In 2021, Georgia started the season with two stud tight ends who were expected to lead the team. They would give the Bulldogs a middle-of-the-field presence and be incredibly difficult for defenses to account for. The duo of Darnell Washington and Arik Gilbert did not deliver, but a freshman TE did, Brock Bowers.
En route to a National Championship, Bowers consistently made huge plays and key first downs. He led the team in receiving yards, receptions, and receiving TDs. Bowers emerged as the TE1 in Devy and C2C formats and has two more seasons in Athens to get better.
RECRUITMENT
Hailing from Napa, California, Bowers was the 105th-ranked player in the class of 2021 and the third TE. He garnered a four-star rating and a 247Sports Composite score of 0.9532. He received 22 offers, including Michigan, LSU, Notre Dame, Oregon, and Penn State. Bowers didn’t get an official visit due to Covid but decided to attend the new TE U, Georgia.
STATS
| Receiving | Rushing | Scrimmage | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Plays | Yds | Avg | TD |
| *2021 | Georgia | SEC | FR | TE | 14 | 56 | 882 | 15.8 | 13 | 4 | 56 | 14.0 | 1 | 60 | 938 | 15.6 | 14 |
| Career | Georgia | 56 | 882 | 15.8 | 13 | 4 | 56 | 14.0 | 1 | 60 | 938 | 15.6 | 14 | ||||
College TEs don’t typically produce the types of seasons that Bowers had. To do it as a freshman and playing versus SEC defenses is even more impressive. He caught 56 balls for 882 yards and scored 13 TDs.
The yardage and TDs are the highest for any returning TE this season, and he was only bested in receptions by Zack Kuntz and Michael Mayer.
FILM STUDY
Run After the Catch
Bowers gets open quickly and understands where he needs to be. His run-after-the-catch ability is insane for a TE. Bowers tucks in the ball on this catch below and quickly gets upfield, catching the secondary off balance, and he exploits the positioning. His speed and use of angles is advanced, and Bowers makes this look easy.
Brock Bowers is a real problem pic.twitter.com/AEzJkpljxs
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) November 27, 2021
Not only is it speed, but he can also be tough to bring down. In the play below, it’s a quick screen against Alabama even. Bowers bullies his way through multiple defenders and runs over dudes who will be in the NFL. I want my TE to play with this kind of dawg.
Stetson Bennett & Brock Bowers ran this same play twice for two touchdowns in two different Bama games pic.twitter.com/32gSHiuc5H
— Wes Blankenship (@Wes_nship) January 19, 2022
Plays Like a WR
Bowers has a good understanding of the game and can also work downfield. In this play, he’s on first-round safety Daxton Hill, and Bowers leaves him in the dust. It would have been a bigger play if Bowers hadn’t come back for a Stetson Bennett underthrow.
Stetson Bennett & Brock Bowers ran this same play twice for two touchdowns in two different Bama games pic.twitter.com/32gSHiuc5H
— Wes Blankenship (@Wes_nship) January 19, 2022
He works down the sideline here, and it’s off to the races. Bowers has an uncanny knack for making these types of plays. He’s smart, has excellent hands, and can work all over the field – not just the middle of the field.
Tight ends usually don’t run this fast…
— Matt DeBary (@MattDeBary) September 11, 2021
The #Bulldogs have a MAJOR weapon at TE in Brock Bowers the next few years pic.twitter.com/CaZZd7HNd6
Needs Work
Honestly, the only thing that needs work is his size. Bowers is 6’4” and listed at 230 pounds but doesn’t appear to be that big. It doesn’t show as a weakness. He is a willing blocker and has good technique. Bowers was the top-rated TE in the SEC with at least 25 targets.
As far as a TE prospect, Bowers is nearly perfect and has two more seasons to hone his game.
Conclusion
The Georgia sophomore is the top TE in Devy, C2C, and College fantasy. The Bulldog offense will continue to feature him, and he will have massive numbers in 2022 and 2023. Even if Washington and Gilbert carve out a role in the offense. All three are good enough to find enough plays to be relevant, with Bowers now the alpha TE.
Good luck if you want to acquire Bowers – he’s incredibly valuable, particularly in C2C and TE-premium leagues. Not many TEs carry value in Devy, and those that do, like Bowers, are tough to pry from owners.
Bowers will be the first TE off the board in startups, and I have seen him go routinely in the top twenty selections. He is a bonafide stud and will be the first TE selected in the 2024 Draft.
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