Rivals100 LB Troy Bowles: 'I like Auburn a lot'

Troy Bowles, the son of Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, took his first visit to Auburn on Saturday, taking in A-Day and touring campus.

Troy is not just the son of an NFL head coach, though, he's built up an impressive resume in his own right. Out of Jesuit in Tampa, Bowles is the No. 98 player in the Rivals Class of 2023 rankings.

Georgia and Ohio State are viewed as some of the early favorites for Bowles, but LB coach Christian Robinson is working quickly to change that. Robinson was heavily involved in Bowles' recruitment while at Florida, and has made sure he continues that now that he's at Auburn.

"It means a lot because he first started recruiting me when he was at Florida," Bowles said. "We built a great relationship so I knew wherever he was going he was going to keep recruiting me. Just figures it was Auburn and I like Auburn a lot."

Bowles arrived Saturday morning with his Granddad and took in part of the campus before attending the A-Day game. He's planning to stay until Sunday morning and tour campus a little more Saturday afternoon and evening.

"I like it a lot. It’s a nice college town," Bowles said. "Everything’s like central, seems like all the fans, everybody came out to the game today. I like it a lot."

He says he's planning a return to campus, as he "definitely" wants to come for a game this fall. An official visit is on the table, too.

The importance of Robinson in Bowles' recruitment and Auburn's chances cannot be overstated.

"He understands his players and he’s a real people person," Bowles said. "He doesn’t just want to coach you, he wants to teach you how to be a better person and a better man."