USC football sustained its biggest college football recruiting loss Wednesday. Now the Trojans could immediately make up for it through the nation's No. 1 tight end Mark Bowman.

Xavier Griffin decommitted from the Trojans Wednesday, who was a longtime verbal commit. But USC landed on the short list for the five-star Bowman, Hayes Fawcett of On3 revealed Thursday afternoon.

Bowman places USC on his final lists of universities nearly 24 hours after Griffin's decision. He's also a local talent who stars for Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, California.

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Bowman isn't just the nation's top TE. Bowman ranks as California's second-best overall prospect by On3. He'd establish himself as a potential intriguing weapon for Jayden Maiava or even prized five-star freshman Husan Longstreet.

Bowman choosing USC can immediately make up for Griffin's departure. The linebacker chose USC back in July 2024 and previously told 247Sports' Tom Loy back on Feb. 4 that he's locked in with USC. Griffin, however, took visits to other schools and talked to different coaches per Loy — which didn't sit well with USC. Now, Bowman could reignite the top-ranked class.

USC still faces competition for No. 1 TE 

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Landing the Huntington Beach native won't be easy for Lincoln Riley and company. The Big Ten university still faces stout competition — including two conference rivals.

Oregon and national champion Ohio State are among Bowman's seven schools. The Ducks rank 17th overall in the '26 recruiting rankings. However, Oregon won over five-star edge rusher Richard Wesley of Sierra Canyon in Chatsworth. Wesley's decision prompted Dan Lanning to jump into a pool in celebration.

Ohio State, meanwhile, ranks higher at No. 3 behind Notre Dame and USC. The Buckeyes are even hosting Griffin first following his decommitment. USC additionally tried to sway longtime OSU wide receiver pledge Chris Henry Jr. But Henry Jr. shut down his recruiting process and remains committed to OSU.

The conference rivals aren't the only ones on Bowman's radar. He lists Miami as one of his options — which landed five-star tackle Jackson Cantwell on Tuesday. Southeastern Conference powers Georgia, Texas and Ole Miss round out Bowman's final seven.

USC inside wide receivers/tight ends coach Chad Savage is leading the charge to land Bowman. The TE drew Brock Bowers comparisons from Greg Biggins of 247Sports. Bowman also reclassified to the '26 class.

USC currently holds no TE commits for this class. Bowman can rise as the first, plus make up for Griffin's loss.