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W hen life returns to normal and Penn State is able to regroup in the Lasch Building a:er a long and unexpected hia- tus, the Nittany Lions will add one new signal caller to round out their 7ve-man quarterback room. At 5-foot-11, he will be called under- sized by some. And given his terri7c ath- leticism, a couple schools even recruited him as a cornerback or athlete. But Micah Bowens is a quarterback. "I was thankful for the opportunities to play," Bowens said of the o9ers from Ore- gon and Nebraska, both of which wanted him to play di9erent positions. "I feel that I'm a quarterback, and schools that saw me as a quarterback are schools I have a lot of respect for. That played a big part in my recruitment." Sound familiar? The similarities between Bowens and Trace McSorley go deeper, even if they're purely coincidental. Both three- star recruits received 13 offers, and both committed relatively quickly after their first visit to Penn State. And of course, both will have enrolled at Penn State with an unclear path toward a starting job. But while it's fun to play the compari- son game, it's Bowens' individuality that stands out. He's Penn State's first re- cruit from Nevada in more than two decades, and football isn't the only sport he's passionate about. He's also an avid bowler. Bowens comes to Penn State from one of the most esteemed high school pro- grams in the country in Bishop Gorman. He waited behind former four-star quar- terback Tate Martell as a freshman before taking the reins as a junior, leading his team to a pair of NIAA 4A state champi- onship appearances, including a win in his 11th-grade campaign. During his two seasons at the helm, Bowens threw for 4,918 yards and ran for 1,516, combining for 80 total touch- downs, all while playing one of the most competitive schedules high school foot- ball has to o9er. "Bishop Gorman de7nitely prepared not just me, but everybody for the next level athletically and academically," Bowens said. "We played at a high level, we played teams from all across the coun- try, and I think it really prepared me for what's to come." Bowens committed to Penn State shortly a:er his junior season, surprising his father on his 50th birthday in Febru- ary 2019, only a few weeks a:er his 7rst visit to Penn State. He had already visited plenty of schools by that point in his re- cruitment, and while deciding to travel 2,300 miles is a big choice, it felt like the obvious one to Bowens. "The feeling, the atmosphere of Penn State when I got there just blew me away," he said. "The other places I went, I didn't get that same feeling, so I knew that that's where I was meant to be… [James Franklin] is more than a football coach. He's a life coach, and that played a big part in my recruitment." Ricky Rahne was the lead recruiter for Bowens, and while the quarterback prospect was sad to see Rahne leave for Old Dominion, he emphasized that he committed to a school, not a coach. It made the transition easier when Kirk Cia- rrocca was named the o9ensive coordina- tor, as the two have some previous his- tory. Not only did Ciarrocca brie8y attempt to recruit Bowens to Minnesota, but Bowens' cousin Jordan Howden was the Golden Gopher safety who intercepted Sean Cli9ord to clinch Minnesota's win over Penn State in November. While the beginning of their relationship hasn't been a normal one, Bowens is already get- ting comfortable with Ciarrocca and the rest of the sta9. "Of course, when you have a new coach you have to start from the ground up," Bowens said. "We try to talk once a week to build that relationship so that by the time we get there, it's all football from there on out." With the beginning of Bowens' journey currently on hold, he's spending his time staying in shape and learning the o9ense remotely so that he's prepared once prac- tice begins. No one will complain if the similarities between Bowens and McSorley still ring true when his time at Penn State ends. But before then, there's plenty he wants to accomplish. "Big Ten championship and national championship," Bowens said. "That's the goal every year." ■ Elite competition brings out best in QB Bowens CLICK HERE to see video of Bowens in action. THE BOWENS FILE STATS Was a three-year letterman and team captain as a senior... Helped Bishop Gorman win the state championship as a junior... Threw for 4,918 yards and rushed for 1,516 during his final two seasons HONORS Named a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, as well as the No. 4 prospect in Nevada and No. 12 dual-threat QB in the country... Received first-team All-State honors as a jun- ior... Was a three-time All-Region choice |

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