Son of 49ers great commits to UConn as five-star basketball recruit

The son of former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Navorro Bowman seems destined for sports greatness as well.

Bowman’s son, Navorro Bowman Jr., has committed to play basketball at UConn under head coach Dan Hurley, ESPN.com reported.

Bowman Jr. is ranked 11th in the class of 2027 as a five-star recruit out of Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, per 247 Sports. He is the highest-ranked player from his class to commit to a university and is also the first player Hurley has landed from his class.

Because of the transfer portal’s impact on college sports, recruits are often reluctant to commit to a school during the fall session of the school year. Another area that’s factored into their decision is the NCAA’s five-for-five eligibility model that allows college athletes to play five seasons.

Bowman Jr. is a 6-foot-3 guard who had a breakout junior year last season, where he averaged 22.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5 assists per game.

His father played seven seasons in the NFL after being selected as a third-round pick by the 49ers in 2010.

During his third season, Bowman played a vital part in leading a top-ranked 49ers defense to the Super Bowl, where they would ultimately come up short against the Baltimore Ravens.

In 2014, Bowman tore both his ACL and MCL and would miss the entirety of the season, after having three straight years where he logged over 140 tackles.

In 2015, he responded by having a career year, where he had 154 tackles, 116 of them as solo tackles, resulting in him being named first-team All-Pro for the fourth time in his career.

Bowman was awarded the Ed Block Courage Award after the season because of his inspiring return from a severe knee injury.

Despite still being able to play linebacker at a high level, Bowman retired from the NFL in 2017.