UConn Lands Five-Star Point Guard NaVarro Bowman Jr., Son of Former 49ers All-Pro Linebacker

The University of Connecticut men’s basketball program has secured a verbal commitment from NaVarro Bowman Jr., a five-star point guard in the Class of 2027 and the son of former All-Pro NFL linebacker NaVorro Bowman, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Bowman, a 6-foot-3 guard from Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California, ranks as the No. 5 point guard and the No. 11 player overall in the 2027 class per Rivals. He stands as the only five-star prospect in that class to commit to a program so far, giving coach Dan Hurley an early and significant recruiting victory.

On the court, Bowman averaged 22.5 points and 5.0 assists per game as a junior while connecting on 34% of his 3-point attempts across 29 games. He then carried that production onto the Nike EYBL circuit over the summer, posting 20.5 points and 3.6 assists per contest. The EYBL, sponsored by NIKE, Inc., remains the premier grassroots showcase for elite high school prospects, and strong performances there often shape national rankings and recruiting momentum.

For Hurley, a two-time national champion, Bowman is his first 2027 commitment and the fourth five-star recruit of his tenure, joining Braylon Mullins (2025), Liam McNeeley (2024), and Stephon Castle (2023), who went on to win NBA Rookie of the Year. Hurley has also added a pair of four-star recruits to the 2026 class in shooting guard Colben Landrew and point guard Junior County.

Bowman’s bloodlines are notable. His father spent seven NFL seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and the then-Oakland Raiders, earning four first-team All-Pro selections and three Pro Bowl nods. His best campaign came in 2015, when he recorded 154 tackles, including 116 solo, along with seven tackles for loss, a fumble recovery, and two passes defended — a return to form after he missed all of 2014 with torn ACL and MCL injuries.

UConn enters the 2026-27 season with high expectations after finishing as national runner-up to Michigan last spring. Early projections place the Huskies in the top 10 nationally, buoyed by the returns of Mullins and Silas Demary Jr. The program will, however, be without guard Solo Ball, who is expected to sit out the entire season following left wrist surgery, with plans to return in 2027-28 — potentially alongside Bowman.

Recruiting wins of this magnitude also carry business implications beyond the court. College basketball’s expanded media exposure keeps properties like The Walt Disney Company — whose ESPN networks have long carried the sport’s biggest moments — closely tied to the sport’s growth. Disney shares traded at $104.95 in recent action, up 0.74% on the day, while Nike, a longtime UConn apparel partner candidate in the broader collegiate landscape, traded at $36.81, down 1.41%.

What to watch

• Whether other elite 2027 prospects follow Bowman’s early commitment to Storrs.
• UConn’s season-opening performance and whether the top-10 projection holds once play begins.
• Solo Ball’s recovery timeline ahead of his planned 2027-28 return.
• Bowman’s senior-season statistics and EYBL results as rankings are finalized.

Source: original release