Highland’s Bowens officially signs with Boise State; his coach believes he has potential to go further

POCATELLO — When scouts from Boise State University came to Highland High School last spring, they asked head football coach Nick Sorrell if any of his Rams were worth taking a look at. Sorrell said he told the the scouts, “I’ve got a kid I think you need to see.”

After watching Markell Bowens practice, the scouts told Sorrell that the 6-foot-5, 230-pound edge rusher was the “best-looking prospect in the state,” Sorrell recalls.

Now, after a senior season that saw his defense lead Highland to a 6-4 record and State Playoff berth, Bowens is officially Boise bound.

The senior signed his National Letter of Intent at Highland Tuesday.

Before putting pen to paper, Bowens thanked the the dozens of teammates, classmates, coaches and school administrators in attendance for supporting him along his journey.

“I hope you guys keep supporting me when I’m at the blue,” he said.

Asked when he first thought Bowens could eventually be a D1 player, Sorrell immediately recalled Bowens’ sophomore season.

“He was splitting time with JV and we brought him up, just to give him more reps, and to see what he could actually do,” Sorrell said. “We put him on kickoff and all of a sudden, he was the first kid down the field. When you put that kind of effort into special teams — that’s hard to teach. … I was like, ‘Alright, there’s something that we could work with.'”

Also hard to teach is Bowens eye-catching combination of size and athleticism. Add those “intangibles” to the effort and intensity he brings and Bowens, Sorrell believes, has the ability to go beyond college — perhaps looking at a future filled with Sunday games.

“He has the ability to go even further than just Boise State,” Sorrell said. “He’s got that skillset that sets him apart from a lot of others.”

Sorrell spoke about the belief Boise State has in the incoming freshman, noting that the Broncos will use an available scholarship on Bowens, rather than an established player available in the transfer portal.

Bowens will join a Broncos team coming off an appearance in the College Football Playoffs — and will be joining the Pac-12 Conference in 2026.