hot on the recruiting trail, and he’s looking at landing one of the biggest fish in the Class of 2027.
According to 247 Sports’ Dushawn London, five-star point guard NaVorro Bowman Jr. has set a date for an official visit with the Illinois Fighting Illini. Bowman is ranked the No. 10 prospect in the upcoming recruiting class and the fifth-best player at his position.
The Sherman Oaks, Calif., native has also locked in official visits with UConn, Texas and Arizona. All four schools reached at least the Sweet 16 in last season’s NCAA Tournament, with Illinois playing in the Final Four and the Huskies finishing as the national runners-up.
Official dates for the visits have yet to be announced.
Bowman — who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 180 pounds — is the son of former NFL player NaVorro Bowman. The elder Bowman was a third-round NFL Draft pick out of Penn State and played eight seasons between the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders. Now 38 years old, the ex-linebacker spent the last two years coaching his former position for the Los Angeles Chargers before stepping down in January to focus on his family.
Aug 27, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) is tackled by San Francisco 49ers linebackerNaVorroBowman(53) during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Underwood will hope to add Bowman to an already-loaded recruiting class that ranks fourth nationally. The Fighting Illini have earned commitments from four-star Kansas shooting guard Quinton Kitt and the top player in Illinois, four-star shooting guard Mason Martin. Kitt and Martin and ranked No. 96 and No. 126 in the Class of 2027, respectively, and adding an elite prospect in Bowman would undoubtedly position Illinois as contenders for years to come.
Bowman has been busy this summer. In June and early July, the rising senior helped lead the United States to a flawless 7-0 record in the FIBA U17 World Cup, eventually culminating in a championship victory over Serbia. Bowman averaged 11.9 points, 3.6 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game in Istanbul, Turkey.
During EYBL play, Bowman has averaged 20.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals over 20 games. However, he has shot just 41.1% from the floor and 33.1% from deep.
The Fighting Illini officially extended an offer to Bowman on Aug. 14, 2025. Illinois is also facing competition from schools such as Villanova, UCLA, USC, Penn State and Indiana for Bowman.
Illinois’ six-prospect recruiting Class of 2026 ranks No. 11 nationally. Adding Bowman to a group that already includes Kitt and Martin would ensure Underwood records a top-ranked class for the second consecutive year.
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