ESPN 100 guard Bryce McGowens committed to Nebraska on Friday, giving the Cornhuskers their highest-ranked recruit in program history.
McGowens, a former Florida State commit who reopened his recruitment in October, chose Nebraska over Georgia. He’ll join his brother, Trey, who transferred from Pittsburgh to Nebraska last spring and is eligible to play immediately.
“I chose Nebraska because of how much trust I have in the program and coaching staff,” McGowens told ESPN. “Coach [Fred] Hoiberg has a proven track record of getting guys ready and getting them to the NBA. Also, having an opportunity to play with my older brother is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Ranked No. 33 in the ESPN 100, McGowens is the No. 8 shooting guard in the country. The 6-foot-6 Legacy Early College High School (South Carolina) product is expected to sign his letter of intent Friday night.
Shortly after McGowens decommitted from Florida State, Nebraska emerged as one of the favorites to land him. While assistant coach Matt Abdelmassih took the lead on his recruitment, McGowens’ brother made sure he knew how badly the Cornhuskers wanted him.
“He was calling me two, three times a day telling me how much he has been improving and how coach lets them play, including how cool it would be to play with each other,” McGowens said.
“I’m definitely excited,” Trey McGowens told ESPN. “Just seeing the way they do things here. Things are different, as far as skill development-wise, strength-wise, helping him develop into the best player he can be.”
McGowens is the highest-ranked Nebraska commit since the ESPN recruiting database began in 2007, passing Ed Morrow and Wilhelm Breidenbach, who were both ranked No. 53 in 2015 and 2021, respectively.
“It’s an honor,” McGowens said. “It means that I have a chance to be a trendsetter. I want to attract the best players in the country to come to Nebraska.”
McGowens is the third commitment for Hoiberg in Nebraska’s 2021 class, joining Breidenbach and junior college guard Keisei Tominaga.
“I feel like I can make a major impact from day one, doing whatever is needed to elevate the program to put us in a position to win a championship,” McGowens said. “That’s the goal. I’ve always prided myself on winning and we expect to be competing for a championship next season. I also want my impact to go further than the court, where kids across the country view Nebraska as a program to take serious.”
“He’s a hard worker. You’re going to get everything out of him,” Trey said. “Expect a big year out of him, out of me, out of the Nebraska program as a whole.”
